$700K blowout: 7 things I wish I’d known as a first-time renovator – Beragampengetahuan

There are few moments more exhilarating in life than buying your first proper home, especially if you buy at auction.

However, if you’ve purchased a ‘fixer upper’ – or an absolute money pit, like my partner and I did – then reality will soon hit, and with it an overwhelming ‘to do’ list that you need to tackle in order to turn your dream abode into a reality.

Journalist Paul Ewart and his partner took on an ambitious renovation in Bondi and quickly learnt things don’t always go to plan. Picture: Supplied

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No amount of hours clocked up watching shows like ‘Grand Designs’ or ‘Escape to the Chateau’ can truly prepare you for it, as we found out when we embarked on an almost entire knockdown and rebuild of our rundown, rat-infested, Bondi Beach period property.

The reality is that home upgrades, even the easy ones, have a way of becoming crazily unwieldy and the lessons learned are both painful and expensive.

There’s no white-knuckle ride quite like a renovation project, and it’s a ride I wouldn’t embark on again without serious thought and due diligence.

Here’s a few things that I wish we’d known before we took the renovation plunge.

1. The minefield of rules and regulations when dealing with the local council

Despite neither of us thinking that our renovation — which comprised chiefly of making the existing, illegally done, loft conversion a) accessible with some stairs and b) slightly larger to be a useable space — was worthy of council scrutiny, we soon realised that this would be a very lengthy process.

For our little Bondi semi we were told that we’d need a full development application (DA) in which plans and likely impact on the local environment would undergo formal review and determination by the council.  

Converting the loft area into a master bedroom and ensuite with stair access ended up being a costly and lengthy process. Picture: Supplied

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Our loft conversion necessitated a series of pricey shadow diagrams, stormwater assessments, 3D renders, an A-to-Z of certifications, multiple site visits from council, and much, much more. In short, before we had even engaged a builder we were already eating significantly into our budget. 

“Get informed on the planning rules and restrictions for your area, or for an area you’re looking at buying in,” advised town planner at Paro Consulting, Daniel Barber. “Different councils have different requirements for permission to undertake a renovation.

“Some developments can be performed using fast-track complying development certificates.  This process can save you time and money if it is appropriate. To find out if this is suitable, speak to a town planner or independent certifier. 

A town planner or independent certifier from the get-go can save valuable time down the track. Picture: Supplied

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“A town planner has a thorough understanding of council regulations, which is becoming increasingly legalistic. For complicated projects, there help can be invaluable to ensure well though out arguments are presented to the council in order to get your dream plans across the line.”

2. That we should have been more flexible

Way back in 2020 straight after we purchased the property we engaged an architect to help us.

They advised us from the get-go that making the house a three-storey dwelling would open up a can of worms given the zoning. While we would have lost a swanky master bedroom and adjoining bathroom, in hindsight, this would have likely shaved more than three years from the reno.

The humble Bondi semi before it underwent a bold transformation. Picture: Supplied

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Knowing now what we have put ourselves through, in terms of stress and financial strain, I wish we’d been more flexible with our vision for the property.

“Sometimes, council may not always approve what the client wants, or construction costs may be too high,” said Yelena Smetannikov, owner of Sydney-based firm Urban Den Architects.

“An architect will help provide a solution that makes a compromise between all of these aspects, to reach a design resolution which works for the client and the constraints.”

3. That we should have lived in the space first

Like many pandemic purchases, we bought our house without even seeing it.

Trapped in a Melbourne lockdown, we began the planning and designing process with our architect remotely before we’d even stepped a foot inside the property.

When borders finally opened and we were able to live in the house, we realised that our initial plans and ideas had been a mistake. 

Living in the space prompted the couple to tweak their renovation plans. Picture: Supplied

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Living for months in the house, we organically discovered elements of the property that we loved, and didn’t love: which rooms we used most, what the light is like and where to focus our budget. This really prompted us to tweak our plans and our overall vision. 

“It is often the architect’s trained eye and knowledge of the finer details that increases the value of a renovation,” explained Ms Smetannikov. “And ultimately, the house. There is a good reason that an architect designed house goes on the real estate ad!”

4. That our budget would significantly blowout

As anyone who has managed to purchase a property in Sydney’s coveted Eastern Suburbs can testify to, it ain’t cheap.  

We bought our house in the midst of the 2020 Sydney market pandemic-related price dip.

Pre-Covid our budget saw our search confined to apartments, however, given the price drop, and the fact that the property was falling apart, we were able to upgrade from an apartment and snag an actual house.

But the fanfare over bagging a ‘bargain’ turned to despair when our renovation coincided with the construction industry price hike due to the significant delays with our DA application. 

Construction costs rose by around 20-30% due to both increased demand and supply-side factors such as disruptions in supply chains due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Because of these factors the projected price tag on our property was more than double our budget, and more followed. 

Having already spent our life savings we had nothing left. Thankfully, my husband’s parents stepped in with a loan. Without their help, I have no idea what we would have done. 

“Have a decent buffer of at least 10-20% of the estimated build cost in case of inevitable surprise that might pop up along the way,” said Mr Barber. “Remember, once you start there is no going back!

The renovation budget blew out significantly amid delays and skyrocketing material costs. Picture: Supplied

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“Your first discussion with a designer should include your budget upfront, as this will help them come up with a realistic plan that you can afford.

“You’ll also need to factor in designer fees, consultant fees, council fees, certification costs and additional building costs, particularly for an older buildings.”

5. That Pinterest isn’t really your friend

While I do have a definite ‘style’,  it’s super easy to get carried away when looking for inspiration, be it through glossy interior magazines or Pinterest.

My Pinterest board ended up spiralling into a mishmash of 1000-plus images. Throw in a seemingly never-ending number of paints, tiles, and soft furnishing options, and my head began to spin and I was paralysed with indecision. 

Using magazines and websites as a source of inspiration can be helpful, it can also lead to decision paralysis. Picture: Supplied

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The lesson? Rein yourself in, pick your colour palette and aesthetic, and don’t get carried away with fleeting trends. 

“Don’t always go with the trends” said Ms Smetannikov. “Trends are trends for a reason, they will fade away and you may be left with regret over those hexagonal tiles you chose for your bathroom, just because they were featured on ‘The Block.’ That is unless you can afford to renovate the house again in a few years time.”

6. That we should have spent more time picking our builder

Smiles, promises of going above and beyond and a glossy website won us over when we met our builder. But, when our move in date came and went repeatedly with no real end in sight, we began to question our faith. 

After a series of delays – which left us homeless for several months – we felt that we were no longer a viable client to them.

After years of delays, the couple ended up with their dream home – but was it worth it? Picture: Supplied

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When we did eventually move in, the house hadn’t been cleaned, and it was entirely underwhelming after the years of waiting and waiting to get into our finished home. 

“Work with someone you get along with and that you trust,” said Ms Smetannikov. “At the end of the day, a client needs a builder they can get along well with, as both the design and construction phases are very long. You need someone they can rely on, basically.”

At the end of the day, you need a competent, communicative builder and it’s beyond important to prioritise a healthy relationship with your builder in order to avoid ongoing delays.  

7. That nothing – not even a beautiful house steps away from Bondi Beach – is worth four years of debilitating stress

Time is the most precious commodity we have and it pains me beyond words to think that four years of my life have been dominated by a house renovation. 

Even now, walking around our beautiful home, I can’t bring myself to love it.

Instead of seeing the amazing skylights, the perfectly-picked paint colours and wallpaper murals, the luxe New York marble slabs and the huge free-standing bathtubs, all I see are the endless arguments, the years of sleepless nights, the tears, the huge amount of debt, and the pain of not being in the driving seat of your own life.

The scars of a major renovation blowout can taint the end result, no matter how stunning your home is. Picture: Supplied

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I hope that I can move on and try to take a rose-tinted lens approach once everything is finished.

Regardless, I know that next time we embark on a renovation, or a property purchase, we will be infinitely more prepared than we were. Both my partner and I have learned hard lessons and have the battle scars to prove it!