Tag: strata

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Bathrooms RENO ADDICT

20 things I learned from my first bathroom reno

I recently shared the pictures of our beautiful finished bathroom and WC with you. And while we’re delighted with it, you know I like to keep things real, and we all know that renos are rarely smooth-running and stress-free! So while there were some hiccups behind the scenes, I thought sharing what we learned from these might be useful information for anyone about to embark on their first reno too. So, read on for my top learnings from the experience, warts and all!

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  • There is SO MUCH involved in a bathroom reno. From the amount of decisions to make (starting with who will do the work and ending with things like grout colour and whether or not you want a robe hook!). It is totally overwhelming. And by their very nature, bathrooms are pretty permanent so you want to get it right. Don’t rush anything!
  • The more planning you can do the better (see above!) to help you finalise your style, the practicalities and your fixtures and fittings. Plan, plan and plan some more to minimise the chances of things going wrong. Use Pinterest, rip things you like out of magazines, make lists, whatever works for you. The more you get down on paper, the better. Make sure you look carefully at any 3D renders or builders’ drawings you’re provided with where you can see it all come together in a more finalised way. Don’t be afraid to ask for changes (and more changes) to get what you want.
  • Get everything in writing. Make sure you have a contract, a scope of work, a cost, your builder’s licence details, every decision/change you make, all in black and white. This not only saves confusion but covers you if something goes wrong. Likewise, at the end, make sure you get the all-important waterproofing certificate and a certificate of completion (your statutory guarantee period starts from the date of this).
  • No matter how much you love interiors, you need expert advice with a bathroom. Listen to your trades, engage an interior designer (or be lucky enough to have them as friends!) and be open to their advice because they know what they’re talking about. I’m an interiors blogger, not an interior designer, and I know it, so I was always asking for a second opinion from someone who really knew their stuff.
  • Don’t choose fixtures and fittings online without seeing them in real life. We nearly did this with taps. When we saw them in the store, we changed our mind. If you’re getting a bath tub, actually get in it at a showroom to make sure it is big/comfortable enough. Things like the angle to lie back and read against are important!
  • Not all trades are created equally. Make sure you get three quotes (I think we got five!). Ask your friends for recommendations, use online services like HiPages and make sure you check licences. The company we went with were extremely professional in terms of the paperwork and managing our expectations which was important to us. Likewise, when you see a plumber spend hours making the plumbing fit in your tiny WC vanity you will have a new found respect for what they do. Seriously, it’s a work of art in there!
  • If, like us, you haven’t done a reno before and you don’t know any trades, it is a great idea to find a company who can manage the entire job for you. We wouldn’t have known where to start and I’m sure I would have had a nervous breakdown had we not gone down this route.
  • Try not to be too trend-driven. While there’s always something new and exciting out there, remember bathrooms are with you for years! I looked at so many great tiles, but when I kept coming back to to the white subway tile and marble penny round combo I’ve loved for years, I knew there was a reason for that. And I’m not sure I wouldn’t use the same tiles in my next bathroom too! The same goes for furniture; if you love something for years, you won’t regret investing in it.
  • Renos rarely finish on time. We were quoted four or five weeks and ours took eight. And even then there were a few outstanding things. Everyone (and their wife!) will say things to you like “Four weeks?! Really?!” and “We did in ours in three days and did it all ourselves,” and “But why does it take so long?!” and it wears really, really thin! Every reno is different but what they all involve, if done properly, is a lot of different tradespeople and processes, some of which need literally days of time (like waterproofing). Add to this the fact that everyone else’s jobs are also running over time and you’ll find the chances of your plumber, waterproofer and tiler all lining up perfectly are seriously unlikely, no matter how good the planning or project management.
  • You may well have to move out. We did, for four weeks, then lived through the last four weeks with a half-finished bathroom and WC. Be realistic about this from the outset. Can you live with your in-laws? Can you afford to rent an AirBnB? Even if you have a second bathroom, if you have small children, is it practical and safe for you to continue to live in your home during the reno (I work from home so the answer is no, definitely not during the noisy bit!).
  • You need to consider your neighbours. Renos are really noisy, messy things. There’s no getting around it. But you can’t never renovate because you’re worried about annoying the neighbours. It’s just one of those things. What you can do is make sure you, and your trades, are as considerate as possible. We put a note through every mailbox in our apartment building informing people when the renos were starting, when they were expected to end and a contact number to call if they had any concerns. You then need to make sure your trades (and there will likely be contractors involved so you might want to leave this information printed out in your home) know any building rules, where they can and can’t park, etc, etc.
  • In addition to the above, if you live in a strata building, like us, you will likely need to get a bylaw before you can commence work. Effectively, this means asking permission from the owners’ corporation. It is really just a piece of paper, but you have to have it. If you don’t, you could get in a lot of trouble, especially if, for example, your trades damage common property or, for example, there’s a leak into the apartment below you. You’ll need a strata lawyer and it costs around $1,000. Make sure you leave enough time for this to go through strata; I’d advise at least two months before you intend to start work.
  • Bathrooms renos are not pretty in the between stages, they’re actually quite brutal! As a total neat freak, I hated looking at our bathroom during demolition stage. Stripped back to bare brick, you soon realise there’s no going back and think: “God, I hope these guys know how to put it all back together again!”
  • Make sure what you ordered for your bathroom is actually delivered. Open boxes, check, check and check again. We learned this the hard way. Our bath arrived without a waste, we ordered one of our taps wrong and we didn’t realise our rain shower wouldn’t come with an arm to attach it to the ceiling. These were all small mistakes which led to delays. They all add up.
  • Think practically, not just about what will look nice. I wish, for example, we had not centred our bathroom basin. This would have given a large space to one side for hair straightener, hand soap etc, rather then two smaller benchtop spaces either side.

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  •  Make sure you consider the basin/vanity relationship. We slipped up twice here. Firstly, we left it to the last minute (because we were busy with other things and it seemed like it was a simple job) to source our WC basin and it proved to be pretty stressful because hardly any basins were small enough to fit it! We love the extra storage we have in the WC vanity (12 toilet rolls and counting, Toilet Duck and air freshener, compared to no storage at all before!) but finding the right basin? A nightmare! The one we got in the end is beautiful but let’s just say I wasn’t planning on having a $700 tiny basin in a room which is pretty much just a toilet! And did I mention we ordered the wrong tap so it wasn’t tall enough? Gah! Amateurs! When it came to the main bathroom vanity (also custom timber from Ingrain Designs), when it came to installing the original countertop basin it would have meant cutting so big a hole out of the top it would have damaged the integrity of this beautiful (and expensive) piece of furniture. Was it worth the risk? No way! So off we went (last minute again) to source a more suitable basin. Sigh.

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  • There are some things you just can’t plan until the very end, like exactly where to put your towel hook. But that’s okay!
  • Sometimes you have to compromise on your dream bathroom as a sensible financial decision for the longer term. In our case, we knew we planned to sell our apartment in the next year, so I couldn’t have the brass tapware I wanted. I love our bathroom, don’t get me wrong, but I would have made some less safe choices if this was our forever home. And I don’t regret it. Bathrooms are expensive things and if they’re going to help you sell your home for the best price, you have to be smart about it.
  • Styling will make all the difference. A plant, great towels (a new bathroom demands brand new towels!), fancy soap (even my husband invested in new American Crew body wash, shampoo and conditioner!) and the odd brass crab (in my case) are the things which finish it all off nicely; the icing on the cake!
  • Communication is everything. With your trades, or whoever is managing your project. The fact that I could pick up the phone and speak to one really helpful and articulate person, kept me sane and calm (ok, most of the time!). It’s also smart, and just good life advice, to be friendly and respectful to your trades.
  • It will all be worth it in the end. Even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time!

I know I’ll feel a lot more confident going into our next bathroom reno thanks to taking on board all the learnings from this experience.

–Our bathroom and WC were renovated by Integriti Bathrooms. Their MD, Andrew Stenos, regularly shares his bathroom advice on our sister site Reno Addict. You can see the finished rooms here.

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Expert Tips RENO ADDICT

What to consider when renovating in a strata building

There are numerous factors to consider when renovating within a strata building, as opposed to a private property or house. A strata building in a residential area can be a unit or apartment complex, townhouse, villa or duplex.

RA renovating in a strata building bathroom

Image: Pinterest

Strata approval
Before making any renovations to the structure of a building, including the walls, ceilings, balconies, pipes, ducts and services, it is crucial you consult with the strata about these changes. These alterations won’t only affect you, but those that live around you.

Changes to floor coverings
Many multi-storey or high-rise buildings have strata conditions or by-laws in place to control the acoustic properties of how the floor can be used, the thickness of the flooring and issues surrounding the acoustic insulation and noise transmission. To avoid any issues, its important to consult with the strata and get your flooring choice cleared before construction – it’s also the neighbourly thing to do.

Differences on the outside
We all desire to make changes to make our home more aesthetically and functionally pleasing. However, you need to consider how changes to your unit and property will look from the outside and might affect others. Simple changes such as installing private screenings or shutters on windows for heat insulation or privacy need to be considered from a strata perspective.

RA renovating in a strata building kitchen and dining

Image: Pinterest

Do you need approval before making changes to a strata building?
So you don’t fall into any legal perils, its important that you get a copy of your building’s by-laws and review them to find out whether your renovations need to be altered or can be passed.

Documentation is important
When completing any renovation it is best to keep a copy of all documentation and receipts for future need. Keeping a copy of council approvals and/or certifications is necessary for strata, as they will want to see them before any construction takes place. Don’t wait until the last moment to get these – plan in advance!

Access to noise and rubbish removal
It’s necessary for your tradesmen to have access to a good work area and dispose of waste easily. Unlike on a single dwelling, having portable toilets, skip bins and allowing tradesmen to work on the front and back yard isn’t so easy in a strata building. Due to the space, structure and surrounding people, there is a different level of complexity.

Maintaining and controlling rubbish removal can be especially difficult. How do I get permission for a skip bin? Where do I put it? How does it not block the driveway?  These questions arise frequently, but there are a few solutions to help with the problem. Thankfully, fabric skip bins are now available that can be craned over a verandah or stored in the garage. Tradesmen can arrange access. For large renovations, a demolition shoot will need to be planned from the window/verandah of the complex, which dumps the debris in the skip. Approval needs to be sourced as the process involves, not only the shoot, but also the permission of the person whose land is used to place the skip.

Noise
Noise during construction can be annoying for some residents. But if you are respectful and working within your limits then you are starting from a good position. It’s important to check state laws regarding noise control in an urban or residential area. More specifically, check what applies to your specific building. This will let you make sure the construction occurs during a certain time and that online power tools are permitted. Hopefully then you can enjoy your renovations and not worry about being the noisy neighbour.

Amenities in-check
Tradesmen are people too and need access to a toilet onsite. It’s your job to find out where the nearest toilet is for them and gain approval for a portable one if needed.

RA renovating in a strata building lounge room

Image: Pinterest

Working areas for trades
When renovating a building in a strata environment, tradesmen don’t often get the luxury of working on a driveway or front yard, which can be difficult when it comes to the preparation of the renovation. You need to consider that a work area needs to be created and that you might not only be vacating the renovation area but an adjacent one as a work area.

All that cutting, sawing and grinding inside will create a cacophony of a mess, but it’s fairly unavoidable. You need to weigh up the choices. Would you rather a tradesman walking to and from a building to grab materials outside (taking up a lot of time) as opposed to one big construction clean up at the end of the renovation.

Naomi Findlay is one of our resident experts, principal of Silk Home and founder of the International Institute of Home Staging. Want to be a home stager? Attend the 2016 Home Staging Symposium in Sydney this June!

Ask Naomi a question | Read all her articles for Reno Addict.

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Architecture Design Real Renos RENO ADDICT

A simple guide to DA and CC (development application & construction certificate)

view of a modern building, interior

Development application (DA):

A DA is the “concept” that you submit to the local council for approval when you want to undertake new building work or renovations to a property that already exists. If you consider a building project in three stages — DA, CC, and build — DA is the first stage.

Your Development Application will generally consist of architectural drawings, a statement of environmental effects, and a list of other paperwork such as waste management, a cost evaluation report and other documents relevant to your particular renovations or new build. For more complicated sites, sometimes a hydraulics engineer and structural engineer may need to be involved in order to design elements such as storm water systems and structural elements, although this is rare unless the site is very complicated or an unusual shape.

Other times, if they are relevant to the site or if council ask for them to further support the design, a heritage report, a geotechnical report, Building Code Assessment report or a bushfire report may also required.

After all of this is covered off, we submit to council and (hopefully!) get DA approval. Once you have your DA approval, it DOES NOT mean you can start engaging a builder. What it does mean is that you can progress to stage two, which is CC.

view of a modern building, interior

Construction Certificate (CC):

This is what I call “putting the puzzle together”, where we submit detailed documents to certifying authorities for approval. If hydraulics and structural elements were not involved during the DA stage, they will need to come in at this stage, and those elements need to be detailed for approval. This part of the process also requires fees to be paid, which will be listed in the DA documents.

All of this needs to be submitted to certifying authorities for stage two approval. Once approved, the client then can engage a builder to start the work on site.

Do all renovations need approval?

The short answer is no – but that doesn’t make it a simple answer unfortunately. The world of renovating is a bit of a minefield and it’s best to always check in with your local council regarding your plans as even removing trees can sometimes require permission.

When your home is your own, small renovations such as adding a deck or a pergola are mostly exempt, as are internal renovations – however if you are part of a strata plan, that may not always be the case, so again, it’s best to check first.

If there is potential impact for neighbouring properties, or if you are planning major works, development consent is likely to be required too, so it’s best to have a chat to a draftsperson who can help you with the process, or to run your proposal past a council planner – this will give you an easy, and less costly, answer before you go to the effort of submitting a DA.

When it comes to renovating in a complex that is managed by a strata, the general rule is that if your work involves common property, you will need permission. For example any additions or changes that involve common walls, floors, the ceiling, even changing external doors and windows and new kitchens and bathrooms need to be approved. As tempting as it may be to just get on with it if it’s inside your apartment, if your renovations affect or damage the common property, you may have action taken against you or even be told to restore the property back to its original state – neither of which you want. It’s helpful to show your owners corporation drawings of your proposed changes from the start.

–Fiona Ho, director of Go Design Solutions, specialises in residential drafting for renovations and new homes. 

Fiona