If you love your street and your neighbours but you are tripping over the kids’ school bags in the hallway, you are probably thinking about extending.
Moving can be expensive, between stamp duty and agent fees, you can blow $50k before you have even packed a box. It is usually smarter to fix the house you have.
But what should you build?
We see a lot of trends come and go. Some can add massive value and change how you live. Others look good on Pinterest but are a nightmare to keep clean and can become unpractical very quickly.
The ‘Mullet’ Extension (Business at the front, party at the back)
This is easily the most popular renovation in Australia right now. You keep the traditional façade and front bedrooms of your original home, but you demolish the old at the back.
In its place, we build a big, modern, open-plan space you can have all the bells and whistle; high ceilings, polished concrete or timber floors, and a kitchen that looks out to the backyard.
The Pros:
- Light: Old Aussie houses are often dark, this design, floods the living area with natural light.
- Flow: It connects the kitchen to the garden, making your home feel larger and this is how many Australians are choosing to live.
- Contrast: The mix of old character and new modern lines looks fantastic.
The Cons:
- Heating and Cooling: Those large floor-to-ceiling windows look great, but glass can be a terrible insulator. Installing double glazing can help keep the heat in our out.
- Noise: Open plan means noise travels. If the TV is on in the living room, you can hear it in the kitchen, adding a space with a closable door will solve this problem.
Going Up: The Second Storey Addition
If you are on a tight block, which can be the case for most inner-city suburbs, going up might be the only option.
Usually, this involves putting the kids’ bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Then we open up the entire ground floor for living space.
The Pros:
- Backyard space: You keep your grass for the dog or the cricket pitch.
- Views: Depending on where you are, you might catch a city view or a breeze you didn’t know existed.
- Zoning: It separates the sleeping areas. Parents downstairs, teenagers upstairs. Peace and quiet.
The Cons:
- Disruption: It is harder to live in the house while we take the roof off. You might need to rent for a few months.
- Stairs: They do take up space, so making sure the plans are well thought is essential.
The ‘Al-fresco’ Transition
This is not just sticking a deck on the back. This is about blurring the line between inside and outside. We are talking about corner stacker doors that slide right back into the wall cavity, or gas-strut server windows that open from the kitchen bench directly to the BBQ area. It effectively doubles your living space in summer.
The Pros:
- Entertaining: It is the ultimate setup for Christmas lunch and Summer BBQs.
- Value: Australians pay a premium for good indoor-outdoor flow.
- Ventilation: Opens the whole house up to cool breezes.
The Cons:
- Insects: Flies and mozzies love an open house. You need to think about retractable flyscreens.
- Weather: You need a proper roof over the deck, not just a shade cloth. Otherwise, your outdoor furniture will get ruined in a storm.
Contact Extrabuild
Before you fall in love with a specific design, it’s best to seek advice from local builders, who have years of experiences in renovating and building extensions, being local means we are familiar with the local council regulations.
We are keen to start helping you build your dream home. Get in touch with us today so we can get started on your project.
