The renovate or detonate fix
IT'S the right street but the wrong house - so how do you fix it?
IT'S the right street but the wrong house - so how do you fix it? With renovating becoming almost a national sport you could be forgiven for thinking that putting on your DIY toolbelt was the obvious answer.
But it is possible that demolishing a house and rebuilding on the site may produce a more successful and cost-effective result than a cosmetic renovation.
Experts agree there are pros and cons of both options.
Archicentre's NSW and Queensland general manager Ian Agnew said every situation was unique.
A cost guide available from Archicentre - the Australian Institute of Architects' design and advisory service - shows how renovating a kitchen ($10,000 to $31,000), bathroom ($10,000 to $25,000) or laundry ($4000 to $10,0000) is more expensive than the average cost of these rooms in a new home.
When building, a kitchen will set you back between $7650 and $28,600, while a bathroom costs between $5600 to $18,400 and a laundry from $4000 to $8000.
The higher costs associated with renovating are due to extra work fixing or replacing plastering, paintwork, wiring and plumbing.
Mr Agnew said the condition of a home was critical when deciding whether to renovate or rebuild.
"An old home that's been poorly maintained will usually require extensive repair work such as rewiring, replumbing and reroofing and the cost will inevitably eat into the renovation budget," he said.
"That said, older homes often have generous sub-floor and roof spaces, higher ceilings and larger rooms - especially the bedrooms, making them feel bigger and providing more furnishing and storage space."
Harry Kapoulas and his fiancee Boel Eriksson bought an ageing townhouse 18 months ago and set about bringing it into the 21st century. "It was about 15-20 years old and in original condition, it was pretty rundown," he said.
"We could see what we wanted to do with it from day one. We began by working on the downstairs area where we removed any wall that we could to make the most of the living space," he said.
Mr Kapoulas, who studied architecture and was previously an interior designer, said although the couple are selling 18 months after buying, their Burraneer home is by no means a "flip" renovation.
However, the couple's agent, Ben Southwell of Highland Property Agents, said the house had been improved by $100,000 to $150,000 thanks to the renovation. Judgment Day will be when the hammer falls on October 28.
"I'm a big believer in doing it from scratch with quality finishes - whether you're living there or not.
"Some people renovate to sell and just slap up some paint and call it a renovated home - we did this from top to bottom," Mr Kapoulas said.
Although Mr Kapoulas, who now runs Cafe Ham in Cronulla, is no stranger to renovating as a day job, this townhouse was the first highly personal one.
"When renovating for others you have a set budget, you're working within someone else's tastes. This time it did seem trickier because we gave ourselves a lot of freedom," he said.
Mr Agnew said often construction materials used in a home will influence renovation costs, as will aspect and orientation of a property.
"If the home is well sited and well planned, an energy-efficient renovation can be relatively easy," he said. "However a poorly designed building can be harder."
He suggested getting advice as the most important step before starting. "Talk to an architect and really plan your renovation before you pick up the sledgehammer."