Issues to Consider Before Renovating Your Bathroom

Renovating your bathroom is a very exciting and interesting task and should be thoroughly planned out. Renovating your bathroom can be overwhelming, Classic Quarters Group has prepared a a few simple points for you to consider when undertaking your bathroom renovation.

Renovation Budget

First think about how much you are willing to spend on the renovation. Setting a budget will help you make important decisions such as whether or not not to move the services and what quality level of materials to buy. Once you have determined the amount you want to spend, you can get a clearer idea on bathroom furniture, tiles and other accessories.

Renovation Timeframe

People tend to think that renovating a small bathroom takes much less than it would take if renovating a larger bathroom, but this is not necessarily true. For example, a bathroom renovation specialist will have to go through the same processes whether you were installing a large bathtub or a small one. Classic Quarters Group is a Sydney bathroom renovation specialist that can take care of everything in a very reasonable timeframe.

Hidden Problems

If you have decided to go for a major update of your bathroom, the whole plumbing layout should be reviewed. This will give more value to your home over time because your house’s age is generally the main cause of hidden problems such as broken water pipes or electrical wiring issues. It saves time and money in the medium to long term, not to mention less headaches and issues!

Bathroom Measurements

There are three important things to consider – locating pipes, electrical wiring and size of standard bathroom accessories, such as bathtub, mirror, cabinets, faucets etc. This is one of the reasons you should choose a professional bathroom renovation company. This way you can avoid a lot of mistakes which result in wasted time and money. We can advise you on how to use the space to ensure we can include as much or as little as you want in your bathroom. There are lots of space-saving ideas in bathrooms such as built in shelves in the shower for toiletries, hidden cisterns, and vanities with good storage (that of course look great!).

Lighting

A bathroom can be impractical or even dangerous without proper lighting. Firstly we want to work with the natural light and then consider adding to the light levels where needed. As a general rule of thumb, the bathroom should have at least 4 watts of incandescent light per square meter.

Ventilation

Ventilation is essential in a small, wet room such as the bathroom. It is also a difficult task that requires good upfront planning. Poor ventilation can lead to excessive moisture in the bathroom leading to rotting timbers or unhealthy mould. We can discuss options that will best suit your use of space.

Classic Quarters Group is the Sydney bathroom renovation specialist that can help you have the bathroom you have always dreamed of.

Sydney Kitchen Renovation Guide

The kitchen is high-traffic space which is also a center of social and family time. This area of the home must be well organised, practical and cozy. You should feel extremely comfortable when cooking for friends or family and never overwhelmed by a too sophisticated or impractical design. Here are a few things everyone should have in mind when opting for a kitchen renovation.

Research

Just as in any other renovation project, research is an important first step. The first thing is to understand your own preferences for function and aesthetic.When you thinking about your kitchen and what you’d like it to include, think about what is lacking in your current kitchen. Write a list of your ‘must haves’ and a ‘wish list’ so you can work through them as you plan and design your new kitchen with Classic Quarters Group. This could be a built-in dishwasher so it looks like another cupboard or a double sink, maybe you’d like built-in spice racks or a coffee machine? Remember this is your kitchen so it should be just like you and your family would like it.

Once you have clear ideas, take it to kitchen renovation specialists and get costings. If you live in Sydney and find a company such as Classic Quarters Group, everything in this stage is easy. We will always advise you to take a costing to your financial planner – if you spend $25-$50,000 on this element, what will the increase in the value of your home be? Then make a decision on budget.

Planning

A kitchen renovation project must follow a strict plan, as otherwise you risk getting lost in the details. The best solution is hiring specialists, as it is more convenient. Choosing to take care of such a project on your own can result in you spending a ridiculous amount of time figuring out how to solve various problems that you have no experience in solving such as waterproofing, engineering or lighting plans. Let someone else have the worries so you can concentrate on your family and worklife!

Combine simplicity and aesthetics

The ideal kitchen design is the one that combines both simplicity and aesthetics. A simple design may include old fashioned furniture OR modern appliances and cabinets that can be easily integrated in any space without losing the simplicity of the design. The new trend is definitely the minimalist yet fully equipped kitchen. The minimalist appearance is a design trick, as most objects are not exposed, which creates an illusion of simplicity. This way the storage space is very well organised, making cooking a great daily experience.

Classic Quarters Group makes kitchen renovation simple and hassle free for all Sydney renovators.

Granny Flats – A Great Source of Extra Income and More

The 2009 State Environmental Planning Policy (Affordable Rental Housing) has definitely changed the way we now see secondary dwellings. It has allowed people to maximize the value of their current home/land by building a granny flat. These granny flats can now be rented out to third parties as an additional income, where before it was only for family members.

This legal update turned granny flats into very profitable long term investments. Building a second dwelling on your land has multiple financial and non-financial advantages.

Financial Advantages

The costs of building a granny flat range from $90,000 to $200,000 for detached 2 bedroom granny flats of around 60sqm (largest you can build with all inclusions). The financial advantage is obvious, as buying a one bedroom apartment in Sydney can go up to $450,000. Building a secondary dwelling seems a better investment, as you won’t have to pay any stamp duty, while you can still benefit of tax deductions. This policy also brought a change on the approval process for secondary dwellings. You can now get an approval by the relevant consent authority within 10 days from submitting your application.

Being able to rent secondary dwellings to third parties is a great long term source of extra income. Renting a granny flat in Sydney goes up to $300-$650 per week depending on the location, which is great considering the building costs of such a unit. The demand is very high, as the rental for one bedroom apartment in Sydney can go up to $520-$850 per week.

A secondary dwelling that accommodates the elder members of the family can still have financial advantages. This way you won’t have to pay up to $1,500 per month for accommodating one person at a nursing home. Allowing younger members of the family to live in such units helps them save a lot of money too.

Non-financial Advantages

Granny flats provide perfect multi-generational living arrangements. Granny flats allow elderly parents or teens an independent living arrangement whilst still having support. This way, parents can live very close to their children and grandchildren, while still enjoying their private life.

A granny flat can be a perfect guest house for friends or relatives that want to visit. It is also a great solution for family members with hobbies, such as musicians or sewers for example. This special type of housing is the perfect solution for rebel teenagers that want to experience living on their own without giving their parents a heart attack.

Classic Quarters Group is a leading Sydney building company that provides a wide range of building services. We build fantastic granny flats in the Sydney area. We can customise a granny flat to your needs. Contact us today to find out more.

Building a Terrace Home in Sydney

Classic Quarters Group is a terrace home building company in Sydney, always looking for new ways to optimise the costs and the comfort of the buildings we create, all the while building you a fantastic and high quality home or renovation to your existing home.

Building a terrace home in Sydney is something most people in the world only dream about. The city is one of the most beautiful in the world, and is an important financial element in Australia’s national economy. Sydney is a wealthy and prosperous city and the quality of life is higher in only a few places on the globe. Sydney actually ranks #8th in Quality of Life Index for 2012, which says a lot about the advantages of having a home in here. It is the perfect place to build a home, have a family, work and live.

Some people are still unsure about whether it is best for them to buy a renovated terrace home or to buy one that is either in need of renovation or that has potential.

Some advantages of being able to build or renovate your own terrace include:

  • You can have total control on the construction materials. This is maybe the most important advantage in building your own terrace house. You’ll have the chance that very few have – choosing the roof, the bricks, the flooring, the colors, the tiles, the bathtub, the windows and doors for example.
  • You can also have a discussion about the layout with your architect. This will allow you to design a layout that best suits you, your family and your lifestyles needs. By building or renovating your own terrace, it also allows you the choice of selecting your own fixtures and fittings so they fit your taste and not the old owners.
  • Finally, selecting a terrace home often means you get a home that has some fantastic original charm (should you choose to keep it) and most terraces are within immediate proximity to the city which suits many people.

Be careful to choose a builder with a proven history in this specialised type of renovation… failures can lead to problems with neighbours, an unlivable home, lower resale potential. Key issues to study are water ingress (eg from dilapidation) and egress (eg from neighbouring sites), rising damp in the structure, understanding of privacy and overshadowing… there is a long list of things that can go wrong on a terrace renovation that you must educate yourself in. With a wealth of experience throughout the Sydney area, Classic Quarters Group offers a complete solution in planning and constructing high quality terrace homes. Our professionalism and experience save clients money, time and stress.

Contact Classic Quarters today for a quote

Build the House of Your Dreams in Sydney

Sydney is an amazing city and building your own house here is a dream for many people. Here are a few things for those that want to build their own home in the near future. Even before seeking the services of an architect, you should put your ideas in order and outline the future design of your dream house. This way you will have a starting point in your discussions with the architect.

Family members and their age

This is the most important thing you should consider when choosing for your home’s architecture. If you have young children, you can opt for a larger kitchen and dining room. If your parents live with you, you can also consider a granny flat in your design. An important consideration is how many bedrooms and bathrooms you’ll need.

Family lifestyle

If you like to spend a lot of time with family, then your living room should be larger and comfortable, so that there is space for everyone to be together or to have space for their hobbies. A time-consuming job means you should consider a home office. This way you won’t have to disturb others by working in your bedroom or living room. If somebody in the family has a hobby that takes space or makes a lot of noise, you should consider that too. A rehearsal room is great for musicians, while a workshop is ideal for carving or carpentry amateurs.

Orientation

The cardinal orientation of your house is not something you can ignore. The rooms where you will be spending more time should definitely not be facing north. Most people actually prefer having their living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens facing east. This way you can enjoy natural light in the morning, which will make you feel wonderful. Scientists have found that retinal cells signal the brain when natural light hits your eyes in the morning, leading to a more natural ‘waking up’ process that is less stressful than awaking in the dark. What better way to start each day?

Home as a destination

This is an factor you should keep in mind especially when it comes to investments. Most people don’t want to invest a lot of money on a holiday property, realising that they won’t be spending that much time there. If you want your home to feel like a sanctuary, a preferred destination where you can ‘holiday at home’, this will impact your design. No matter the decision, you and your family must be thrilled with your new house.

Classic Quarters Group is a leading provider of building services in the Sydney area specialising in terrace building, granny flats building, new builds, complex renovation projects and second storey additions to name a few. Contact us today for more information or a free quote.