Home renovations & extensions
A renovation is not a smaller version of a new build. It is a build with a house already standing in the way of it, and the things that decide your budget are usually invisible until someone opens a wall.
So we start before the drawings. We look at what you want, whether it is actually doable, and what your council and building surveyor will require before a permit will issue. Then you get a fixed scope rather than a moving one.
You talk to Nathan from the first conversation, and the same crew that quotes the job is the crew that turns up to do it.
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Can you stay in the house while we build?
It is the question that changes a renovation budget more than any material choice, and almost nobody asks it early enough. Rent for three months is real money, and it is rarely in the original sums.
Often the answer is yes. Where the layout allows it we stage the work so you keep a kitchen and a bathroom and stay living at home, which saves you the accommodation entirely. Sometimes the answer is no, and it is far better to know that at the planning stage than to find out with the roof off.
We can usually tell you once we have seen the plans and understood the scale of what you want. Either way you will know before you commit, not after.
We handle the council side
The biggest hold-up on almost every renovation is getting the plans approved. Missing documentation is what causes the delay, not the council being difficult. Titles, folio numbers, energy ratings, engineering, soil tests — if one is missing the clock stops.
We put the documentation together with you and send it to our own building surveyor before it goes anywhere near the council. That is what stops the back and forth between you, your draftsman and the council. Different municipalities have different rules, and our surveyors know the local ones.
What quietly blows a renovation budget
None of these are the things people budget for, and all three of them turn up after the money has been committed. Every one is cheap to check at the planning stage and expensive to discover later.
Energy ratings on the whole house
Go far enough and the ratio of new to old tips over, and the entire house has to be brought up to the current 7-star standard — not just the new part. Extra insulation, double glazing, the lot. It can blow a budget in a fortnight.
Over-capitalising
Your bank values the finished property, and if it does not believe the renovation adds what it costs, it will lend you less than you planned for. Get pre-approval first, then let us steer the scope and materials to fit it.
Plans that will not pass
Bring your own draftsman by all means — but talk to us first. We regularly find drawings that do not conform to the building code, and fixing that after the engagement letter is signed costs time, money and paperwork.
Most of your renovation is done by us, not subcontracted out
On a renovation this matters more than on a new build, because the surprises are behind the walls and the crew that finds them has to be able to deal with them on the spot. Licensed specialist trades such as electrical are external and we use our own preferred tradespeople — everything else is ours.
Our own excavation
Footings, drainage and site works for the new section are cut by our own machine and crew.
Our own retaining walls
Where an extension steps down a slope the retaining is structural, and we build it ourselves.
Our own framing
Tying new frame into an old one is where renovations go wrong. Our carpenters do it.
Our own welding
Steel beams to open up a wall are welded and bolted by us, not waiting on an outside welder.
Our own landscaping
The ground gets torn up on every renovation. We put it back, so the job finishes complete.
Your choices, not a catalogue
Fittings and finishes are yours to pick. If you have your heart set on it, we install it.
Talk to us before you draw anything
The cheapest hour you will spend on your renovation is the one before the plans are drawn. We will tell you what is doable, what your council will want and where your money is best spent — and you will go into the drafting process knowing what will actually get built.
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We do our best work for every customer, and it shows through in their feedback.
See all reviewsWe were delighted with Nathan Hooper and the Elite Building and Construction Services team. Nathan was always focussed on delivering quality workmanship.
We had Nathan do some footings for us for a job, he was prompt, professional and very reasonable on price. It was pleasing to work with him.
After trying multiple shed builders to modify our shed without success, Elite said they could and did the job well.
Contacted Nathan and his crew to re-model my awful old shower.....they went above and beyond, and now my bathroom is absolutely beautiful!! The attention to detail and craftsmanship that went into (what I’m sure was) a challenging repair/re-build, was truly appreciated. Thank you for such a wonderful result!
How we renovate without the surprises
A renovation runs on what you found out before you started. This is the order we work in, and it is why our jobs finish without drama.
We look first
We walk the house with you, work out what is doable and what it will take, before anyone draws a line.
We get it approved
Plans to our building surveyor, documentation assembled, then to your council — in that order.
We build around you
Staged where it can be, so you stay in your home and keep the accommodation money in your pocket.
Renovation and extension questions, answered
Can we stay in the house while you renovate?
Often yes. Where the layout allows it we stage the work so you keep a kitchen and a bathroom and stay living at home, which saves you the rent. Sometimes the answer is no, and it is much better to know that at the planning stage than once the roof is off. We can usually tell you once we have seen the plans.
Will my renovation need council approval?
Most do. The biggest hold-up is almost never the council being difficult, it is missing documentation — titles, folio numbers, energy ratings, engineering, soil tests. We assemble it with you and send it to our own building surveyor first, which is what stops the back and forth.
Will the whole house have to meet current energy ratings?
It can. It depends on the size of what you add and the ratio of new to old. Go far enough and the entire house has to be brought up to the current 7-star standard, not just the new part, which can mean extra insulation and double glazing. It is worth checking early, because it moves a budget quickly.
Can I use my own draftsman?
Yes, but talk to us before you engage them. We regularly find drawings that do not conform to the building code, and correcting that afterwards costs time and paperwork. If someone else engaged the draftsman we often cannot even speak to them directly without another engagement letter.
What is over-capitalising, and why does the bank care?
Your bank values what the property should be worth once the work is done. If it does not believe the renovation adds what it costs, it treats the project as over-capitalised and may lend you less than you planned for. Get pre-approval first, then we can steer the scope and materials to fit it.
Do you do extensions as well as internal renovations?
Yes, and an extension is where the site work matters most — footings, drainage and often retaining if the ground falls away. We do our own excavation and retaining, so the least predictable stage of the job stays under our control.
Need something special?
Whether you’re facing a steep block, a complex architectural design, or just want a true custom build, Elite Building & Construction is the team that gets it done. Speak directly with Nathan Hooper and start planning your home today.