House Extensions Venus Bay

Home Renovation – Things to Keep In Mind

If you’re bored or stifled by your house’s look, or your family needs more space, it might be time for house renovations to your Melbourne home. Renovation does not only give a new feel to your home, it can also add quite significant value. As well, it enables you to shape your home exactly the way you’d like it to be.

However, if you’re thinking that Home Renovation is a simple task, you are definitely incorrect! This is a large-scale project that requires micro-level planning, a substantial amount of time and money as well as expert guidance and service. You will need patience and strength to get through it, plus an ability to project into the future to when the project will be complete! But to get it complete, you also need professional level skills, as inadequate work can leave you with more problems at the end than when you started.

To help get you started, we here at Northway Building dip into our extensive experience in the industry to offer some tips about home renovation in Melbourne below:

Design a Blue Print

Schedule a meeting with your family members or housemates and get everyone’s opinion about what they would like to see in a renovation. The blend of ideas will be extremely helpful for inspiration and may come up with concepts you wouldn’t have considered on your own. It can also help you answer questions such as, which parts of the house need more attention? Which parts function perfectly well as they are? Canvassing the opinions of everyone who uses the house is a great way to find out

Budget

To many people, this is the “groan” part of the project but it’s vital. You need to be clear about what you can afford, and make your plans accordingly. Find out the rates for services and raw materials from a range of providers. Find out about contractors and suppliers that friends and relatives have used.

Knowing your budget from the beginning helps you be realistic about what you can and can’t achieve, and helps you plan your project in a way that will be concrete and achievable. Essentially, everything else flows on from this.

Hire Experts

Your home is one of the most important assets you have, if not the most important – so you want to make sure that any work done on it is completed to a high standard. If you are after period renovations you will want to find specialist contractors who understand the specifics of what is required. However, even contemporary remodeling is best carried out by qualified professionals botched renovations can cause serious and ongoing problems in any building.

Home renovation is a big project and one you won’t want to undertake too often. With the help of the experts at Northway building, you can ensure the job is done right the first time, providing you a remodeled home you can be proud of.

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Ways to Style Your Verandah

Verandahs can end up being one of the most appealing home additions. A simple roofing style that extends over your porch area in front can add elegance and sophistication to your home, as well as offering great practicality as well with its ability to shelter you from both sun and rain. This extension allows you to relax, eat good food and enjoy gatherings outdoors whatever the season.

Some of the most common and basic styles of verandahs include railings that simply extend the length of the existing area. The most popular styles include curved, flat, gabled and bull-nosed. Once you’ve made your decision, there are ranges of innovative and creative ways you can style your verandah. We offer some suggestions below:

    • One of the simplest ways to style your verandah is stock it with comfortable chairs covered in beautiful fabric in a colour and pattern to suit your home’s exterior. For the finishing touch in functionality, add a side table so you can enjoy a cup of tea and a good novel while relaxing on your verandah. For additional colour and style and to make the most of the outdoor location, you can also add a beautiful potted plant.
    • If it’s long enough, you can divide your verandah into different sections for different purposes; for example, you could create an area for casual get-togethers with couches and throws and another for more formal dining that incorporates elegant sofas and candles.
    • Place a large movable table on your verandah which can be useful for a wide range of purposes. You could also consider furniture such as stackable stools which can be pulled out when a crowd arrives and then put away again compactly when you want to clear the space afterwards. Furniture like this enables you to be flexible with the way you use the space.
    • Install a hammock, the ultimate rest and relaxation accessory! Verandahs are perfect for these, with posts and supporting beams providing a great suspension area. Also, for an interesting and fun alternative to chairs, you could also think of using swings.

Whatever style you choose for your space, make sure it suits your taste and allows you make the best use of your verandah and its offerings of indoor-outdoor flow!

For expert advice on the installation of a verandah to your home, contact Northway building. We’re always happy to help!

Home Extensions Wonthaggi

Things to Consider While Choosing the Right Craftsperson for Your Home Build

Building a new home is a huge investment – for most people, it’s the biggest investment they will ever make. That makes it vitally important to ensure you choose a good professional to carry out the work involved.

Choosing a home building firm is not as easy as entering a shop and comparing items that on the shelf; a home build is a long and involved project, and your choice of contractor will largely determine whether the experience is more exciting or frustrating.

However, there are certain tips that can guide you to find a quality builder who is a good match to your specific needs and requirements. Take a look at our pointers below to help you choose the right professionals to build your future home.

      • What exactly do you want? Define your needs. Everyone wants their home to be unique and exceptional, so make a layout and a plan of how you want your home to look. Builders tend to construct a variety of homes, so whatever style you are looking for, whether it’s modern, traditional or contemporary, there will be firms that specialize in it. So make your choice according to your taste.
      • Consider qualifications: Building or construction projects require immense knowledge and experience in the field, as mistakes can not only cost you more but can also result in danger to health and safety. So when choosing a builder, make sure you check what kind of qualifications they have and whether they are registered and/or members of a professional association. You also want to assess their level of experience.
      • Take a look at their past work: Every building professional should have a portfolio of past projects. You can also enquire about project currently under construction or recently completed that you might be able to visit.
      • Choose a builder that you have a good rapport with: Signing a contract with a builder is a big commitment and makes it very difficult to undo the entire situation if you discover you and the builder can’t communicate, or you find they are not trustworthy. Some things can be quantifiably checked, but for others you need to trust your instincts. So you feel you and your contractor have a good relationship? Are you satisfied with their answers to your questions? If you have a bad feeling, it’s probably a good idea to move on to another option.
      • Examine the documents closely before signing: Documentation is one of the most crucial aspects in the process of building in Melbourne. Make sure all the needs and details as discussed with your builder are included in your agreement. Read it carefully before signing and ask questions if necessary.

When you need a reputable building company providing Eastern Suburbs Builders as well as the finest home builders in Melbourne, you can’t go past Northway building. Give us a call today for expert advice and assistance with your building project.

Home Extensions Venus Bay

Points to Ponder Before Home Extension

Are you finding it a bit of a squeeze to accommodate the needs of your growing family in your home? As property prices are ferociously rising day by day, choosing to renovate or extend a home is often a better option than buying another one. Buying property costs much more than the price of the house itself; extending also to agent fees, stamp duty, legal issues and so on.

Conversely, home extensions offer numerous advantages such as adding value to your home, saving you the further expense and stress of a move and allowing you and your family to remain in the area to which you’ve become attached.

However, extension projects can go wrong when people try to tackle them without enough knowledge or expertise. Unless you know a lot of about building, save yourself future expense and heartbreak by seeking out a trusted professional to carry out the work for you. However, there are a few other things you need to consider to get a great start on your house extension project in Melbourne. We take a look at some of them below:

      • Consider the feasibility. Before you get into the nitty gritty of your home extension project, make sure you have thoroughly assessed it in terms of functionality and feasibility. This includes factors such as the economics of the project; where you will reside during the process; the value this extension can add to your existing home versus the cost; understanding the laws dictating your project and whether there will be issues as a result of these.
      • Extend wisely: Try to work out the most efficient and practical ways to carry out your Home Extensions. For instance, you can slice up a larger sized bedroom to create two smaller bedrooms, but will the result be worth it? Will the rooms be large enough to be functional living spaces? You may also want to reassess the use of space throughout every area of your house and whether the overall plan might benefit from rearrangement, expansion or even in some cases reduction.
      • Take down the walls: Removing walls can be a good strategy for opening up a space and creating a sense of spaciousness and light. If you need dividers to define the area, you could consider using screens and large pieces of furniture instead. This also provides greater flexibility in terms of how you organize your space.

When looking for a skilled and qualified contractor with solid experience in the field of extension and landscaping in Melbourne, Northway building is a name you can rely on. Give us a call for further information today.

House Renovations Wonthaggi

The Benefits of Adding A Pergola To Your Garden

I love spending time outdoors, reading favourite books like Wuthering Heights or having relaxing time with my loved ones. If you’re like me, the addition of a pergola to the garden can be a real asset, allowing you to enjoy the outside while still having the comfort of a roof over your head.

A pergola is a kind of outdoor room with lattices and cross rafters rather than solid walls. This creates a light, airy and inviting space in which to relax, dine or admire the nature around you. Pergolas can also themselves improve aesthetics in your garden with beautiful and functional design. It also offers further benefits, such as these listed below:

    • Pergolas create a visual impact in your garden, especially with the addition of a flowering and fragrant vine, which can be trained to grow up the lattice. You can find pergolas in numerous designs, styles and materials so there’s sure to be something to suit; you can even design your own.
    • In Australia, the backyard can get neglected in the summer’s punishing heat. A pergola is the perfect solution to this problem, offering shade and safety from the sun. If you have plants growing over the structure, these provide even further sun protection while creating an enjoyable nature-filled atmosphere.
    • Pergolas maximize your usable outdoor space and can provide a practical and enjoyable extension to your home.
    • If you suffer an unsightly view from your backyard, such as a terrible shed at your neighbour’s or a dying tree, a strategically placed pergola can be used to block these out and contribute to a sense of beauty and order in your garden.
    • Finally, adding a pergola enhances your garden and lends extra value to your property. These structures are perfect in terms of defining outdoor spaces.

Pergola-building may seem like a simple process that you can carry out yourself but appearances can be deceiving! It’s often best to seek professional assistance, even for relatively small projects like this. Northway Building are consummate professionals in this area give them a call for expert advice and assistance with your garden project.

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Tips To Choose The Best Person For Home Renovation

Home renovation should be taken seriously as it’s not a simple task. When preparing for Home Renovation, your essential consideration is whether to contract an expert home renovator or try to do it yourself. Though it may seem tempting to save money with DIY, it’s easy to overestimate your own skills and botched renovations actually end up costing you far more time and money in the end. These days, access to the web can make it much easier to find experts in your general vicinity, although then you are still faced with the need to make a decision between them!

When you find a potential House Extension contractor for your Melbourne home, there’s a list of questions you need to ask to make sure they’re capable of carrying out the tasks you require. Choosing a renovator is important they are working on your home, after all and you need to be able to communicate your plans for your home redesign and be sure that they can implement them.

Initially, it’s essential to make clear exactly what you want. Create a micro-level plan and a list of tasks you want completed. Firm planning will make your Home Renovation much smoother and easier to achieve.

Here is a list of considerations to keep in mind before you hire a professional renovator:

    • House and period Renovation is an art, and a renovator should have a flair for creativity. Ask to see a portfolio of previous work, visit their website and research their reviews online. It’s very important to choose a contractor whose work feels compatible with what you’re looking for in your own home.
    • Don’t be impressed solely by the popularity of a renovator; renovation is not a standard process, and what works for others might not be best for you. It’s better to meet a few different possibilities in person and explain your requirements to them. That will give you a clearer idea about who is the right person for you.
    • If you can, try to speak with some previous customers. If you hire someone from a friend’s recommendation, you won’t need to, but in other cases you can check a contractor’s credentials by checking with previous clients about work style and quality.
    • If your potential contractor doesn’t come up with any valuable inputs or suggestions while explaining your vision, this can be a sign of lack of experience or inspiration.
    • Make sure your renovator has a team behind them that work efficiently with him. This includes professionals such as painters, plumbers, locksmiths and so on. A home renovator with a competent team is a mature professional who is serious about their job.