Home Renovations in Canberra

Older Canberra houses have good bones and a lot of surprises. Both get handled by the same person.

Modern open-plan kitchen and dining area with white cabinets, dark island, and wood floors

What we do here

Working with what a house is hiding

Canberra has a lot of houses built between the 1950s and the 1970s. They were built solidly and they were built to the standards of the day, which are not the standards of now. Renovating one is genuinely different work from building new.

Four things turn up over and over. Asbestos where nobody expected it. A brick base with backfill sitting behind it. Rock where the excavation was supposed to be simple. And thermal performance that means the house is expensive to heat no matter how it looks.

None of those are reasons not to do it. They are reasons to have somebody pricing the job who has met them before. I go looking for them before we sign rather than finding them halfway through, because that is where renovation budgets come apart.

What this covers

  • A proper look at what is there before anything gets priced.
  • Asbestos assessment, and licensed removal where it is found.
  • A cost plan that names its assumptions.
  • Structural, thermal and services upgrades where they are worth doing.
  • The build, with me on site.
  • Licensed trades for all electrical, plumbing and gasfitting.

What it does not

  • Architectural design.
  • Cosmetic refreshes and styling work that is not worth doing, and I will tell you when that is the case.

The upgrades you cannot see

A renovation is the best chance a house gets to be fixed properly rather than covered up. Insulation, sealing and detailing while the walls are open. On most builds an airtightness test with a blower door testing rather than an assumption. And whatever comes out that can be reused, gets reused.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do you price a renovation when nobody knows what is behind the walls?

    Experience makes a big difference. Having worked on a wide range of renovations, we know what to look for, what to allow for and where unexpected issues are more likely to arise. We take the time to understand the existing home and provide a detailed cost plan based on what we can see and inspect. Where something can’t be confirmed before work begins, we make that clear from the outset, so you have a realistic understanding of the project and can move forward with confidence

  • Is it worth upgrading insulation while we are at it?

    In an older Canberra house, almost always. The walls are open, the trades are already there and it is the cheapest it will ever be to do. It also changes what the house costs to run for as long as you own it.

  • Do you find asbestos often?

    In houses of that era, yes. It gets assessed before work starts and removed by a licensed asbestos contractor if it is there. It is a normal line in a renovation rather than a reason to stop the job, and it is far better found early than uncovered by surprise.

Modern kitchen with white island, wood accents, pendant lights, and open living space

Come and have a look at the work

The first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. If you have drawings, bring them. If you have not started, that is fine too.