You may be preparing to renovate your kitchen or planning a new build and considering the most effective kitchen layout. Once a separate space, kitchens were designed firstly to be functional, nowadays the focus is on open-plan living making the kitchen an integral part of the design plan. However, homeowners want a nice and tidy…
As building inspectors, we regularly get called to properties which have wooden decks. Whether you’re renovating or selling your house, a well maintained wooden deck can help your property stand out. Although, if you fail to take proper care of it, you could be faced with costly repairs or put off buyers. After a few…
Construction Stage Inspections. How they protect your investment and reduce your stress with a new build. Having a new home built is exciting. It can also be a nerve-wracking experience, particularly when you don’t have a working knowledge of the building trades. Who can you turn to in order to make sure your interests are…
The one thing about home renovation and design is that it is constantly changing. New ideas are forever evolving, some stick, some don’t and others go in and out of fashion. Wallpaper is one of those design influences that has had many reappearances and seems once again to be back on the home renovator’s radar.…
Sub Floor Ventilation What many homeowners do not realise how much poor subfloor ventilation can affect both property and human health. When you are in a confined space, pollutants become denser. If your home is not sufficiently ventilated, property damage may become the least of your problems. Subfloor ventilation is especially important in climates such…
When working with rendered walls, it is strongly advised that builders use expansion joints where wall sections meet, for a number of reasons. Depending on the architecture of a building, there may be dissimilar materials used on the exterior, varying wall thicknesses or areas that experience different stress levels. In such cases, expansion joints, or…
Know your enemy, New South Wales. He is silent, he is destructive, and he is hungry. The subterranean termite is the bane of homeowners, capable of causing thousands of dollars in damage. As a homeowner, you would do well to keep an eye out for them – Our pre purchase building inspection checklist can help…
Construction of your home is carried out in phases involving assorted contractors working on various components at different stages of construction. The finished product will be depended upon to last many years so you’d like to know when the dust settles and when handover time arrives that your new home has been built well and…
There are a lot of different aspects involved in new home construction, and each aspect must meet standards set forth by State and Territory regulatory agencies. Standards and tolerances for workmanship, materials and equipment used in construction of a home can be found in the individual legislative Acts relevant to the specific building under construction.…
You’re ready to start your new renovation project, but are you ready to navigate the compliance and approvals process? Depending on the size and scope of your project, there are a variety of channels through which you should obtain approval. Understanding Development Compliance To obtain approval for development of properties in New South Wales, property…