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The planning process is key to a smooth renovation. Picture: Tom Ferguson

Any renovator — from an experienced flipper to a novice with one project under their belt — will agree, the key to a successful transformation is all in the planning.

A clear vision, good budget and know-how on what trades are needed are the vital first steps before the hard work begins.

Charles Bros Building Contractors owner and builder Jason Charles said engaging a draftsman or architect early in the process for large renovations was a good start.

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He said establishing a quote with one builder, who had access to all trades, would also take some of the stress out of the process.

“They will manage everyone on site, making it easier for you,” Mr Charles said.

He suggested comparing costs, experience and timing requirements from three different companies before recruiting a trades team.

Interior designer Monique Sartor’s terrace is unrecognisable after its renovation Photo: Aaron Busch

Hipages chief customer officer Stuart Tucker said sourcing individual tradies could be a daunting task.

“When you’re working with tradies on any renovation project, it’s important to ensure you engage someone who has the appropriate qualifications for the task at hand, as these can vary from state to state,” Mr Tucker said.

“Before you start a project, always request to see your tradie’s licence, ask to see examples of their previous work and read their online recommendations.”

Mr Tucker said Hipages had tradie profiles with all the relevant information, which took guesswork out of the process.

He also recommended knowing when to call in expert advice.

“Budgets can be tough when you’re renovating and some homeowners may be looking for ways to cut costs with some DIY,” he said.

“While it may look easy on TV, our research has found homeowners spend an average of $1500 fixing the damage caused by a DIY job gone wrong.

“Home extensions and renovations should never be attempted as a DIY project, along with plumbing and electrical works.”

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hipages.com.au

The post How to plan and nail a renovation appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Street appeal – 64 Catherine St, St Ives.

You won’t be doing yourself any favours if you don’t at least take a peek inside this near new home.

Set in a leafy, peaceful cul-de-sac close to Surgeon White Reserve ant the St Ives shopping village, it ticks all the boxes for families of all ages.

And with a bedroom and ensuite on the ground floor, 64 Catherine St, St Ives, is also ideal for multi-generational family living.

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The full height foyer leads past the bedroom, media room and laundry to the L-shaped open plan living and dining space that wraps around the kitchen with an impressive island bench and butler’s pantry.

Sliding doors off both the living and dining area lead to a covered outdoor dining space with Travertine tiled floor, which overlooks the gas-heated pool and child-friendly rear lawn, framed by easy-care gardens.

Bring on summer.

There are multiple living spaces.

The private north-to-rear aspect offers peaceful views over Garigal National Park.

The home’s remaining five bedrooms are located on the first floor, including the main bedroom, which stretches the width of the back. A walk-in-robe leads to the ensuite with freestanding bath and glass shower.

The other four bedrooms also have a mix of built-in and walk-in robes, and there is a study nook on this level.

The rear terrace overlooks the pool.

The kitchen.

Other features of the home include ducted airconditioning, automated fittings, solar system, internal access to the double garage, and additional off street parking.

This is a significant property, and a landmark listing for Daniel Cook, of McGrath St Ives.

He and his father Mark have just rebranded under the McGrath banner, and have hit the ground running with eight new listings, including this gem in Catherine St.

Mr Cook said the home was ideal for large and growing families.

“You’ve got the flexibility for the largest of families not to be stepping on each other’s toes,” he said.

“It will also appeal to the young family busting out of a smaller house looking for their forever home.”

The home goes to auction on September 30, with a guide of $3.3 million to $3.5 million. For more details, contact Mr Cook, or Michael Crawshaw, of McGrath St Ives.

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The post St Ives home ticks all the boxes for multi-generational family living appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Graham and Maijia Tyler, with three-month-old baby Elsi, at their apartment in Collaroy. Picture: Christian Gilles

Being cooped up at home during the pandemic has encouraged more Sydney homebuyers to ditch inner city apartment living for a house near the beach or bush.

A review of greater Sydney’s popular suburbs for homebuyers in the past 12 months revealed families were increasingly looking in further-flung locations.

These included houses near beaches, reserves or national parks, according to the realestate.com.au study of “high intent” buyer activity online, which included inquiries on listings.

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The most popular suburbs were beach areas to the far north and south of Sydney spread across the Central Coast, northern beaches and Sutherland Shire.

Families’ embrace of areas further from the CBD was also evident in a recent surge in popularity of suburbs on Sydney’s southwestern fringe.

There was a particularly strong spike in buyer demand in Leppington, Austral and Gledswood Hills, where inquiry levels were double what they were last year. This was largely because these suburbs offered ample opportunities to find properties eligible for government buyer grants.

These included first homebuyer stamp duty exemptions and the federal government’s $25,000 HomeBuilder cashback for purchasers of new properties under $750,000.

Realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee said demand for house and land packages on the city outskirts was increasing after having dropped in previous years.

Realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee.

“It’s clear that a longer commute doesn’t bother people as much as it might have before, which makes sense if you’re only going into the office once or twice a week,” Ms Conisbee said.

“First homebuyers seem to be more willing to purchase house and land packages in fringe suburbs and more people want space.”

The most in-demand suburb with buyers overall was Wamberal on the Central Coast, about 80km north of the Sydney CBD.

Most of the houses in the suburb are less than a kilometre from a waterway – either Wamberal Lagoon or Wamberal Beach.

For sale at $3.75m: 6 Homestead Ave, Collaroy.

There was a similar coastal lifestyle on offer in the other suburbs most popular with buyers such as Collaroy, Newport, North Narrabeen and Gymea Bay. Many of the most in-demand unit markets were also close to the water, such as Freshwater, Kirribilli and Cammeray.

Ms Conisbee said the greater time families were spending at home may have encouraged more buyers to put a higher priority on lifestyle over accessibility. Inner suburbs were not as popular as they once were because proximity to the CBD was not as prized, she said.

Graham and Maija Tyler recently purchased a house in Collaroy and said it was more competitive than they had hoped.

“We thought it was a good time to buy with all the uncertainty at the moment, which we hoped would mean there was less competition from other buyers,” Mr Tyler said.

A house recently sold in Wamberal for $2m.

“There were a lot of serious buyers … we had to stretch our budget a bit.”

Mr Tyler added that it was worth it to get a house in the area. “We love it up here, it’s a bit more laid back and every day feels like a holiday.”

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Live next door to this incredible man-made waterfall.

The timing is exquisite.

Four years in the making, the Waterfall apartment project by Crown Group has been completed with the world’s tallest man-made waterfall in a residential building. The COVID-19 lockdown has certainly focused attention on city living with amenities, from a health and motivational perspective.

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While some suggest the popularity of high rise inner city locations is going to decline given the impact of the pandemic, there’s certainly a heightened wish for apartments that make an effort when it comes to the mental wellbeing of the occupants.

“The lockdown compels us to rethink and to up the ante from just constructing sustainable buildings to sustainable living when it comes to health and wellness,” said leading Sydney developer Iwan Sunito, the chief of Crown.

The waterfall is 22m high.

He said science has shown the many health benefits of being close to natural elements.

“Water is considered the elixir and source of life,” he said. “The mere sight and sound of water can induce a flood of neurochemicals that promote wellness, increase blood flow to the brain and heart and induce relaxation.

“The pure relaxation and calmness that takes over you when listening to the sounds of nature such as leaves rustling in the wind or water flowing down a stream is not something that happens randomly.”

His $400 million residential project, Waterfall features 331 apartments plus a retail and dining precinct, which also includes a dog grooming salon. The development was designed by Adam Haddow, of architects SJB, who says the 22m waterfall set amid gardens sets a new benchmark for biophilic design.

It was designed by Waterforms International’s Dirk Slotboom who says it posed complex design challenges including being in a high wind zone, with the need for minimal noise and splash for residents.

Green spaces are a highlight of the development.

The green walls were created by living infrastructure specialists Junglefy using tropical plants.

“With cities becoming more urbanised, we design spaces that connect people with nature throughout their daily lives,” Junglefy’s managing director Jock Gammon said.

Sunito said he saw Waterfall as leading “the urban greening revolution in Australia”.

Crown also identified the positive effects of harnessing the power of timber in their projects.

A Planet Ark study several years ago found that workers are less stressed and more productive, students learn better, patients heal faster, and people are generally happier and calmer in indoor areas which contain wooden elements.

Crown Group’s upcoming development, Mastery by Crown Group, also in Sydney’s Waterloo, will see extensive use of timber.

Surrounded by nature.

Sunito recalls it was upon meeting architect Kengo Kuma that he thought seriously about that notion that people respond viscerally to natural materials.

“The more you think about it, the more you realise that a thing like a piece of timber is not lifeless, it is full of life,” he said.

The centrepiece apartment block features a plant-filled, green exterior designed to emulate a stacked forest. Kuma has collaborated with local award-winning architect Koichi Takada on the project.

“Being in nature makes us feel good,” Takada said.

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