My PPOR Renovations

T

Tim86

I thought I would share my DIY reno of my PPOR on here. This will be a long thread, the reno's should take about 1-2 years. I'm finally done with renovating investment properties for now and am concentrating all my attention on my PPOR.

The reno involves:

-lifting the house 4.5m and building in underneath, and doing an extension out the back.
-The project involves completely renovating head to toe the existing workers cottage and then adding 5 new bedrooms, 2 new kitchens, a laundry, 3 new bathrooms, a games room/bar/theatre room, and a full wrap around deck. The house will go from 100m2 to 400m2 after the work is done.

Budget is $200 000. I will be doing 90% of the work myself.

Plans are currently in with the certifier, next step is raising the house (will be in about 1 month).

I've already been working on the house for a while now. Here's a video of the journey so far from our first inspection of the house, to it's current state today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yVwJMLP8Fw&feature=youtu.be

You'll notice some things in the entrance room, that's my stockpile of items to fit the house out with. Also 95% of the work so far has been DIY by me.

Anyway I'll keep you all updated. This is going to be a big one...
 
Haven't looked at the clip yet, but I love these types of threads. We are serial renovators, but I wonder if you will be doing 90% of the work, if you are a builder, will be doing it "owner/builder" or just doing the work and not worrying about the limit that seems to be either $3K or $11K or something (I'm confused by this).

PS. Just watched the clip. I had to skip through a bit because I found it a bit long, and that roving camera made me feel seasick :)

Do you have a link to "before and after" still photos? Or can you maybe post some of those?

I'm also wondering about the work you've already done. It is likely to be damaged with the lift. I'm curious because we want to add a bathroom to an IP when tenants leave, but it is possible we "could" raise the house and I'm loath to spend money renovating only to have cracks appear if we ever lift it.
 
wylie said:
Haven't looked at the clip yet, but I love these types of threads. We are serial renovators, but I wonder if you will be doing 90% of the work, if you are a builder, will be doing it "owner/builder" or just doing the work and not worrying about the limit that seems to be either $3K or $11K or something (I'm confused by this).

PS. Just watched the clip. I had to skip through a bit because I found it a bit long, and that roving camera made me feel seasick :)

Do you have a link to "before and after" still photos? Or can you maybe post some of those?

I'm also wondering about the work you've already done. It is likely to be damaged with the lift. I'm curious because we want to add a bathroom to an IP when tenants leave, but it is possible we "could" raise the house and I'm loath to spend money renovating only to have cracks appear if we ever lift it.
Click to expand...

Nah no before pics really. Just the vid.

I haven't plastered the ceiling yet because that would all crack when the place gets lifted, and I haven't put in the plaster cornices or bothered with putting in the new bathroom upstairs yet because the grout in the tiles would crack. I might have to no more gap a few bits here and there after we lift, but all the work is timber work and that's got some give in it so the lift shouldn't be too bad.

I'm doing it owner builder. There's no upper limit that I'm aware of. I think you might be thinking of the upper limit for no approval by a certifer or council. All my work will be certified.
 
wylie said:
Haven't looked at the clip yet, but I love these types of threads. We are serial renovators, but I wonder if you will be doing 90% of the work, if you are a builder, will be doing it "owner/builder" or just doing the work and not worrying about the limit that seems to be either $3K or $11K or something (I'm confused by this).

PS. Just watched the clip. I had to skip through a bit because I found it a bit long, and that roving camera made me feel seasick :)

Do you have a link to "before and after" still photos? Or can you maybe post some of those?

I'm also wondering about the work you've already done. It is likely to be damaged with the lift. I'm curious because we want to add a bathroom to an IP when tenants leave, but it is possible we "could" raise the house and I'm loath to spend money renovating only to have cracks appear if we ever lift it.
Click to expand...

The limit it 11 k before a builder has to sign off on it. BSA are confused about the rule them selves.

They just stated if you do the work your self you are liable for workman shiopif you sell within 7 years
 
Plans are almost complete. There's still some bits to fix up...wardrobes or windows not quite right, etc... But it's nearly there :)

Just added up the total floor m2 including the decks... will be about 540m2 by the looks of it... The existing house is only 100m2... so will just be a small extension :)
 

Attachments

  • House.jpg
    House.jpg
    56.9 KB · Views: 452
  • House 2.jpg
    House 2.jpg
    97.5 KB · Views: 520
  • House 3.jpg
    House 3.jpg
    54.3 KB · Views: 505
  • House 4.jpg
    House 4.jpg
    94.2 KB · Views: 414
It only took 5 months to get the plans approved :) I love how the beurocracy just streamlines the whole process and makes it so much cheaper and more affordable to build a house :p

I get to pay $440 to a surveyor later on in this week to tell me how high my block is... Gotta love it.

Anyway progress is being made at least. Just very slowly. But we'll get there eventually. I'll post up some pics after we raise the house up. Sould look pretty cool after being raising 4.5m :)
 
Getting the house ready to be raised on Tuesday. Had to knock down half the crappy rear extension so that we have room to raise it and move it back 1.5m

We have set up a temp bathroom and living area in the old back bit that will eventually be knocked down while the house is getting raised, etc...

Peak of the house is going to reach 9.2m high after tuesday so it's going up a long way.

Will begin work on the stumping and the deck and front stairs over the next 1.5 months as I'm taking leave, so I'll have lots of progress pics to put up.
 

Attachments

  • DSC_0066.jpg
    DSC_0066.jpg
    95.3 KB · Views: 459
  • DSC_0073.jpg
    DSC_0073.jpg
    93.2 KB · Views: 556
  • DSC_0074.jpg
    DSC_0074.jpg
    95.1 KB · Views: 454
Looks like it's going to be a great journey. Master bed includes a fire place, WIR and sleepout? Nice.

Will you be turning it into a share house later on? There are a butt-load of rooms downstairs. Anyways, keen to see your progress. Good luck.
 
I think there is a limit of $50k on renovation value for continuing with existing insurance. As an owner-builder, you need to maintain insurance for building and public liability. In ACT, you need to get a certificate in a course for construction. Not sure what's the process is like in your state.

What a challenge you have taken up! Enjoy! :D
 
Hi Tim, sounds like a great project.

Did you run the sums on a knock-down and new new build ?

We are going through a similar decision at the moment on our PPOR -
but not considering quick as large a renovation.
 
Tonibell said:
Did you run the sums on a knock-down and new new build ?
.
Click to expand...

Yeah we threw around a few different ideas. Kit homes, a better removal house, etc... but in the end renovating and extending was the best option for us.

Total cost for reno and extension should be around $120 000 - $150 000. You can't build much from scratch with that.

In my opinion the real cost with renovating these old places is time. It takes longer to restore than to build new. Materials are often cheaper than labour. However the labour isn't really part of the equation for me because I DIY. So by using my own free labour I can spend the extra time required to restore and save on the amount of materials I use. However if I were to pay labour it would probably cost $300 000 to do what I want done, and at that price I would be better off just building new.

Oh plus we like the old character houses and aren't into "modern" new builds :)
 
eek said:
Looks like it's going to be a great journey. Master bed includes a fire place, WIR and sleepout? Nice.

Will you be turning it into a share house later on? There are a butt-load of rooms downstairs. Anyways, keen to see your progress. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Master bed includes: fire place, WIR, sleepout, and ensuite with spa bath. :)

Downstairs we will be renting out for 2-3 years. Should bring in $600+ after bills per week. We will rent it out until we need the space for kids in the future.
 
That's 1.7m off of the ground today and ready to slide back 1.5m first thing tomorrow morning, then up another 2.9m by the end of tomorrow for the final height of 4.6m off of the ground to the bottom of the house.
 

Attachments

  • DSC_0090.jpg
    DSC_0090.jpg
    104.4 KB · Views: 435
lee.omare.com.a said:
Are you renovating with the intention of profiting from the increased value or to enjoy while occupying the premise? Cheers
Click to expand...

Both kinda.

Will be living in the house for the rest of my life.

Will be renting out 4 rooms downstairs as share accommodation for about 3 years, should get us about $90k over that time in rent to help pay off the house.

Will access increased value through a reval and borrowing against the equity for further investments.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
The Next Project Reno
2 3
Replies
42
Views
8K
Tim86
T
W
Friends wanting to make some money from renovating - any thoughts?
2
Replies
21
Views
4K
INVSTOR
I
D
To have 3 bedroom or 4 bedroom?
Replies
19
Views
3K
dboy_tomato
D
chunho01
My outdoor renovation plan (photos)
Replies
18
Views
3K
chunho01
chunho01
S
My Renovation project
Replies
4
Views
1K
SK Investments
S
Back
Top