Oct 23, 2019 | Blog, New Build
Building your first home is an exciting journey, yet it can also be overwhelming and daunting for some. We often hear stories of home builds gone wrong, or blowing out of budget as construction progresses and turns into a nightmare. However, with the right mindset and knowledge, it can be an enjoyable, stress-free and rewarding experience, giving you a custom home that is uniquely yours!
Here are 3 common mistakes to avoid when custom building:
Layout and Room Placement
With custom home building, you’re in control of the design of the entire home, creating it just the way you want. However, you need to be sure of the layout and room placements in the early stages, as fixing mistakes or making alterations during the construction phase can be challenging and costly.
This also ties in with your lifestyle and needs. Do you plan to live in the house long-term? Will you be needing rooms for children or the elderly for multi-generational living? Consider which room you’ll likely be spending most of your time and place it in a suitable location of your floorplan. Bedrooms are best placed opposite to street view and away from noises coming from the garage or outside traffic. Don’t forget a laundry room and extra storage space that can be cleverly built-in the walls within each area including bedrooms, bathrooms, and even the garage to maximise your living space.
Lighting Considerations
Many new home owners don’t realise certain areas of their home are not well lit until after they’ve moved in, which can be a source of frustration especially when rewiring and adding extra lighting can become a real hassle after your family has settled in. When custom building, it makes sense to include detailed lighting options as part of the overall design. Consider your window placements and make use of natural light for your home to open up space and provide a healthy dose of sunlight. Roof lights also brings in natural lighting, are energy efficient and can take advantage of the orientation of your home and block.
Choosing the Right Builder
Last but not least, the key to a successful and stress-free custom home build comes down to choosing the right builder for the project. Often, first home builders who don’t do sufficient research are the ones who encounter the most problems, delays and budget issues. Since the entire home is custom designed and built, be aware of builders who do not understand the fundamentals of sound design and construction, or offer an unrealistically low quote. A reputable and reliable builder will not only have many years of experience, but should also offer design and engineering options should any adjustments are necessary before construction begins.
For a high quality custom designed and built home in Brisbane, the team at SmartReno can help. We are committed to delivering premium quality workmanship & above all customer service. As specialists in custom design and construction with over 25 years of experience, we ensure your dream home project is our top priority and will be delivered to you on time and within budget.
Why not give us a call on: 0406 616 690 to start your Stress-Free custom home build today!
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Design and Construct Builders
Sep 27, 2019 | Blog, New Build, Residential
When it comes to buying your own home, the first choice you’ll have make is often whether to buy an existing home, or build one.
Many factors come into the decision, as it can depend on the location and your lifestyle needs. While it may seem like an easy option to find an existing home that you can move into straight away, a custom design home has many benefits.
Most of us might have heard a horror story of two with regards to a building project gone wrong, with the unfortunate homeowners left to deal with unending nightmares in resolving critical issues of the build. However, the key to a smooth and successful build is choosing the right builder. This will allow you to fully take advantage of the benefits of custom designing your own home, such as:
1. Quality and warranty
An existing property, while initially convenient and may save you time, can cost you more down the track. Hidden issues may not surface until you’ve settled in, and often in older homes, the kitchen and bathrooms will sooner or later require a full renovation or remodelling due to aging pipes and inefficient layouts. In contrast, a newly built home is defect free, and usually comes with a warranty. Even if you find issues after moving in, they will be remedied at no cost to you, saving you time, stress and money.
2. Customised floorplan
Of course, a major benefit of building your own home, is being able to fully customise the floorplan to suit your every need. You dream it, we build it. You can design the floorplan to suit a growing family, decide where rooms are located, the size of each room, how many bathrooms, how large your pantry will be, right down to the fine details of doorknobs, lighting, and tapware. Everything in the home can truly be uniquely yours. What more can you want than having a personalised dream space that you can look forward to coming home to every day?
3. Energy efficiency and new technology
Another often overlooked benefit of a custom built home, is the savings element in terms of environmental and energy efficiency. Nowadays, modern appliances are not only ‘smart’ but are also designed to save electricity when maintaining performance. You can incorporate smart wiring within your home, and your floorplan can take into account the orientation of your block to maximise warmth in winter months, while keeping cool in summer with window placements. Technological advancements also allow you to customise home automation devices while strengthening the overall security of your home.
However, if you’re already in your own home, in some cases an extension and renovation can still be a viable option and comparable to new build. The main factors to consider are the age of the property, current value and future value after renovation. For more information on whether to renovate or rebuild, visit our website to download our FREE eBook outlining whether you should renovate or rebuild.
It is essential to revisit the importance of choosing the right builder when it comes to your dream home project. Here at SmartReno, our team ensures that your build is progressed with complete transparency and communication throughout, from start to finish – a key to a successful experience. We also offer a full design and construct service, meaning that we can see you through from the very beginning at the concept stage, to customising your design, right through to completion and delivery – so you don’t need to maintain multiple contacts during your build. Most of all, we ensure no detail is left out and no compromise is made on quality, materials, or workmanship while adhering to timeline and your budget.
Why not get in touch to take advantage of the benefits of custom designing your own home. Visit: https://www.smartreno.com.au/ or call us at: 0406 616 690 today.
Related Tags:
Knock Down Rebuild Builder
Design and Construct Builders
Aug 19, 2019 | Blog
Did you know, we spend on average over 2 years* of our lifetime in the Bathroom? The bathroom is one of the most frequented rooms in the home! Whether you are building a new home or looking at renovating, here are some design ideas to make the time in your bathroom even more enjoyable.
Shower and Bath
Taking a hot shower or soaking in a bathtub is one of the activities most people look forward to at the end of a long workday. To get started on your bathroom design, consider the type of showerhead that you’ll enjoy. Modern choices include the high-pressure, rain, handheld, or dual showerheads to create a rejuvenating and relaxing experience. If you’re the type who loves the bath, check out the freestanding, alcove, or even corner tubs that now come in various shapes and materials to suit your needs.
Tiling
The opportunities are endless with tiling in your bathroom. There’s a wide array of bathroom tile choices ranging from classical, to vibrant, or to a more luxurious style. Larger tiles create a spacious feel and darker colours add to the atmosphere within the bathroom. The tiling can be paired and matched with your tapware whether it be brass, copper or timber finishes. Have fun trying different colour samples, textures, or patterns such as marble designs to create the perfect balance that brings your bathroom to life.
Mirrors
We also spend a great deal of time in front of the mirror for our daily grooming, and having the right mirrors installed will certainly enhance your experience in the bathroom. A wide mirror with ample lighting will help you save time and effort while adding a stylish touch. You can even try different shapes such as round, hexagon, or oval to enhance the surrounding space.
Storage & Decorations
From shelving to hanging your towels, there are many smart and modern storage components that can be incorporated into your bathroom. For example, leaning wall ladders are great for towels and other guest amenities. Liven up your bathroom with greenery or succulents to add a touch of nature, or place fresh flowers in a bowl for a more classy, luxurious touch.
When it comes to your new home build or renovation, it is important that you enlist the services of a custom design specialist, such as SmartReno. As leading specialists in custom design & construction, SmartReno can provide you with a full professional design and construction service for your project. Should you needs extend to the interior as well, we can offer you a full interior design service with our professional partner.
We believe the end result should enhance your lifestyle and our team will view your bathroom as a masterpiece.
Contact us to discuss your custom designed bathroom project today!
Jul 3, 2019 | Blog, Kitchens
The kitchen is more than a practical space to prepare your meals, often, it is called the “Heart of a Home” and arguably one of the most important areas of your home.
Whether you are looking at building your home or home renovation, how a Kitchen is designed can affect the overall resale value and enjoyment of your home. Think of how much time we spend in the kitchen – it is where family and friends congregate, spend time together, and a place to cook and share meals. Since it’s also centrally located and visible, it should be an area of high priority and customised to suit your needs.
When it comes to designing your kitchen, here are several key points to keep in mind:
SHAPE AND LAYOUT
Firstly, consider what the layout should be for your kitchen. This will also depend on the surrounding areas of the home. Where is your kitchen located and which shape will blend well with the living and dining areas? Popular open plan choices include the Island kitchen, L-shaped, U-shaped, and the galley kitchen.
FLOORING TYPE
Due to food preparations and hygiene purposes, the kitchen floor will need to withstand frequent cleaning and be anti-slipping. Durable flooring choices include ceramic tiles, easy clean laminate or vinyl planks, or for a bit of flare and style – stone or polished concrete flooring. With various textures available that are not only hard-wearing but provide good grip, you won’t need to compromise on style!
STYLE AND INSTALLATION
Next, consider the items that are to be installed in your kitchen. This includes appliances, tapware, sinks, benchtops, storage, and cabinets. This is where you can be very creative in terms of your style and add character to complement the theme of your home. From the cabinet doors to the handles, you can customise every detail to your heart’s desire.
LIGHTS AND WINDOWS
Finally, consider the amount of natural light from where windows are located, and what type of lighting would best suit the area. You will need sufficient lighting for safety especially during meal preparations, but that doesn’t mean you need to resort to the good old-fashioned fluorescents. Nowadays there are many contemporary lighting solutions that are not only energy-efficient but are also stylish and can add an extra touch of personality and customisation to the heart of your home.
SmartReno believes your kitchen should enhance your lifestyle and view your kitchen project as a masterpiece, a creation that reflects your ideas and dreams. Our expert team can provide you with a professional complete design and construction service tailored to you, whether it be a new build or a kitchen remodelling project. Why not get in touch today to see how we can custom design your dream kitchen today!
Call us at 0406 616 690
Jun 12, 2019 | Blog
For most of us, building our dream home is one of the biggest decisions we’ll make in life. It is an exciting journey and process that involves intricate and detailed planning to ensure a smooth and successful outcome.
Before you begin, your builder should provide you with a professional quotation to avoid any unnecessary delays or budget blowouts. This is an important part of the process as it also demonstrates the commitment between yourself and the renovation builders. However, you should be wary of builders that offer you “free quoting”, as a professionally drawn up quote should involve a fee or charge.
Why you may ask? Many industries offer “free quoting” for their services, why then should your builder charge you for the quote?
Firstly, let’s look at the difference between an Estimate and a Quote. Many of us (including builders) use these two terms interchangeably, however, most of the “free quoting” you receive for trades and services are actually just “Estimates”.
What is an ESTIMATE?
An ESTIMATE is a general guess of the cost for your project, it is a ballpark figure based on your basic criteria of the build. This ballpark cost is simply to give you an idea as it is an approximation without the knowledge of the exact extent of materials and labour involved in completing the project.
Hence, Estimates are useful when you initially consider building a home to see if your general requirements can be met within your budget before progressing further. This gives you an idea of whether you should change your structure (for example, a one storey instead of two storey build) and the basic outline of the project to suit your financial situation.
What is a QUOTE?
A QUOTE however, would involve professional estimations and detailing of costs in every stage of the building process including materials, installation, cost of subcontractors and labour. It should show the transparent scope of works, detailing what is and is not included. A quote should also aim to avoid Prime Costs and Provisional Sums as much as possible, which means that the builder needs to spend more time with you to quantify these items. The quotation stage should be a clear and comprehensive discussion with your builder and should not be a ‘quick’ chat or rushed through.
The preparation of a Quote is a lengthy process that often involves many hours of work for your builder. It requires the expert knowledge and experience of your builder and can take multiple consultations with you to discuss your preferences and to fine-tune your project before a Quotation can be presented.
As you can see, this is why your builder should charge for quoting. This ensures your build project stays on track, on budget, and on time. SmartReno offers a professional custom build service with a fully transparent process from Consultation to Completion, so there are no unpleasant surprises. Our quotation charge includes advice and consultation on the material selection process and covers the finishing schedule, so your build project is in good hands all the way through.
Get in touch with the SmartReno team to discuss your build project today: 0406 616 690
May 17, 2019 | Blog, Extensions
There is undoubtedly no better feeling than witnessing your dream home project coming true. But, the most common mistake most homeowners tend to make is to rush. They suddenly jump to the construction process before they are even properly ready.
Being in the industry for many years now, I have encountered the same thing with my clients too. And, later on, they regret claiming that there were so much that could be done with design or styling.
There should not be any room for regrets when it is about your DREAM HOME. And, when you are hiring the best custom home builders in Brisbane, you should check everything beforehand.
Here it from us. Our experts have framed some tips that you may follow during the pre-construction phase of your home.
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Have you Finalised the Layout?
The layout of your house should be clear to you. Have you set any budget? If you wish to stay within your budget, you should go for a simple and minimal layout. Remember that the more complex the structure will be, the more it will be expensive.
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How Many Levels Do you Need for your Building?
Don’t think that having a two-storied building always means too much of expense. If you have a complex layout in your single storey home, it can be more expensive than building a two-level home. So, determine the number of building levels according to your need.
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Determine the Room Space Ahead
Have you considered the size of the rooms? Well, not every place will have the same number or size of furniture inside the room. For instance, the bedroom needs to be wide, not long. Where will you keep the bed? Will it take too much of space leaving no room for any additional furniture? Calculating all of these small issues can save you from the future hassles.
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Think of Storage Solutions Beforehand
It will be a big mistake on your part if you don’t consider the storage facilities beforehand. Being the specialists of home renovations in Brisbane, we can suggest you check how much storage space do you have currently and then decide how much you will need. Don’t let the storage facility look odd or out of place in your building layout. Talk to the renovators beforehand.
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Have you Paid Enough Attention to you Plot?
There are a lot of things to consider for using your plot in the right way. Can the neighbouring structure cause any problem in solar access? Is the soil type of the plot okay for the kind of building, floors or sub-floors you are planning?
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Permissions and Restrictions of the Councils
You cannot move forward with the construction without talking to the council. Ask them about the local restrictions if any. Seek the required permissions from them regarding the heritage overlays that are probably there. Also, if there are any boundary setback requirement, you must settle all of that before the construction of your custom home starts.
Lastly…
You should not approve or finalise anything before you have viewed the final layout. The design may appear differently in theory, but until you do not check the blueprint or finished drafts of the structure, you should not proceed. We don’t want you to regret anything. We know how significant this investment is for you. So, we suggest you follow these ground rules at any cost before the construction.
