Hi Trisha,

Try Karen Young from Property Zest ph 0448 111 387. She is the same Karen that does the Everyday Property Investing Podcast.

I know she is super busy at the moment but it is worth giving her a call to see if she’s taking on any more clients

Regards,

Jane Eyles-Bennett

Hi Dao,

It does depend on the property. I'm an interior/exterior designer and sometimes I find that a tweak here and there can make a huge difference to the overall appearance without having to go all-out on a reno. There are loads of examples on my website if you wanted to have a look…http://hotspaceconsultants.com/portfolio.html

It might be that you just need to paint a bit and adjust some of the landscaping or other features on or surrounding the house.

Hi Vic,

I have some awesome tradies – but normally keep them to myself!! It's so hard to find good people so when you do, hang on to them real tight.

I use Kitchen Evolution (for laundry and kitchen cabinetry) and they are fantastic – Dane and David are the owners and it's a small operation where they do the work themselves. David's mobile is 0400 328 171. Tell him I sent you! (Jane from Hotspace). They are based near Ipswich.

Re staging – yes I have someone who will travel to Ipswich although she isn't based there. I know she does work all over Brisbane and the Gold Coast so I'm sure she'd be happy to help. Her name is Jillinda Perry-Haines – http://www.propertystylingandstaging.com.au/ or Ph 0406 167 807

Anthony from Lederlec is an awesome electrician. Once again not based near Ipswich but will travel almost anywhere in and around Brisbane. Highly recommended! I have used him for my last 3 reno's. Phone 0479 016 375.

If you're a Facebook user, it works well to ask your 'friends' if they have any contact names of tradies you need. I have done that a few times for my own projects as well as when managing projects for clients.

Good luck!

Hi, Yes you're on the right track with a general refurb. If you can add a room without extending the footprint (be it a bedroom or ensuite perhaps) then this is definitely a great way to add value. Just make sure it's not compromising on the overall use of the house. For instance, a 4 bedroom home with 2 lounges and one bathroom. You wouldn't change the use of one of the lounges to a bedroom as you would not have enough bathrooms or lounges for a 5 bedroom house.

I have had clients turn a large laundry into an ensuite and then they put the laundry in the garage. Another client turned an extra lounge area (one of 3) into a bedroom.

Another thing that could add value to a property – ie increase potential rental income if renting out, or increase potential sale price if selling (but won't necessarily add value in the eyes of a valuer) is to work out who your target markets are and tweak your reno to meet their requirements. Here is an article I wrote a while back which might help… http://hotspaceconsultants.com/_blog/Hotspace_Blog/post/Renovating_before_you_sell_Wondering_how_to_get_the_biggest_bang_for_your_buck/

Good luck!

Have you got a photo? When recommending a fence I always like to see what type/colour of house it is, distance of fence line from the house etc., adjacent houses/landscaping etc. before advising.

Cheers

Can you list the things you're planning on doing and also upload a photo? I think you'll get more accurate advice once we see what you're working with.

As a ballpark figure, a new bathroom fit-out including tiling all walls/floors, new shower, toilet and vanity, lighting/exhaust and all plumbing – you're looking at between $7,000 – $10,000. You could do it slightly cheaper maybe (if you managed the trades yourself) and of course you could spend a lot more – the sky's the limit as they say.

Hope that helps – post the other info if you want more detail.

Regards,

Jane

Hi,

Agree with all previous answers and suggest you go to the property and write down everything you want to do. In order to get accurate quotes and then ultimately the renovation job you want – without any miscommunications or muck-ups, you need to be able to articulate exactly what it is you want from your tradies.

Often people 'wing it' because they're not sure of the exact specifications they want/need and then leave it up to the trades-person in question to fill in the gaps.

In my experience this is the super-highway to going over budget and not really getting the result you want.

Control is key. I guess then, knowledge is key.

As much as you can, identify and articulate exactly what you want done (including colours, materials, details/dimensions, suppliers etc) and then get someone else in to manage it for you (as Shahin, Matthew and 'Rental profits' have suggested).

Keep in mind that whoever co-ordinates your reno for you is going to charge. Depending on the size and scope of the job this may be as much as 15-20% (a lot!). For instance if your proposed reno costs $15,000 (paying direct to trades-people) then a project manager (builder, property manager etc.) will add a fee on top for their assistance in appointing and co-ordinating the various trades. On a $15,000 job, even a 15% fee only adds up to $2250 so that is still not a lot of income for the amount of work that a PM would do.

If you have a property manager, my suggestion is to use them since they will have plenty of reliable tradies on tap and will be able to get the job done quickly. Its also in their interest to have the property re-leased out asap. Just make sure they/you get fixed quotes up front and then ask for notification any time there may be any variation from that quote (ie for unexpected works – not because they took too long or spent too much on materials – their fault!).

It's do-able and certainly if you do the right things and have the right property in the first place, profitable. Just be sure to do your numbers first.

Good luck!

This is a great reno property – and I have seen a LOT in my time!

Firstly of course the trellis has to go. Yes I went to design school for 5 years to tell you that!

The house currently has quite a rustic appearance on the outside but this can easily be made more modern, crisp and fresh with some render, light colours and a new (possibly glass) balustrade. However, visually the glass may need a handrail to make it work against the rest of the finishes of the house (the house is quite chunky looking so the balustrade needs to accomodate for that). I designed a balustrade for a client recently where the bottom third was slatted horizontal timber and the top 2/3rds was glass. That could work quite well here.

When selecting your external colours, make sure you take into account the existing window joinery bronze colour. It can actually look ok when you use the right colours (have had many-a-client with this exact dillema!)

I would replace the kitchen with a new one – preferably with a one level counter/breakfast bar rather than one with an upstand. Keep the colours light and bright to tie through to the exterior. Add some punch with an eye catching splashback and stainless appliances.

Flooring throughout will be important to get right. If it's cork right through, you'll need to budget for a replacement. Tiles are a great option or timber – depending on what other materials you choose in the house.

Window dressings will help finish off each room – preferably curtains or wooden blinds that hide the bronze joinery from the inside.

Ahhh I could go on. Hope that gives you something to think about anyway!

Hi Emma,

I'm making a comment to make sure this post stays at the top of the pile!

It's great to hear positive feedback about your tiler and tradies in general. Thanks for starting it off.

There is a lot of negativity out there about tradespeople which seems to put some people off renovating. However as you have proved there are some (actually, many) very good, reliable hard working tradies out there.

My advice to people looking for good tradies is to not pick someone randomly out of the Yellow Pages but to ask for referrals from other renovators and retail stores (eg ask at the paint shop for recommended painters, ask at lighting shop for recommended sparky etc). Also, if you have found one great tradesperson, ask THEM who else they know. It's likely that a good tradie (such as your tiler, Emma) will only recommend other tradies with high integrity.