Renovating your home is likely to be the second most expensive ‘purchase’ of your life, and something you might only do once.
So, making sure you create a home that suits your needs, as well as potential buyers should you sell, is an important balancing act.
A renovation is considered ‘major’ when you are adding space to your home, not simply updating rooms like your kitchen and bathroom.
Most homeowners undertake this type of renovation out of necessity: your family is growing and you need extra space, so an extra bedroom or two is mandatory.
If you are expanding your home from, say, two bedrooms to three of four, you are definitely placing it in the category of the most in-demand homes in Australia.
Once you go down the path of expanding your home – and there are distinct advantages to this rather than selling and buying a bigger home – we feel there are three essential features that should be considered as ‘must-haves’.
They not only ensure you enjoy your reconfigured home more than if they weren’t part of the plan, they also help you reap a financial reward should you decide to sell at some future date.
Parent’s Retreat
The most popular method of adding space to a Sydney home is to build a second storey addition.
Sydney has so many single storey ‘bungalows’ and there are several benefits of an addition versus an extension.
One configuration of a second storey that both increases the liveability of your home and makes it more attractive to potential buyers is the parent’s retreat.
This is a space created away from children who are now old enough to want their own privacy and, more importantly, no longer require close supervision.
Depending on where you live, placing your parent’s retreat on an elevated floor can also reveal a valuable view.
Furthermore, the space allows you to include features like a walk-in wardrobe and our second most important ‘essential’, a master ensuite.
Master Ensuite Bathroom
The master ensuite is not only a practical must-have, it can transform how much you enjoy your home, especially if you are a parent of kids approaching their teenage years.
As kids get older, the time they spend in the bathroom grows exponentially!
The second bathroom – crucially one that can only be accessed from the master bedroom – becomes a life saver for any parent who likes to get to work or appointments on time.
So, if you are reconfiguring your home to include three or four bedrooms, an ensuite bathroom is a must.
And if you are expanding to four or more bedrooms, another stand-alone bathroom should be a consideration.
These are facets that aren’t lost on potential buyers, making your home both more sellable and valuable in the Sydney market.
Open Plan Living
A major renovation is the perfect time to create the most desirable of family spaces: an open plan living / dining / kitchen flowing on to a deck that overlooks your back garden.
This has been a persistent and, in fact, growing trend which has both practical and liveability reasons for its popularity.
From a practical perspective, this allows parents to keep an eye on children and cooks to socialise with guests, amongst other advantages.
The ability to connect to the outside during good weather – the current rain won’t go on forever! – expands the effective space of your home and makes the most of your deck and garden.
As our recent review with one of Sydney’s most successful real estate agents confirmed, this feature is also a hit with potential buyers.
Looking to Renovate?
If you are thinking about your own major renovation, these are just three of the most important inclusions to consider. Addbuild has created a library of articles to help you with other aspects of your plans.
As one of Sydney’s leading renovation builders with over 40 years of experience, we’re a design and build ‘concept-to-completion‘ company that thrives on solving the challenges posed by Sydney homeowners and helping them realise their dream home.
So, we’d love to hear from you to learn about your situation and see if we’re the right builder for you.
Please call us on (02) 8765 1555 or send us a message using our contact form if outside of office hours.
