I immediately identified the potential in this property when my wife and I purchased it in 2014. She, on the other hand, took a lot of convincing.
The existing house was a very original 1970’s era home, which featured three small bedrooms, limited storage, disjointed living spaces, an original peach-coloured kitchen, green-accented bathroom and shaggy carpets throughout. Definitely not ideal for a young growing family!
But before we even had the keys, I had already drawn the floorplan for the second-storey extension.
A Step by Step Renovation
Before moving in, we conducted a basic renovation of the existing dwelling to strip out the asbestos sheeting, renovate the bathroom, partially renovate the kitchen and remove the carpets to expose the as-new unpolished existing floorboards.
In 2016, we completed stage two of the grand plan, adding the forward carport and rear deck. When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, I decided to pull the final renovation and extension forward a few years as we rode out the pandemic.
The Construction Process
Designed entirely in-house, the design of this home centred around a second-storey extension, which included a grand master suite with high raked ceilings, a walk-in wardrobe and luxurious ensuite, three kids’ bedrooms (including recessed, built-in wardrobes), generous linen storage, a rumpus room, and a common bathroom with a hidden laundry chute.
The design also incorporates custom built-in cabinetry, including a modern window seat in the master bedroom and feature bookshelves. Other features include smart home control, 10kW solar power system and smart ducted air conditioning with energy efficient inclusions.
On the ground floor, the smallest existing bedroom was removed to make way for the new staircase, with a feature screen adjoining the existing dining room. The front living room was extended forward one metre, halving the depth of the existing porch, and the laundry and pantry were extended and renovated out under the existing eaves. The existing wardrobe was removed from the previous master bedroom to make room for ample desk spaces in the new home office.
In order to transform the external appearance from 1970s to a modern home, the design incorporates a split pitch skillion roof design with the higher roof angled towards the northern elevation for the roof-mounted solar power system. The existing carport roof was extended to tie into the new second storey, completing the design over the entry.
Commencing in April 2020, we had the second storey completed in 14 weeks before we started on the ground floor alterations, which included replacing plasterboard ceilings, sanding and polishing the existing floors. Due to the extent and disruption of the ground floor works, we temporarily moved our family out for a four-week period.
Overall, the project was completed ahead of schedule and within the budget.
Brisbane’s First Second-Storey Extension and Renovation Display Home
We have now set up a home-based sales office at this project and the premises is being used as a display home (by appointment only) and sales tool for Update Renovate.
This is the first and only second-storey extension and renovation display home in Brisbane, offering prospective clients unprecedented access to view our finishes, products, process, and services first hand.
If you’re interested in taking a walk through our exclusive display home, check out the virtual tour or contact us today.