Building a new home is a far cry from undertaking home improvements, extensions and renovations – which is why you should only hire a trusted house extension or home improvement company to do your Sydney home renovations. Hiring a builder can cost you a LOT more money than what you’ve dreamed up in your “worst case scenario”… here’s how.

Mistake 1 – Damp Proofing the roof

Yes, this is a minor job compared to the rest of your home extension – that doesn’t make it any less important! Incorrectly performed, within a matter of weeks your new walls will be absorbing dampness, and over the course of a year will cause severe damp related problems. Some builders will use plastic rubble bags instead of the correct width of DPC roll to form a damp proofing course!

Mistake 2 – Services in the floor

This one’s a little… shocking. In some cases (not a few either!), copper pipes and electrical cables are discovered running directly through the concrete floors – without any form of sleeving or protection. We’re not sure what they’re thinking… copper pipes deteriorate rapidly when encased in concrete, as cement eats the copper. As for the electrical cables running live through the concrete with no sleeving/protection… no thank you! 

Mistake 3 – Floor heights

The amount of different ways builders can botch floor heights still blows our minds. A good example is when the new floor is too high, resulting in a step up from the main house – this happens when the builder doesn’t drop the ground enough when building the home extension.

Mistake 4 – Ventilation to the Sub Floor

It’s extremely important when you build a side or rear extension to an older property with existing ventilated sub floors that you continue to provide ventilation through the new extension floor. It doesn’t cost much, and it’s an easy enough task, however the vast majority of builders don’t bother with this and you end up with dry rot within a few years.

Mistake 5 – Drainage

Funnily enough (not for those who’ve experienced this first hand!) this is another one of the easier tasks that’s usually always done poorly, or missed out as much as possible. A full width extension must allow for the rainwater from the main roof – when it’s left to just discharge onto the extension roof, this always results in premature problems. When builders don’t plan and construct the appropriate means for rainwater to soak away, the short term and long term problems will leave you with more than a substantial headache! 

Sydney house renovations are increasingly popular, but finding reputable extension builders who work with a trusted Sydney home renovations company can be harder than making the decision to renovate! Home improvements and house renovations vary in complexity and scale, which is why it’s so important to choose a home renovations company with all the right professionals and experts for every aspect of your Sydney house renovation.

Sydney Extensions offer competitive finance, and our completed projects speak volumes of our dedicated and quality workmanship. Our long list of satisfied clients continues to grow – contact us today to join to Sydney House Renovation movement!