Despite the market in Melbourne softening, real estate in Geelong and the Surf Coast is still cooking with gas. It makes sense; when you mix affordable property prices with improved infrastructure and greater job stability, even smaller coastal townships such as Torquay, Jan Juc and Anglesea are looking like great places to escape the noise, traffic and stress of the ‘big smoke’.
Whenever there’s property changing hands, you’ll also see worksites popping up all over the place. Some of these are renovations; those who have nabbed bargain in ‘original condition’. Others are brave souls standing around on empty plots, planning new homes from scratch. Either way, homeowners who are investing in developing their property have a lot on their mind.
It can be a stressful process but once you have found the right team, got the design right and devised a plan for budget and timelines – well, that’s half the battle won!
Assemble your dream (tradie) team
Finding the right carpenter, electrician and plumber may not seem as exciting as choosing your tiles or paint colours, but they can (literally) make or break your project. You’ll be spending a fair portion of your budget and a lot of time with your tradespeople, so make sure you find the right fit. Look for expertise, trustworthiness and reliability and you can’t go far wrong.
Pro tip: Hit the streets around your home and scope out the worksites of any new homes or renovations you see. Knock on the door, have a chat to the tradies on site and even track down the owners of the property. There’s nothing like getting a solid recommendation on a good local plumber who’ll not only see your project through to completion but also be around to help you out with any future plumbing emergencies.
Smart investment: focus on the two most important areas of your home
Any real estate expert will tell you that kitchens and bathroom renovations add the most value and appeal to your home. They can also be those most expensive. If these high-use, hardworking spaces are looking a bit outdated, chances are that’s just the tip of the iceberg – it’s often what’s going on inside the walls and under the floors that can quickly turn your project from a facelift into a reconstruction.
Pro tip: Old and worn out plumbing or electrics left to their own devices can be dangerous and even lead to issues that will burn a serious hole in your wallet. It can be tempting to ‘paint over’ these future problems but replacing old systems with quality parts and fixtures now is safer for your family and will work out cheaper in the long run.
Intelligent design: consultation is key
Whether you are planning a new home or updating an older one, you’ll need to pay special attention to the design and layout of your kitchen and bathroom areas to make sure they are both stylish and functional. Getting the design right from the outset prevents any costly mistakes or changes to the positioning of services. It’s much easier to shift the vanity over a few feet on paper. Once everything is plumbed and tiled in it will mean setbacks and budget blowouts.
Pro tip: It is really smart to get your main trades – electrician, carpenter and plumber – involved right from the start, even getting their input into the final design. As a plumber, my most successful projects are those where I offer a consultation at the planning stage of a renovation or new home. Years of experience give you a feel for what ‘works’ in terms of layout, logistics and the cost of renovations vs a completely new design. Future maintenance should also be a consideration; some fixtures look great but are an expensive fix if the plumbing is hard to access.
Bringing it all together
Finalising your budget and timelines for your new home or renovation should be easy enough if you’ve got comprehensive quotes and consultations from your trades. As with any project, good communication is the key to success: keeping everyone on the same page will help you reach your goals on time and on budget.
Contact Franklin Plumbing for your new home or renovation project
To plan your new home or renovation project, or for any other plumbing needs, contact Franklin Plumbing. Because we service all locations from Geelong, through to Aireys inlet, Fairhaven and Lorne, no matter where you are on the Surf Coast, you can be sure a Franklin plumber is never far away.
Maybe also ‘is safer for your family’ and will be cheaper etc
Maybe worth adding that placing services is doable at the beginning, but any changes or errors once the tiling etc is in is both costly, frustrating for you and time consuming
