Home Renovations

There is lots of advertising "knock-down" rebuilds as the best way to upgrade your home. This may be true in some circumstances but most of the time, in our opinion, it's much better to renovate your existing home, rather than build a new home.

The problem is most builder's don't like or don't know how to renovate. Also many architects and building designers do a terrible job at designing home renovations and often blow the budget. 

However OMara has been renovating homes for nearly 60 years and know the best way this can be done economically with less council requirements

SITE INSPECTION

Yes a site inspection is often required to ascertain the structural integrity of the existing home and the quality of the existing services on site. We offer this service. However in most situations if the home renovation is designed correctly with the right materials specified it's usually the best option. Contact us for more details

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

OMara also offer renovations to existing homes.

This can include anything you like, such as;

• Kitchens upgrades
• Bathroom renovations
• Laundry renovations
• New decks & pergola's
• Re-roofs (including changing the pitch of the roof, replacing roof tiles or new colorbond roofing)
• Window & door replacements (including double-glazing and fire or plantation shutters)
• Removing structural internal walls
• Cement rendering existing brickwork or re-cladding existing weatherboards
• Staircases (internal & external)
• Fireplaces (gas or wood) or new air-conditioning
• Driveways, external paving & landscaping

Everything and anything involved in building a new home we can do as a renovation. It is common sense, its just part of the whole project.

DO A NEED A BUILDER or A CARPENTER ?

Some smaller projects (like a simple deck or a pergola) may only require a carpenter to be employed for the project. However when there are numerous trades involved (e.g. electricians, plumbers, tilers, etc) it is better to engage a licensed builder to organise the work. Some sub-contract carpentry licenses restrict their work to only carpentry based work or projects of maximum limit. Most builders have a full license that allows them to employ all trades required for the project. OMara can build projects of any design without any restrictions from small simple job to large multi-million dollar projects. We like doing smaller jobs as it fills in the gaps for our full-time staff between larger projects

DO I NEED TO MOVE OUT WHILE WE RENOVATE ?

We never make people out of the home when renovating. You can if you wish but rent is expensive and staying with friends or relatives is not always the best option. As we have been completing extensions and renovations on homes for many years we are used to building while the owners are still living at the home. There are many ways we can set-up temporary services and make the house safe. We clean up daily and don't leave a mess. We do guarantee we will show up early and make loss of noise but of you handle that you are welcome to stay, its your home anyway !

IS IT WORTH RENOVATING ?

Some people believe if it is value for money renovating and sometimes they can be right. Some old houses have very old earthenware clay sewer pipes, old rusted galvanised water pipes, poor quality electrical wiring, dangerous electrical switchboards without safety switches, unstable supporting piers, poorly built pitch roofs, just to name a few. 

Some of these problems can be easily fixed and others are very expensive making the whole project too expensive and not worth while. So the question becomes "Is it worth renovating?". If you are an owner without building experience it may be difficult to work out if you should just renovate that kitchen or bathroom, add a few rooms, build upstairs with a first floor addition or just knock the whole house down & start again. In short there is no simple answer as every site is different and has different requirements. The best was to find out is to contact our office for some free obligation advice. Often we can look on google street view and give you instant feedback, in other cases we will need to visit to check site conditions but be assured there is nothing we haven't seen or built before and we will know the best method of construction to suit your budget and site conditions

WINDOWS & EXTERNAL DOORS - Its just the start !

Technology in the window in door industry has greatly improved over recent years. New external window and doors can greatly improve your home with better security, child safety, bushfire proofing, noise reduction, insulation and better lighting, not to mention the look !

It can be also be more economical than you think. For example in the past double glazing was just for luxury style homes but no we install or replace old windows with these regularly. This will greatly improve your insulation, reduce noise, be safer and look fantastic.

Does you house have plain or the old style panelled doors with porcelain or dated knobs. There is now a huge range of internal doors and door hardware to choose from. This can be one of the best ways to give you house some WOW and reduce noise throughout the home. 

How about skirting & architraves. These can also be easily upgraded but also other items like picture rails, chair rails, dado wall paneling or plaster cornices can really change the overall look and feel of your home.

If storage is a problem we can design and replace your robe and linen shelving, that's easy. But what about other storage. Have you thought about your existing roof or sub-floor space. That can often be used as well. But be careful. There are special considerations if you decide to store valuables in these areas, and its not just access ladders, lights and a few planks. You need to consider moisture and damp, vermin, the strength of existing structural timbers, possible roof leaks, downlight safety and even asbestos. It's best to get a professional opinion where and how to store your valuables.

SPECIFIC NEEDS

You may have some specific needs that require a special type of renovation. Here are a few to consider and the ways we can help;

- DISABLED ACCESS - ramps, handrails, wider doors, lever handles, no-step showers, support rails, special toilet suites, inclinators or lifts, special lighting, no-slips steps

- SECURITY - alarm system with video intercom, sensor lights, Crimsafe screens, wall/floor/gun safes, driveway or pedestrian gates, dead-locks, window locks, privacy screens

- NOISE - Glazing, special internal linings, acoustic batts, special timber battening, water & sewer pipe insulation, roof & ceiling batts, aircraft noise control measures, 

- ELECTRICAL - dimmers, downlight, sensor lights, garden lights, LED's, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, stair lights, wall lights, external power points, optic fibre skylights

- PASSIVE GREEN CONTROLS - window design/glass/tinting, openable skylights, ceiling fans, sun-hoods, water tanks, grey water recycling, solar power & hot water

- DAMP - Sub-floor vents, cross ventilation, roof flashing upgrades, window flashings, gutter upgrades, external stormwater drainage, pits

- VERMIN PROOFING - Seal small roof penetrations, sub-floor vents & doors, new insulation, 

- MODERN APPEARANCE - Cement rendering, new cladding, re-roofing, plaster cornices, glazed internal doors, large skirting & architraves, timber flooring, 

WHAT ABOUT HERITAGE HOMES

Some homes are not just well built or look great but they have historical value. Some are "heritage listed" by  government or council or other just have historical significance. Some streets in Sydney have a beautiful streetscape of similarly designed homes of a certain era which needs to be maintained. OMara is based near Windsor in north western Sydney which is a very old suburb being one of the original five Maquarie Towns. Therefore over the last 50+ years we have renovated many heritage homes and even added modern additions to homes built as early as the early 1820's.

Heritage "listed" homes will have very special requirements from council and government heritage departments that will need to be adhered to. You will also probably not be able to design an extension using a local inexperienced draftsman / building designer and may require the services of a specialist qualified heritage architect to write a heritage impact statement or maybe even design the whole project. Other homes that are only of historical significance do not have as many requirements but you will likely required to maintain the "streetscape" in some areas. But be aware as every project and local council is different and rates that different architects, engineers and other professionals can vary greatly. We strongly recommend using a builder who is experienced in building and renovating heritage homes and yes of course, that is us !

HOW DO I DESIGN AN ADDITION/EXTENSION TO AN OLD HERITAGE HOME

This can be a difficult question to answer quickly but generally as a rule of thumb if that if you own a very old home council often does NOT want you to match the design of the old home. Normally the council heritage advisor or council does not want a 21st century poor imitation of the old classic home. Therefore we have often built very modern contemporary design extensions to old heritage listed homes. They love a walkway separating the new & old making a stark difference between the two.

Please contact our office if you are thinking of renovating your heritage home for some free advice

BUSHFIRE HOME UPGRADE

This can include items such as ;

- replace external windows & doors with toughened glass and bushfire rated fly screens

- add fire rated shutters

- new fire rated gutterguard to all gutters and valleys

- re-roofing with new fire resistant fascia & guttering

- add a hose reel with a fire fighting pump of fire sprinkler system connected to a new water tank or your existing pool

- replace old cladding boards with the appropriate BAL fire rated cladding

- upgrade decking and external timber to the correct material

There are lots of things you can do to improve your home. Some items are simple and economical while other items can be very expensive and require council approval.

Feel free to contact our office anytime for some free advice 

KITCHEN RENOVATIONS

Over the years we have built dozens of kitchens of every design and style. This are NO restrictions with OMara and we can customise your kitchen to suit your own personal idea's and budget that will suit the home and surroundings.

We can build modern contemporary, cottage country style, federation finishes or commercial quality kitchens. How about an outdoor kitchen, just as good as inside and take advantage of the great Australian climate.

Owners can select from any materials including timber, Caesorstone, marble, granite or stainless steel benchtops. Splashbacks don't have to be tiles, they can also be stone to match the bench tops, coloured glass, float glass, stainless steel, just to name a few.

Many owners now like the inclusion of a butler pantry and can also include separate cooking facilities. Some like a 2nd separate kitchen upstairs that can even include a "dumb-waiter" for access to the lower level.

Gas cooking can always be added if required. Whether a natural gas or bottle gas service we can add gas supply to service the cooktop, oven or an old style free standing cooker.

What about the English style Aga wood stove cooker, yes we can do these too. They are expensive but look fantastic and are a great source of heat for cold climate areas.

Some owners like the convenience of an sink incinerator, water chiller/boiler unit, soft close draws or water filters. There is nothing we can't do.

Don't forget the laundry, that might need an upgrade too. Happy wife, happy life !

We always recommend that a professional computer aided kitchen design be prepared so that you are guaranteed to get exactly what you want and tradesman onsite know exactly what to do. Yes we do that to

Contact our office to arrange an obligation free quote 

BATHROOM RENOVATIONS

The most common problem of any home more than 20 years old is without doubt old leaking bathrooms and out-dated tiling. The process of modern bathroom waterproofing has vastly improved from the past and the new selection to choose bathroom tiles and fittings now is simply wonderful !

We can meet any specific owner requirements. If you feel the cold then we can add under-floor bathroom heating laid under the floor tiles, install heated towel rails or modern style IXL heat lights. Lighting can be improved greatly no just with extra downlight but also vanity Hollywood style lights or LED under-vanity feature lighting.

More modern requests are for wall niches to showers and baths, strip drains, free standing baths & bath spouts, wall hung toilet suites with concealed in-wall cisterns and fully frameless shower screens or fixed glass panels.

Some prefer easy access bathroom features like large tiled or fold-up seats, no-step shower entry, support grab rails, large door openings and angle shower designs.

What about something different like Japanese wooden bath-tubs & Japanese automated toilet suites, epoxy resin hardwood vanity tops with exposed bottle trap wastes, stone made free standing bath tubs, feature marble or glass shower wall panelling or bidet and urinals. Yes we have done all of these options.

The only limit is your imagination. Contact OMara for some free advice on how to renovate your bathroom.