Start with the planning chapter
Berry is a town where the planning controls shape the job. The Shoalhaven development control plan has two area-specific chapters for it, one for the Town of Berry and one for the land west of the Princes Highway. What is allowed on a lot can depend on which chapter covers it, so we check that before anything is drawn.
That lookup is the difference between an addition that goes through smoothly and one that comes back for rework after lodgement. It is done before design starts, so you know the limits before paying for plans. Berry also has a strong character as a town, so how an addition reads from the street matters as much as the floor area it adds.
Home additions
For a home addition in Berry, the back of an older house is usually the place to extend. An extra bedroom, a larger kitchen and dining space or a second bathroom can be added without changing how the house looks from the street.
We build both ground-floor additions and second-storey additions where the lot suits. Our guide to rear extension versus second storey compares the options, and the home extensions service explains how we handle design, engineering and approval together. The home extension cost guide covers budgeting.
Renovating older homes
The older cottages and homes in and around the town often need rewiring, replumbing or new framing behind the surface. We open up and check before pricing, including for asbestos-containing material. Our guide to asbestos in older Illawarra homes explains the process, and the same logic applies in Berry.
Renovation scope varies from a single kitchen or bathroom to a full house. The home renovations service shows how a whole-house job is run, and how long a renovation takes helps with planning around the drive.
Larger blocks around the town
Outside the town centre, blocks are bigger. That suits granny flats, studios and new homes. A granny flat is complying development on a lot of at least 450 square metres, and larger Berry blocks usually clear that. On unsewered land the wastewater system has to cope with a second dwelling, which we check with the council before the design is locked in.
Land that is bush fire prone has its own standards in the Housing Code, and it affects cladding, windows and the roof. We look up the mapping first. Read about granny flat size and setback rules and the new homes service for more.
Getting to Berry
We are a Wollongong-based builder, so Berry is a planned trip rather than a daily one. That is why the first visit covers the lot, the chapter that applies and the likely approval path in one go, instead of leaving questions for a second drive.
Berry is a short run south of Gerringong. If you want to compare the coastal villages, our Gerringong page covers extensions and renovations in a similar mix of village and rural land. For the bigger town to the south, see Nowra.
Questions from Berry
Why does the DCP chapter matter in Berry?
The Shoalhaven development control plan has two chapters for Berry. One covers the Town of Berry and one covers land west of the Princes Highway. What is allowed on a lot can depend on which chapter applies.
How far is Berry from your base?
About 45 minutes from Unanderra. We are a Wollongong-based builder, and we plan visits so the site check and quote are done in one trip.
Can I add rooms to an older Berry cottage?
Usually yes, and the back of the house is the first place we look. Anything that changes the street-facing side is a different conversation, so we confirm which chapter and approval path apply before drawing.
Do you build on the larger blocks around Berry?
Yes. Larger blocks suit new homes and granny flats. Unsewered land needs the wastewater system checked, and bush fire mapping needs looking up before design.
What is the difference between extending out and building up?
Building out adds floor area at ground level and avoids the structural check of a new upper level. Building up needs an engineer to confirm what existing footings and walls can carry.