Out the back or up
Most Wollongong extensions start with one question: is there room to build out, or does the house have to go up? Plenty of older single-storey homes here still have a decent yard behind them, and a ground-floor addition at the rear is usually the cheaper answer because it avoids rebuilding the roof and strengthening the floor below. It also keeps the house livable while the work happens.
Going up makes sense when the block is narrow or the yard is too valuable to give away, or when a first floor would pick up a view of the escarpment or the water. It costs more per square metre, and it asks more of the existing structure, so it is worth confirming early that the house can carry it.
What a second storey asks of an older house
Before we price a second storey, a structural engineer looks at what is already there. The existing footings and walls have to carry a new floor and roof, and on older brick or fibro homes that sometimes means new footings, steel beams or extra bracing. Asbestos is common in houses built before the late 1980s, in fibro walls, eaves and older wet areas, and any that is disturbed comes out with a licensed removalist before the main work starts.
The staircase is the other early decision. It takes floor area from the ground floor, and where it lands shapes the layout of both levels, so we settle its position before the rest of the plan.
Approval, BASIX and insurance
An addition that meets the state codes can go through complying development with a private certifier. Anything outside them goes to Wollongong City Council as a DA. Additions valued at $50,000 or more also need a BASIX certificate, which sets the insulation and glazing standards for the new part.
For residential work over $20,000, NSW requires the builder to hold home building compensation cover for the job and to use a written contract. As a licensed builder we provide both, alongside the fixed-price proposal.
Tying the new part in
The join between old and new is where extensions go wrong. Floor levels have to meet without a step, the roof has to drain properly where it meets the old one, and the new rooms need to connect to the existing house rather than hang off the end of a hallway. We design those connections first, then build the addition around them, so the finished house reads as one building.
Questions from Wollongong
Do I need council approval for an extension in Wollongong?
Yes, in some form. An addition that meets the state codes for setbacks, height and floor area can be approved as complying development by a private certifier. One that does not, or a lot with a flood, bushfire or heritage notation, goes to Wollongong City Council as a development application. We handle the drawings and the application either way.
Can my house take a second storey?
Many can, and an engineer confirms it before we price anything. The existing footings, walls and frame have to carry the new floor, so the engineer inspects them and specifies any strengthening. Older single-storey brick and fibro homes often need some work below before they can go up.
Can we stay in the house during the extension?
With a ground-floor addition at the back, usually yes, because most of the work happens outside until the final connection. A second storey is different: once the roof comes off, the house is open for a period and most families move out for that stage.
How is an extension priced?
After a site visit and a look at the existing structure, as one fixed-price proposal covering design, engineering, approval and the build. Per square metre figures are a rough guide only, because the connection to the old house and the footings vary so much from job to job.
Will the new part match the existing house?
We match the roofline, window styles and cladding where we can. Older face brick is the hard one, because an exact brick is not always still made. In that case a contrasting cladding on the addition usually looks better than a near miss in brick, and we show you both options on the drawings.