Wow, we actually chose (in our humble opinion) the best builder in Sydney! Let's face it, it's…read moreincredibly easy to engage a shonky builder - they're out there and multiplying! So we created a Find-a Builder-Checklist (a little bit over the top, but when you're paying out thousands...well it pays to do your due diligence).
When we were starting the renovation process we did what I'm sure most of us do, we ask our friends for builder/trades recommendations and we got a plethora of renovation horror stories! But thankfully one of the very few recommendations we did get was for Building Works Australia.
At the helm is Brian, a builder with 40 odd years experience. Brian is responsive like no one I've ever known! No word of a lie, you ring Brian and he will pick up. I don't think I ever left him a voice message, not even on a weekend!
He is onsite every day. This is a builder undertaking several projects at any one time (another good sign!) and yet he will show up, speak with his team, go over the job with a fine tooth comb literally, and then give myself or my wife (when we were home) a full update. He would then move on to the next job site somewhere in Sydney. Quite often he came back to our job several times a day. This man is on the move, but he never not shows up. And if he books in a time I guarantee you he will be there ahead of time! If anything, I could learn time management skills from this man :)
Our renovations consisted of:
1/ Brand new kitchen - remove the old (which we sold via Gumtree) and craft a new kitchen. Brian designed this kitchen with us but came up with some incredibly ingenious ideas that we would never have thought of nor have we seen in other images. We walk into our new kitchen now and just go wow! Very happy with the outcome. Note: We had a small but obvious mark on the Caesarstone splashback that was put in. Brian immediately contacted the Caesarstone people and had it replaced for which we couldn't say thank you enough (it was a small mark after all).
2/ French doors with double hung windows and built-in flyscreens - we originally had a very large sliding, mission brown door leading out to our yard. Now we have impressive white powdercoated French doors.
3/ New flooring throughout - my wife and I set about pulling up all the flooring which consisted of old floating floorboards downstairs and carpet upstairs and down the stairwell. We pulled all of this up over a weekend, hired a ute and took it all to the dump, which saved us $$ in having someone else do it (it's merely a dirty job, but an easy job). Building Works came in and undertook the installation of new floorboards throughout, adding a timeless design feature to the stairwell risers that looks fantastic.
3/ Brand new powder room - demolishing old, leaving only the plumbing intact before replacing with new floor and wall tiles, basin, toilet, fixtures and some painting.
4/ Brand new stairwell glass balustrades - our home was built in the early 80s and the balustrade was in fact outdoor steel railings, not so pretty and a heck of a job for Brian's team to remove. We now have beautiful glass panels along our top floor, leading down to our lower level. Again, Brian offered up several suggestions with regard to size and design, which has actually been invaluable. Had he just gone with what we "thought" we should be doing, we would have created a precarious turning point with regard to moving in and around the base of the stairs. Thanks again Brian!
5/ Design and build a study nook - this we created from scratch taking up area of our home that sat empty. We now have a crafted study area with built in desk and overhead cupboards. There was no phone or electricity to this area originally, but Brian had his electricians install this.
6/ Internal painting - every wall in our home was painted, including the inside of our built-in cupboards, which we actually didn't expect or even know was part of the job.
7/ Remove and install brand new light fittings.
Overall, not only did Brian provide invaluable advice around design and layout to best maximize space and function, he managed each project from start to finish and he and his team delivered superior quality.
Most importantly, we stuck to our budget. We've built a house before so we know how quickly the budget can blow out from wanting this, that and everything else (generally because you've seen it in magazines and TV shows...it's a must have!) but Brian was fantastic in coming up with alternatives or seeking out better costings for us. Not known a builder like this, hence why we've gone to this extent to write a review.
Lastly, a BIG THANK YOU to everyone at Building Works Australia that undertook our renovation. We're now immensely enjoying all the changes. Hope to have you back in the future to renovate the only untouched rooms of our home, the bathrooms and laundry, and maybe a deck outside... Does the list ever stop?
