Caulfield
New Build
Jonathon called me in to do a Plan Check on a townhouse development. The plans were promising, but there were a number of details that needed attention. I changed the position of skylights to bring light to the entrance of the house and reconfigured the bathroom to allow more space between the toilet and the door. The European laundry was nicely tucked into a hallway, but when I checked the dimensions I realized that the space would not fit a standard sized washer and dryer. This would have been impossible to fix once construction had started, but I was able to adjust the plans so everything fit perfectly.
The landscape design was also a problem on these plans because it didn’t take into consideration the slope of the block. If Jonathon had run with the original design his garden would have slid down the street in the first heavy rain. I developed a drainage design and retaining wall into the plans and now his landscaping is secure and looks great.
Jonathon had also been on the lookout for an older house to renovate into a family home. He asked me to visit a few places in a Pre-Purchase Design Inspection. There was a lovely home in Elwood he was considering. Through my inspection and estimates of what a renovation would cost, Jonathon realised that this wouldn’t be a good choice. The fireplace was located in the centre of the home and meant that his renovation dreams would push his budget out 100k more than what he wanted to spend.
We also visited a house in Murrumbeena. This 1930s Art Deco home had a lot of potential. I was able to show Jonathon that the house could be extended both out the back and up another story, with no major obstructions in the way. Jonathon was able to purchase the house, confident of its potential to become the large family home he wants it to be.
