Fixing a 'Fixer-Upper'

We'll help you finish those half-done home renos.

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Do you consider yourself a bit of a DIY-er around the home?

Are you one of those people who’s incredibly handy on the tools, and can fix just about anything themselves? Maybe you’ve also bought yourself a property that just ‘needed a bit of love’, and were planning on renovating it yourself. You started doing up the guest bedroom and one of the bathrooms but then life got in the way and 5 years later it’s still not quite complete?

Do you have any idea how common this actually is? Between work, family, unexpected expenses, and general life commitments, it’s so much harder to finish off these projects than most people realise. After all, everything you do has to be done after hours if you’re not already exhausted, and on weekends when you could be relaxing. It really does stand to reason that a renovation or repair project that might take a company who specialises in the work a couple of weeks to finish, could reasonably take you months. Then once you start to procrastinate about it, it often ends up blowing out to years.

Even if this story doesn’t apply to you and all you need is a bit of a hand finishing off a home renovation project and to put the final touches on it, we can still help. We can come in and check that things have been done correctly, and repair things that aren’t quite up to code. We can also help you complete tasks that you’re unable to do yourself, or just haven’t had the time to finish.

The other option is for us to help you at the start of a home project, by advising you on what you’ll need to get done to make sure everything is in proper order. It’ll also give you a better idea of what trades you may need to get in that can’t be completed as a DIY.

If you’re interested in learning more about our DIY assistance services or want to get one of our consultants to come out to your property and inspect what work you need done, contact us today! Please try to supply supporting photos to help us process your enquiry more quickly.

Helpful Hint #185

There are limitations to how much you can do as an owner builder. Engaging a building practitioner is the safest way to proceed with any major renovation projects. If you’re absolutely set on doing it yourself though, hiring any trades that you aren’t qualified to do, to check off that your work has been done correctly, and to provide the finishing touches is a good way to proceed and still be able to do most of the work yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm not a qualified electrician, can I wire the lights in the reno I'm doing myself?

No – get a qualified electrician in! This is required by law in Victoria.

What are the risks in being an owner builder for my own renovation?

By listing yourself as the owner builder on a renovation, you become liable for that entire project. Ensuring that works meet all applicable Standards, OH&S and insurances all fall on to your shoulders. Even if you engage contractors to do parts of your work, as the owner builder you are responsible for making sure quality and Standards are maintained. You also can’t sell your property without restrictions, assessments and insurance. The VBA has a lot of helpful information on being an owner builder, and what’s involved in doing it legally.

I started on my bathroom reno myself and got partway through the tiling but haven't finished. Can you get the rest of it done?

We’ll need to conduct a thorough assessment of what’s been done first. If the tiling hasn’t been done correctly (or you needed to waterproof the bathroom but didn’t do it) we may need to discuss rectifications first.