Dealing with your local council during the renovation process

We all get excited about the prospect of renovating our home, we have made the decision to stay where we are rather than move home and now its time to make the decision about exactly what we want from our renovations. Are we extending upstairs which is often the best option when our land space is limited or renovating the ground floor only. The size and type of renovation can determine what time of building permit we require and how long the process might take when submitting to your local council. There are a number of elements that we need to understand before renovating that will ensure your renovations end with the result you want not a tangled mess of council restrictions forcing change after change to your renovation ideas hence becoming an expensive and overdrawn process. 

A little time taken to read your local council's website can help alleviate these fears by understanding your local council's planning rules, as each council has their own regulations and no two councils are the same. Has your council been zoned to allow two story dwellings and if so what are your restrictions if you have neighbours. An application to your local council is often a process that takes a lot longer than you think, and you are often asked to make changes to your original plans so be prepared. A building inspection report prior to your commencement of the renovation provides peace of mind before you make the decision to renovate. Do not take shortcuts because this can often come back to haunt you, engage the right professionals to ensure your renovation ideas turn from a dream to reality. The idea is to work with your local council not against them so that the process is simple and reasonably quick through the council's town planning process.

An application for a building permit may need to provide the following

1. Plans drawn by an architect or draftsperson
2. A copy of your land title or deed;
3. A copy of your planning permit;
4. A building inspection report

And be aware that when you file your building application with the council you will be required to pay certain fees based on your specific application. Your draftsperson or architect can help you weave your way through the minefield of fees required for your building renovations and payment varies from project to project but your building permit fee will be determined by the size and scope of your renovations, your own local council and whether the renovation requires special permits due to land prone to flooding, on an easement or perhaps its proximity to your neighbour's property. Australian Property & Building Inspections provides building inspection reports in Sydney, Melbourne and other major capital cities plus building inspection reports in regional areas around the country, so give us a call or send us and email and help make your renovation idea into a reality with ease.