40 – BAY POST/MORUYA EXAMINER ■ March 20, 2013

Do your homework before starting jobBUILDING and renovating can be an exciting experi-

ence - perhaps nothing short of an adventure - with allthe many decisions which need to be made.

Some people enjoy doing their own renovations, while oth-ers prefer to use a builder to do the hard yards.

However, to give yourself peace of mind when trusting abuilder to do your home projects it's important you take allthe necessary precautions.

The Department of Fair Trading provides some great infor-mation on how you can ensure your renovations go off

without too much drama.Here is some very sound advice:■ You should always use a licensed builder, and the

Department of FairTrading licence check will allow you to check that your

builder is correctly licensed.■ You must have approval for the work you are having

done. For example, if you are going to build a second storeyon your house, you must have approval from your council oran accredited certifier for any work you wish to have done.

The Department of Fair Trading website advises thatbefore you start a home building project you get answers tothe following questions:

■ What is your contractor licence number?■ Where can I see examples of your work?■ What other jobs have you got on at the moment?■ Who will supervise the work?■ Do you have proper insurance?■ How much deposit do you need?■ When can you start the work and how long will it take?■ What sort of contract will be used?■ How much will the work cost?■ What happens if the work is defective?■ Who cleans the site?It is also important to get a number of written quotes from

various potential builders so you can compare the quotes tofind the best option for your budget.

For more information check out the Fair Trading website atfairtrading.

A-Z Property GuideQuarterly Advertising Feature

Domain’s leading iPad and iPhone property searchapps have been updated with new featuresadded to the already comprehensive suite of

tools, resulting in a more personalised experience forproperty seekers.

New additions to both the iPad and iPhone appsinclude the ability to add your own photos and person-al notes to a property.

The iPad also has a 'save a favorite search' function,as well as an addition that showcases properties in alarger photo layout and a ‘share your favorite listings’ onFacebook and Twitter function.

“Our research shows that property seekers come upwith all sorts of creative solutions to keep track of themany properties they see, from keeping property detailflyers and creating spreadsheets to sticky post it notes

on the wall,” said Matt Siddons, Marketing Director, realestate for Fairfax Marketplaces.

“With our iPhone and iPad apps there’s no need forbits of paper - enabling our app users to add their ownphotos and notes to property listings is a natural addi-tion and we expect these features to be very popular,”said Mr Siddons.

“Our property apps really are essential tools to usewhen out and about at open houses on the weekend,and when researching what properties to inspect dur-ing the week,” said Mr Siddons.

Domain’s apps have received a number of awardsincluding the Best Classifieds award at the AustralianInteractive Media Industry Association Awards, and theiPad app was in the top 20 for Apple’s App Store Best of2012.

New features added to award-winning iPad and iPhone property apps

BAY POST/MORUYA EXAMINER ■ March 20, 2013 – 41

A-Z Property GuideQuarterly Advertising Feature

Property Valuers Servicing the South Coast from Milton to Eden

(02)4472 9904www.opteonproperty.com.au • Suite 4, 9 Corrigan Crescent Batehaven

What to do if it all goes wrongWhen the reno goes

awry, who’s toblame, architect

or client.It’s when dream turns to

nightmare: after hun-dreds of hours, and hun-dreds of thousands of dol-lars, the renovation is fin-ished - and you don’t likeit.

For architects andclients it’s the worst pos-sible outcome. But it hap-pens, most often becauseof communication break-down.

Among the possibilities:architect and client withdifferent styles, an archi-tect who does not explainwell, clients who do notsay what they want, orjust don’t know.

“It does happen, it issomething we are veryconscious of,” says RenoRizzo, director of InarcArchitects.

“It’s a huge leap of faithwith most people to gofrom giving you a brief inwords to looking at draw-ings which are often two-dimensional, to then seethe finished article.”

Choices from yourarchitect are vital, hesays.

“If you put one thingdown and they say theylike it, that’s no good,” hesays.

“Six months later theywill open a magazine andsay, ‘I like that better’.”

Because some peopleare not good at visualisa-tion or reading plans,Rizzo has a checklist tohelp them picture the fin-ished product. He hasclients bring cuttings,compares with their exist-ing home and uses 3Drenders and models.

“We can do all thesethings to minimise thelack of understanding ofwhat we are doing, but itis still not reality,” he said.

Craig Rossetti, directorof Craig RossettiArchitects, says a goodclient/architect fit is key.

“Renderings now arequite quick and relativelyeasy in explaining yourthoughts, models are bet-ter, but best of all is aclear explanation andunderstanding from bothsides,” he says.

“The most importantcomponent is a tapemeasure on a residentialrenovation.

“Ask for dimensionsand set out room sizes inyour house.”

Joe Austin-Crowe, ofAdvanced 3D Modelling,says sophisticated on-screen

models are most effec-tive early.

The most commonregret - rooms that“Recently I’ve had anexperienced developercome to us with the 2Dplans to his own house,

under the pretext that his‘wife can’t understand theplans, it’s for her to seewhat it will look like’, andthen proceed to adjust afeature balcony to be big-ger and bolder after see-ing the 3D images,”Austin-Crowe says.

So is the client the bossand the architect thehired hand, or is thearchitect like a Michelin-starred chef, refusing to

change dishes for cus-tomers?

It depends what you arebuying, Rossetti says.

“Is it the architect’sstyle or the architect’sreinterpretation ofyours?” he says. “In theformer you have to wearit, in the latter the archi-tect wears it.”

Rizzo believes it isunrealistic to think a per-son will hand everything

over to you and then nothave much input.

“But if someone keepsfiddling with it and itbecomes a strangehybrid, that happens, sotough luck if they areadamant about what theywant, you just have to beas professional as youcan,” he says.

While the client mustprovide the brief, prefer-ably detailed, if it is insuf-

ficient, it is the architect’sjob to fully develop it.

But if it all goes wrong,what to do?

Find a new architect tomake changes.

And, ultimately, if youhave allowed time to set-tle but truly hate it?

Sell it and move some-where else because yourhome is you, it is a reallyimportant aspect of yourlife.

MASTER Builders Australia is warning homerenovators that about one- third of allhouses contains asbestos and pose a

potential health risk unless carefully managed.Master Builders Australia's Richard Claver said

asbestos was widely used in building materialsuntil the mid-1980s and could be found in everyroom of a house.

“Home renovators and DIY enthusiasts shouldnot downplay the importance of seeking profes-sional advice to avoid disturbing asbestos in orderto complete their projects safely,” he said. “In goodcondition, asbestos in a home does not pose a seri-ous health risk, however, issues arise whenasbestos containing materials are disturbed dur-ing home renovations or DIY projects.”

Master Builders offers three tips for all buddinghome renovators and DIY enthusiasts to avoidexposing themselves to potentially harmfulasbestos:■ Check with a building expert regarding the ageof your home and the likelihood of the existence ofasbestos.■ Do not start any renovation work unless you aresure that you will not disturb asbestos. If in doubt,assume that your home contains asbestos.■ Engage a licensed professional to handle anddispose of any asbestos containing materials,regardless of the quantity.

Asbestos can be commonly found in roofs,floors, kitchens and bathrooms, wall and ceilingproducts and gutters, downpipes and fences.

Asbestos warning for renovators However you choose to browse, Domain and Domain.com.au have got property covered.