Practical Guides for Smarter Renovations

Explore expert renovation guides, cost insights, planning advice and practical tips to help you make better decisions at every stage of your project.

The space beside a septic tank is not automatically available for an extension, driveway or paved terrace. The visible cover

Adding a bedroom can affect an on-site wastewater system even when the renovation includes no new toilet, shower or sink.

A home with an on-site wastewater system needs a renovation plan that extends beyond the walls. The tank, treatment equipment,

An alarm that was well placed in the old house may no longer serve the same purpose after walls and

The phrase wireless smoke alarm can hide two different decisions. One is how the alarm receives power. The other is

Smoke alarms are easy to overlook while a renovation is being organised. They sit above the rooms being redesigned, but

An energy rating is most useful before you become attached to a renovation solution. It can help explain why a

A room that feels cold can have several problems at once: gaps around a window, incomplete ceiling insulation, an exposed

A home energy assessment is most useful before renovation decisions become expensive to change. It can help you understand why

Protecting existing windows and doors in a cyclone-prone area requires a decision about the complete opening. The glass, frame, hardware,

Roof tie-down work concerns the connections that keep the roof and the supporting building acting together under wind loads. In

A renovation in a cyclone-prone area needs to account for the existing house as well as the new work. A