by Renovations | Jul 27, 2022 | West Auckland
When it comes to renovation project, we believe the most important step is finding a trustworthy renovations contractor. We’ve all heard the horror stories of a nightmare contractors who cause delays and generally complete work of poor quality. However, what you might not consider is the sneaky contractor. ‘Sneaky’ Renovations Contractor When we talk about a ‘sneaky’ contractor what do we mean? Simply put, a sneaky contractor goes out of their way to bring down costs without the full knowledge of the homeowner. Typically, this is done by using cheap alternative building materials. While in theory this isn’t sneaky behaviour. It soon becomes malicious when the contractors’ prices don’t reflect the quality. But what if the prices are reflective of the true material costs? We may still define a contractor as ‘sneaky’. Especially if the homeowner is not made fully aware of the implications of cutting costs. Stuff.co.nz recently published a story of an Auckland home using non-compliant wiring. During a major renovation, the electrician found dodgy wiring inside the walls. The cable used was not rated to New Zealand standards, and had they caused a fire, the homes insurance may not have covered the damages. Luckily, these homeowners had an honest electrician who found the issue and explained the significance of the problem. However, it isn’t uncommon for contractors to slip thing by the owners, either to bring their price down, or to increase their margins. What does an honest renovation contractor look like? Not to paint a grim picture of all contractors, but it is important to stay vigilant when working with home renovators. As tempting as...
by Renovations | Feb 1, 2022 | Kitchen Renovations, West Auckland
Everyone dreams about that new kitchen renovation. However, the main factor stopping most people is simply the cost. So, what if your budget is tight, what can you achieve? Can you remodel a kitchen for $5000? The short answer is no. Even the most basic kitchen renovations and remodels can cost well over $15,000. With the average remodel costing more than $20,000 it will be tough to achieve anything worthwhile on a tight $5,000 budget. That being said, it doesn’t mean you can’t get away with a few upgrades. Assuming your kitchen is small, a budget of $5,000 could be enough to refresh your kitchen. Keep in mind that with a budget so small there will be considerable limitations, both in scope and quality. To achieve a kitchen renovation on a budget it’s important to plan out what exactly you need and what you are willing to forego. On a budget of $5,000 you may only be able to change a few things. For example, fitting your kitchen with new appliances may be the maximum you can achieve. Instead you could opt for new flooring, bench tops, or splash backs. However you may only be able to choose one. Therefore it is generally worth it to hold out until you can do it right. There is no point throwing money at a kitchen renovation that will leave you with essentially the same kitchen as when you started. If you are interested in a kitchen remodel, give us a call on 0508 2 73668. Our expert team is more than happy to advise you on the ideal budget for your...
by Renovations | Dec 8, 2021 | West Auckland
Get excited for the new year by exploring some of the new renovation trends for 2022. Whether you are looking to spice up your home or add some value to your property the latest trends may offer you some great ideas. Renovating can be a lot like fashion, so it is worth considering the fad factor of the follow list. Just like fashion some things can quickly become tacky. However, we think we have found 3 renovation trends that are here to stay. Colours are back For the last few decades homes in Auckland have slowly become walls of greys and whites. Although there is nothing wrong with this as it creates a nice clean look it is rather boring. We are beginning to see people following the home renovation trend of paint their home neutral colours. Neutral colours bring a little life into the home without doing anything crazy. The natural colours reflect earthy tones with when paired with an inoffensive shade of green can create a soothing space. The rise of the home office If you thought the rise of the home office was a covid-19 trend, then you are wrong. Thousands of people have gotten a taste of working from home and are not turning back. Simply, working from home is here to stay. With that will come a demand for home office spaces. We expect many Kiwis to follow this renovation trend in 2022. Either by converting an unused room, subdividing existing spaces, or building extensions. Sustainability Unlike some of the more stylised trends on this list this one is here for the long run....
by Renovations | Oct 14, 2021 | decks-and-fences, West Auckland
With Summer approaching fast, it might be time to get a move on that much needed deck renovation. With building supply shortages and the potential for summer lockdowns it is the best time to renovate your deck so you can have a space to kick it back in the heat. West Auckland summers are best spent on the deck with a BBQ after all. Why start now? If you’ve seen any headlines over the past few months then you will have read about the building supply shortages plaguing the industry. Timber has been one of the hardest materials to source for building and renovators. This makes the job of building a deck rather hard, seeing as they’re typically made of wood. Getting a head start could be the difference between you getting your project completed in time for summer and not. Amendments to building consents have doubled since 2020. As many builders are forced to change plans to incorporate alternative materials that are more readily available. With materials taking weeks and sometimes months to arrive, early planning is your best bet. Many building companies are already beginning to enact waiting lists for clients. Our advice is to get in contact with a team like Maintain To Profit early and have your finances sorted now. That way extensive plans can be made and materials ordered. Decking timber in particular is still facing a three-to-six month lag. So even with early planning that dream summer deck renovation may still be out of reach. It is best to get in contact with a renovation specialist sooner rather than later if you have...
by Renovations | Aug 18, 2021 | West Auckland
Adding an extension onto your West Auckland home can be a large and expensive undertaking. So, it’s important to consider a few factors to make the most of your money and avoid running over budget. Factors such as planning, size, materials and most importantly who you will work with. Finding a renovation expert might actually be the most important as they can properly inform you on the process. Size of Home Extension Interestingly, smaller builds tend to be more expensive per square metre than larger renovations as the overheads such as council permits stay the same. What this means is that it might be worth saving to go big because a lot of your costs are in simply setting up a renovation. Otherwise you might find the overheads determine the size of your extension for you. In the case of this West Auckland home, the owner only wanted to add a small bathroom, but found going a bit bigger allowed for more options without increasing their budget drastically. Concept Drawings Strong planning is always the backbone of any renovation, and in the case of concept drawings may actually be required depending on the size of your renovation. Not only do concept drawings show what the finished renovation will look like, but it acts as a guide for the budget of the renovation. For the West Auckland home extension, the owner came to us with concept drawings completed with consent given. This allowed us to stick to the plan set out and quote a build for their tight budget. Materials The last step of a home extension renovation is building...
by Renovations | Jul 20, 2021 | Kitchen Renovations, West Auckland
This West Auckland reached out to us for a kitchen renovation. They had no idea what they wanted; they just knew they were sick of what they had. Even worse was they had a small kitchen space and a tight budget. No problem. Maintain To Profit is the expert at delivering top quality renovations at any price tag. Design The first step in any kitchen renovation process is the design. Considering the layout and size of the current kitchen is always the first step. First, A team member visits the West Auckland home to take measurements and photos. They also discuss renovation ideas the client may have. With this new information, a sketch is created and shown to the client for approval. Materials Kitchen benchtops can make or break kitchen renovations. Renovations on a tight budget run the risk of pricing themselves out of what they may want and end up stuck settling for something subpar. The West Auckland Renovations team is skilled when picking suitable materials for your kitchen. Common options: – Stone – Concrete – acrylic The above choices are good but can be expensive. Formica, a high-pressure laminate makes for an elegant yet cheap benchtop. Formica benchtops come in a variety of textures, patterns, finishes, and colours; suitable for any style of kitchen at any budget. The Build With the layout done and materials chosen, we create a computer generated 3d rendering of the new kitchen. This gives the client a chance to look at the kitchen renovation before we start building. By designing the kitchen in house, we can carefully craft a kitchen renovation at...
