Thursday 17 July 2014

The Trouble Facing Bathroom Renovations Specialists in Heritage Listed Areas in Melbourne

The city of Melbourne is renowned for preserving a substantial amount of Victorian architecture. When you wander the streets, you’ll notice an extensive juxtaposition of old and new architecture that characterises the look and feel of the vibrant city. However, as beautiful as the old architecture is, it can create a challenge for those homeowners who want to undertake bathroom renovations in heritage-listed homes in Melbourne.

Before considering whether you can invest in bathroom renovations in your property, it is important to establish whether your home is heritage listed. The Heritage Council of Victoria determines places and objects that are of State significance, and lists them on the Victorian Heritage Register. If your property is identified on the Victorian Heritage Register, you must contact Heritage Victoria for permission to make changes to your site. While in this instance Heritage Victoria is the responsible authority for heritage matters, you may also be required to apply for planning permission from your local council. Your local council, through the application of Heritage Overlays, protects sites of local significance, like your home. You can view this information by checking the Victorian Heritage Database. It’s interesting to note that heritage listed sites can include buildings, trees, parks and gardens, streetscapes, archaeological sites and even cemeteries.

Renovating can be a very difficult time for homeowners that were unaware that their home was heritage listed. Melbourne Architect, Darren Naftal, can attest to how challenging a home renovation can be in his book, A Block in a Hard Place. However, while restoring and renovating heritage-listed homes is challenging, there are of course ways to get around this. When it comes to bathroom renovations, they can be very costly which is why it is vital that you identify whether law in fact protects your property before you begin. If this is the case, there are some key parameters to follow, which are outlined below.

Notify and liaise with your local council. They have access to heritage and ‘zoning’ information for your property and can assess any future renovations based on planning controls and the property’s heritage value.  

Ensure you are speaking with an architect or planner that is experienced with heritage properties. Experienced professionals are aware of the obstacles and difficulties faced with renovating heritage properties and will have a plan of action to overcome these problems.

During the renovations process keep in mind that you bought your property for a reason.  By ensuring your heritage-listed property is renovated correctly, you could end up having the most exquisite home in your suburb.

When deciding on how to renovate something as small as a bathroom, or as big as a house, be ‘sympathetic’ to the integrity of house and the characteristics of the suburb. Unsympathetic renovations tend to fetch up to $300, 000 less than houses that have kept their original features. 

With kitchens and bathrooms often considered the two rooms that require constant renewal, it’s important for homeowners to understand the heritage restrictions in place. One bathroom renovations company that is more than aware of the heritage laws is Alkira Homes. With more than 25 years of experience in the industry, they are suited to assist homeowners when they want to renovate or remodel their heritage-listed home. To learn more about their quality Bathroom Renovations in Melbourne heritage-listed homes, check out their website at http://alkirarenovationsmelbourne.com.au/.

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