Northern Beaches Tradie - Renovation Solutions

27/03/2023

It’s been a long time coming but my interstate license for Mutual Recognition in QLD has finally come through! It is a ‘Builder - Open’ license which means I can now offer the following services in residential homes in FNQ:

Design and drafting
New homes
Extensions
Renovations
Landscaping
Excavation
Bathroom Renovations
Kitchens
Swimming pool
and maintenance just to name a few.

I collaborate with great reliable trades, draftsman, engineers and suppliers. My proposal is for a stress free process when it comes to building and planning.

Process and Steps:

1. Contact - within 72hrs a free site visit will be carried out to obtain your brief and requirements.
2. Once your brief is confirmed, we will send you a fee proposal for design within 24hrs.
3. Sign and pay the deposit for your design, a site measure or surveyor will be required and then concept drawings can commence.
4. Concept drawings are confirmed with you and drawings are finalised for council (at this stage you have an option to make changes and request a build cost estimate to ensure it fits into your budget) 2-3weeks.
5. Engineering will be completed and ready for council.
6. Costs for construction are confirmed.
7. Submission and approval to Private Certifier 24-48hrs.
8. Commence building.

If you wish to engage a different builder or carry out the works as an owner builder, that is fine. There is no obligation to proceed with me once the drawings are done. Although, I would be honoured to take on your project.

I can offer free site visits and advise with costs and you can have direct access to the draftsman.

So if you are looking for a team of people who will listen to your needs and guide you with the best possible outcome, then I would love to hear from you!

Call now
0408 689 397

Some more pictures of a unique project that I can proudly put my name to…

This was a challenging design and build where ‘East meets West’.

The existing dwelling was a run down split 3 level home that was converted into a split 6 level home. It comprised of solid Blackbutt HWD flooring, personalised carved bifold, trifold and hinged doors, 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, multiple lounge/rumpus areas, 4 car garage/carport and 2 outdoor entertainment areas.

For more information on this project please feel free to get in touch!

20/02/2023

Just a follow up on the previous post that was shared to the community groups...

Firstly, thank you to those who read my post thoroughly and understood what I was offering – I appreciate your support.

Everyone has their own reasons for moving to this piece of paradise and it is not an easy decision to make. I do not have any regrets about our big move.

I'd like to mention that despite the initial hurdles of trying to organise my plans to submit to council, I have had extremely positive experiences with other fine trades and suppliers up here in the Far North. I can highly recommend the following trades who are local to the Northern Beaches and Cairns:

Southern Cross Electrical 0428 863 324 – For all your air con and electrical needs, Mat and his team are always prompt, professional and tidy. You can rest assure the job is done right first time, every time.

Cairns Concrete Coating https://cairnsconcretecoatings.com.au/ – Jacob is great at his craft and won’t disappoint you. His attitude for perfection is shown in his work.

Jason (formworker) – Most genuine and hard working guy. He specializes in all aspects of formwork from concrete pools to concrete curved stair cases etc. 0405 436 505.

Matt Keillor Plumbing – Matt is a Honest reliable plumber who you can trust to get your plumbing done right.Nothing is to hard and pleasure to work with. 0437 308 360.

Homescape Tiles https://www.homescapetiles.com.au/ - Anthony and the team were amazing. They worked to our budget and found solutions for all our tiling needs. He follows up on everything and makes you feel like you are his only customer.

HighGrove Bathrooms https://www.highgrovebathrooms.com.au/stores/queensland/highgrove-bathrooms-cairns – A one stop shop, quality at an affordable price. Highly recommend to speak with Sean. His knowledge of all things bathroom is extensive and provides great advice. If you can't get Sean, all of the team at Highgrove are just great to deal with.

Arnel Fencing https://arnelfencing.com.au/ - Suppliers of all aspects of fencing, affordable pricing for DIY otherwise they can highly recommend a contractor.

If anyone is in need of any of the services above, I highly recommend them all.

I am slowly starting to build my contacts up here and I’m in mixed minds of what scale of jobs I want to do yet. For the meantime, I just wanted to offer my expertise and if I can help you save money, it would be rewarding.

One of the reasons I came to Cairns is to have a better balance of work/life. We had a small family building company before this and if anyone out there has a small business they would understand the pain of running it and missing out on important family life. I only had the one role but felt like I had to wear many hats at the same time such as estimator, salesman, marketer, builder, carpenter, project manager and therapist on a daily basis. I plan to try to balance all this out while living in FNQ.

Remember, I’m available to chat if you have any questions about building/renovating or even just want a chat in general!

I will be putting up some reno information etc. on this page in the coming weeks. Feel free to have a sticky beak for some inspiration or ask a question about your project on my page or PM me for privacy. No question is too silly!

I’ve also attached some more pics of the project that was in the last post. This project was a 12 month knock-down rebuild of a French Provincial style home .

Enjoy and have a great week!

15/02/2023

15/02/2023

The frustrations of trying to renovate or build in Cairns as a Owner Builder

I have recently moved to Cairns from the big smoke and am a qualified builder (carpenter by trade). I was taken back from the overpriced materials and lack of trades up here in FNQ. Unfortunately living in paradise has its downfalls when you are used to city trade prices and materials.

Since moving to Cairns, after experiencing the negativity and lack of replies to my quest for a draftsman, I was blown away. I rang every contact from google search and it was either a 3 month wait or it was ‘too complicated’. A small extension, carport and swimming pool should be an easy task for any professional draftsman or architect.

I ended up having to engage with a draftsman from the Gold Coast.Luiz and the team from Xpress Drafting were amazing. Within a week of signing I had a site measure and visit with one of Luiz’s team and nothing was too hard. They were able to bring my vision to paper in no time.We had a similar issue when it came to engineering, no one from Google was really interested in our project. We finally engaged with a local engineer after being recommended – Michael Lancini. He was prompt, professional and got the job done. More importantly, he was the only one available to do the job!

Lucky enough, I have the skills and tools to get most of my own building work done but I definitely feel for the rest of our locals who are struggling to get trades, materials etc.

I’m more than happy to give some free advice to any one that is in need of some help and wants to save money. I am currently waiting on my credentials to be recognised in QLD but in the meantime, I’m more interested in helping the working class home owner get the job done and more money in your pocket.

Building is not rocket science, common sense goes a long way.

If you have the right help you can always come under budget. I always encourage the home owner to get their hands dirty if they want to save money.

With 26 years of building and carpentry experience I have seen it all. Building has taken me places where I can confidently say I have built client’s dreams that is built to last for generations to come. My signature of workmanship will always be there on whatever scale it is.

There are always options to save money when it comes to building. Positivity goes a long way.

Here are some photos from a previous project of mine... more photos to come.

THANKS FOR READING!

Feel free to call or message for advice - 0408 689 397

If I don't know the answer, I will help you find it!