How can I obtain a quote?

To start the process of obtaining a quote from us we ask that you fill in your information on the contact us page. Once your contact information has been entered it will take you through to our questionnaire. Here, we ask you for a basic outline of your enquiry to see if we are able to assist you. This will ask you about the number and type of rooms you are looking to add to your home, the basic type of materials you would like to use such as roofing and flooring. We will also ask whether you have plans, what your budget is and your timeframes for the build. – If you already have plans and/or DA/CC/CDC approval, please attach them to the questionnaire along with any additional surveys, engineering plans, reports that you may have. Once we have received your details, the builder will review the information and we will contact you for further details or to schedule an appointment for him to meet with you ahead of providing you with a detailed quote.

I don’t know what my budget is, why do I have to provide one?

Don’t overthink this! We don’t expect you to know how much the build will cost. However, as the home owner you will have an idea of how much you have/can borrow to complete the works. We need to know this so that we can advise you if this amount is realistic. We don’t want to waste your time and we will be honest and upfront with you right from the start.

I have plans, can you build based on these plans?

Through our extensive experience building additions and extensions, we have found that when we are presented with plans provided by an external provider, these often do not take into consideration the real cost of building. To address this challenge we make sure that we look after the entire process from start to finish. We will work with you to create plans that will align with your quote. If you have had plans prepared in advance, we ask you to set these aside and work with us and our draftsperson to ensure that we can tailor your addition utilising the most cost-effective design that takes into consideration all the intricacies and requirements of building an addition or extension. Through our extensive experience in building additions and extensions, we know what can work, what is achievable in line with build cost expectations and what to avoid when designing an addition or extension. This experience ensures that we know what is the best way to utilise the funds you have available to achieve the best outcome for you and your family.

Building Up: The Advantages of Adding a Second Floor to Your Home

At 32 Degrees Building, we specialise in ground floor extensions, first floor additions, and custom built homes. Often, whenever someone is planning to make more room in their home, a common question that we get asked is why is it better to build upwards with a second storey instead of outwards with a ground floor extension? What makes a second storey addition a great idea? So we decided to list just some of the benefits of adding second storey to your home:

Gain more living space without moving out

This is perhaps the greatest advantage of building a second storey (as well as the best reason to do so), especially if you live in a location that you really love, somewhere that truly suits your lifestyle. By renovating your home and adding a second storey, you can acquire more living space without having to give up the perks and convenience of living in an area that has all the amenities, services, businesses, and opportunities that you need, want and enjoy.

With greater room, you and your growing family can live more comfortably. On top of that, additional space means that you can stay in the family home for the years to come, as there is enough space available for a multi-generational household.

Keep your outdoor space

Why sacrifice your yard to extend the size of your home, when you can build on top of the ground floor and retain your outdoor space? Adding a second storey is the smart way to go, especially if you need additional space in a house that is built on a small block. This allows you to have the space outdoors as an alfresco living area with a pool, a lovely garden, or an amazing playground for your children and pets.

Get beautiful views

If you live in a picturesque location, a second storey is a great way to take advantage of the amazing views that your area has to offer. For example, if you live near the ocean, you can simply open and look out of a window in your second storey to take in the breathtaking waters without having to leave your house. Or, why not build a balcony where you can relax and have a drink while looking at the pretty sights before you?

Make necessary changes and repairs to the ground floor

On the practical side, if your home needs both repairs and additional space, a second storey lets you hit two birds with one stone. Building a second floor means that your ground floor has to meet the requirements that can provide structural support to the second storey. While the changes are being made, you can grab this opportunity to make some suitable home design decisions and improve your home’s overall interior look and style. You can also use this chance to replace faulty or damaged parts of the house, such as windows and doors and consider upgrading or adding ducted air conditioning.

Add value to your home

Last, but not the least, building a quality second storey can raise the market value of your home, should the need to sell arise. This is great especially if your house is located where there is a high demand for residential properties with close proximity and easy access to good education, career opportunities, medical centres, transportation, and other necessary amenities and services.

Do you want to increase your living space with a second storey addition? We at 32 Degrees Building provide our building services across South West & Western Sydney, the Illawarra, the Southern Highlands, the Eastern Suburbs, and Sutherland Shire. We aim to help our clients achieve their dream family home, with a spacious living area that can meet the needs and demands of their lifestyles. To learn more, contact us.

Article written by: ibuildnew.com.au

Tesla Powerwall2 is on its way

Power Up with Tesla Powerwall 2 Install

I first heard of the TeslaPowerwall earlier this year and thought it was a great leap forward for sustainable energy. The way the Powerwall works is that it is able to safely store the excess electricity generated from your solar panels for later use without sending it back to the grid. This enables you to use solar energy as an available power source 24hours a day, 7 days a week. This aims to lower your electricity bills, increase the value of your home and reduce your carbon footprint and dependence on fossil fuels.

Last weekend Tesla announced the launch of the Powerwall2 and also Solar Rooftop Tiles. Elon Musk during the launch explained “The sun provides more than enough energy in just one hour to supply our planet’s energy needs for an entire year so why not capture the suns energy to power our homes and lead us to a better future of sustainable living.” The Solar Rooftop Tiles would be an alternative to the solar roof panels you see across many homes these days and would be able to harness the solar energy from the sun across your entire roof.

With the amount of sun we are lucky enough to receive all year round in Australia, the Powerwall and Solar Rooftop Tiles can definitely be seen as a huge benefit to homeowners. I suspect that the installation of these will become the norm when altering/extending/building a home in the future. Just think of the money we could all save on our electricity bills while also reducing our environmental impact!

Powerwall2 installations are to begin across Australia in February 2017. You can visit their website here to find out the size of the Powerwall recommended for your needs, the estimated costs involved and to also pre-order your unit.

If you are looking to incorporate sustainability into your next build, talk to us and we can discuss this further with you.

#32degreesbuilding #tesla #powerwall2 #solarroof #sustainableenergy

HIA Awards Finalist – 32 Degrees Building

2016 HIA-CSR NSW Housing Award Finalists

HIA Professional Builder Award

&

Renovations & Additions $200K – $600K Award

We’ve done it again! This year, we have we been successfully nominated as a finalist in the HIA Professional Builders Award and alongside that we have also, for the second year in a row, been selected as a finalist in the HIA-CSR NSW Housing Awards in the extensions $200,001- $600,000 Category with our Camden first floor addition and extension

Alistair, Director and Licenced Builder on becoming finalist as a professional builder – “It’s an honour for all of us at 32 Degrees Building to be recognised as a professional builder based upon our values and commitment to our clients and the customer service we strive to deliver. This, combined with our continuous improvement strategies and our financial management processes have resulted in our achievements as a builder to date.”

Our first floor addition and ground floor extension is a beautiful 1950’s home situated within walking distance of the centre of Camden. Originally only 103m2 the addition and full renovation added over 258m2 to their home giving the owners plenty of additional living space, including 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms, media room, alfresco and also a commercial kitchen to meet the needs of the owners growing hospitality business, Cupcakes in Camden.

“Alistair first said….” oh don’t worry a few months after you won’t even believe you’ve been through it!” You were right!….I still pinch myself that this beautiful new space is ours. We had never done anything like this before but I THANK YOU for making the whole process smooth, enjoyable and fun….I really learnt so much! Wishing 32 Degrees all the best for Sat night! with the HIA Awards. We are honoured to be a finalist and believe you guys are so deserving of a big Win so fingers crossed.”

Best Wishes, Nicci, Steve, Livi and Bailey!”

The winner is to be announced at the upcoming HIA-CSR NSW Housing Awards night on the 15th October and we will keep you updated via our website and social media pages!

About 32 Degrees Building

Showcasing the Best Homes in Australia

Heritage Rebuild and Extension, Scarborough

Our heritage rebuild and extension in Scarborough was lucky enough to feature in a segment on Best Houses Australia and was also a finalist in the 2015 HIA-CSR NSW Housing Award in the extensions $200K – $600K category.

This home had a 150m2 extension consisting of 1 bed, 1 bath, 1 living, 1 courtyard and double garage with a storeroom plus a heritage renovation with 3 bed, 1 bath, 1 kitchen and 1 laundry. This build took us just 6 months to complete.

The interior featured polished concrete floors with the original floor boards used on the stairs. The clients’ vision was to achieve a modern open living space with views to the beach and plenty of space for their family to expand in. The project gallery for this home can be viewed here

Take a look at our segment below where Alistair, Denny and the owners talk you through their goals for the home and its features.

Award-Winning Sydney Builder of the Year

32 Degrees Building are the 2016 Business of the Year Award and Local Business of the Year for Outstanding Service and Trade Award across Camden-Wollondilly

This year we received the prestigious Business of the Year Award and the Local Business Award for Outstanding Service and Trade Award across Camden Wollondilly. Following our recognition in the area we were approached by the Camden Advertiser for comment on receiving the award and to gain further insight into the company and our involvement in the community;

Can you please tell me a little about 32 Degrees Building?

Located in Smeaton Grange, 32 Degrees Building Pty Ltd. is a local building company specialising in first floor/second storey additions, ground floor extensions and custom new homes. Our main focus is to provide families with additional space in their home so that they don’t have to move from where they are already settled. We provide our clients with high-quality craftsmanship, a personalised service and guaranteed customer satisfaction.

Alistair, Denny and the team have been building in the area for over 10 years providing their services right across South West Sydney. The past year has seen the company grow from 11 team members to the present 31 (6 office, 25 onsite) and we are continuing to take on additional team members as the company expands.

What makes your business unique?

We pride ourselves on the communication we have with our clients. It’s very important during the building process to communicate with our clients so that they are aware of what is happening and the processes involved. We ensure that our clients have an onsite and office point of contact to answer and respond to any questions they may have during each stage of the build. We also coordinate appointments with our product suppliers so that our client can visit their showrooms and speak to a dedicated representative to discuss and make their selections for their bathroom/kitchen etc…

We find that most of our clients still live in the house when we are building an addition or extension so we do as much as possible to minimise and reduce the noise, dust and disruption to their daily lives.

We employ a team of local tradesmen and apprentices in order to manage the quality of the work that we produce and to provide young members in the community the chance to gain themselves a trade. We continually work with our team to develop and enhance their skills in all facets of the residential building industry.

How did it feel to win the business of the year award?

We were overwhelmed to be honoured with the award and we have received such a great response across our social media streams since it was announced. From our clients, suppliers and subcontractors past, present and future to other local businesses in the area the response has been very positive and we are extremely proud to have been selected to receive such a recognised award.

Why do you think you were chosen as the winner?

Over the past year our team have really focused their energies on ensuring that we are providing our clients with first class customer service and quality craftsmanship.

This is something that we strongly emphasise and take great pride in.

We also work closely with MWLP and regularly take on work placement students to give them an opportunity to gain insight into the building industry and carpentry trade to assist them with their future career decision. We also provide sponsorship to Macarthur BMX Little Sprockets and Narellan Vale Public School and have where possible attended local events and provided support to the community.

We feel that it is a combination of these factors that this has contributed to and resulted in our recognition within the community.

Is there anybody you would like to thank?

We are extremely thankful and appreciative to everyone who voted for us to win the award, to all of our clients, suppliers, subcontractors who worked with us/is going to work with us and for the continued support we are receiving in and around the area.

We would like to say a special thanks to Denny, our Project Manager for his time, commitment and focus over the past year to developing and training the team onsite. We would also like to thank our team onsite and in the office for their hard work, dedication and commitment to the business and their trade.

You can read the article in the Camden Advertiser here

Building in a bushfire prone area

How to Build Safely in Bushfire-Prone Areas

We recently completed an extension and deck in Orangeville that was in a bushfire prone area and had to comply with BAL-FZ requirements. For those of you that are unfamiliar with being in a bushfire prone area, BAL-FZ means that the home has been classed as being located in direct flame zone and that there is an extreme risk to life and loss of the home should a bushfire occur.

Bushfire ratings are as follows;

BAL-Low (Very Low Risk)
BAL-12.5 (Low Risk)
BAL-19 (Moderate Risk)
BAL-29 (High Risk)
BAL-40 (Very High Risk)
BAL-FZ (Extreme Risk)

The BAL rating may determine the types of materials you are able to use or, additional materials that are required when building or extending your home (eg. bushfire shutters).

Bushfire Shutters at our BAL-FZ First Floor Addition in Lane Cove North (Click photo for full gallery)

What measures should you take?

If your property backs onto bushland or even a Council nature strip you will have to obtain a BAL Risk Assessment Certificate from a qualified consultant to determine your Bushfire Attack Level. The report will outline the BAL rating on each elevation (yes, your BAL rating can be different on each side of your home) and advise you of the measures you need to take to maximise the safety of your family and your home and ensure you stay protected.

Building in a bushfire prone area: flamezone

The home in Orangeville was classed as BAL-FZ as it was in a location where it was deemed an extreme risk to bushfire so there were a few requirements that we had to ensure that we undertook when building this extension to comply with the RFS and Council requirements;

The deck was constructed with a cement based product with no gaps between the boards for embers to get into
The subfloor brickwork still has to have ventilation, and so a metal gauze with no more than a 2mm aperture was used to cover the weep holes and stop embers from getting in under the home.
The cladding we used was a minimum of 6mm thick with no gaps between the boards.
The windows were made with 6mm toughened glass and aluminium frames
Bushfire shutters were installed – you can have either manual or automatic
The roof and deck frames were made of steel
For the eaves we used firecheq plasterboard and importantly we ensured that all gaps and holes were sealed to stop potential embers getting into

If you are in a bushfire prone area and thinking of building an extension or addition, speak to us, we are able to provide you with advice and guide you in the right direction.

Watch our video

Watch Alistair, the builder out at the deck extension in Orangeville talking about how we met the BAL-FZ requirements.