Freshwater Home Renovation
Undercliff Road, Freshwater
Project Overview
In February 2020, Ferrari Constructions took on one of our largest projects to date.
Our wonderful new clients were neighbours of a previous project and had managed to snag an original home in the heart of Freshwater. Situated in an awesome location, the house was crying out for a large-scale renovation.
We referred them to our trusted design team at Action Plans who developed the drawings and DA for a beautiful renovation and extension build. This project spanned over 4 levels from garage to the new first floor. The existing 2 levels of the home were completely gutted and a 3rd level added. The inclusion list comprised of 4 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms, laundry, kitchen, rumpus, terrace, 2 balconies, living room and the addition of a lift to the basement garage.
A 6.5KW Solar System with 20 panels was installed early on in the project which enable the build to be powered by the sun from then on!
The exterior of the house has been renovated in a Hamptons Style – we used 180mm Scyon Linea weatherboards painted in deep Woodland Grey. This was the perfect contrast against the Vivid White window, trims and fascias. The front façade on the lower level kept the original face brick which was painted and works brilliantly against the modern weatherboards. The other elements to complete the picture include a painted brick and picket fence, Hardie Groove eaves, Trend windows and doors and Colorbond steel roofing and gutters.
Before Snapshot
Client Brief
Our clients were neighbours of a previous Ferrari Constructions project. They had now bought an original home in the heart of Freshwater – a classic 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom fibre cement “beach shack” that was absolutely ripe for reinvigoration. Our clients had the vision to realise its potential and capitalise on their amazing Northern Beaches location.
We referred them to our trusted design team, Action Plans, who developed the drawings and DA.
The construction brief was to completely update the whole residence inside and out. The existing 2 levels of the home were gutted and a 3rd level added. The inclusion list spanned over 4 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms, laundry, kitchen, rumpus, terrace, 2 balconies, living room and even the addition of a lift all the way down to the basement garage.
Job Specifications
- The whole house was completely reworked – including first floor addition, terrace, basement ground floor and lift
- Renovation and extension designed by Action Plans
- 4 Bedrooms and 4 Bathrooms
- External cladding was James Hardie Scyon Linea painted in Dulux ‘Woodland Grey’
- Windows and doors were from the Trend Quantum Range
- The bold red front door and bay window were manufactured by Sydney Woodworkers
- 4 Velux Skylights were added in the main living area
- Kitchen and joinery by Creative Projx
- Caesarstone benchtops
- Platinum Air installed a Daikin ducted reverse cycle inverter system throughout the house
- Green Elec installed a 20 panel Solar 6.5KW System
- Next Level Elevators installed the lift that allows easy access to 3 levels of the home – garage, basement and ground floor
- Colorbond Steel roofing and gutters
- White picket fence and painted brick columns with sandstone cappings
- The terrace and both balconies are north to rear aspect taking full advantage of the summer sunshine
- Restoration of sandstone features in the basement
- Stunning Spotted Gum floorboards on the ground floor
- Greene Fire – Fire Attenuation screens on all western wall basement and ground floor windows
Project Obstacles
A project of this level always presents challenges, however the great client/builder relationship meant we could work through any issue immediately. Some of the unforeseen challenges we came across included inadequate foundations supporting the house. To overcome this the best solution was to underpin and re-build the masonry walls to give the structure a solid foundation.
Part of this build included a lift from the ground floor, through the basement level to the garage. We soon found, as we started the excavation for the lift shaft, that the majority of it was solid sandstone. As access was limited, to get the excavator in the only option was to get the boys in there with jackhammers to carve out the stone. This included over excavating to allow room to install the required waterproofing and drainage to keep our clients lift water tight.
Like most fibro houses of its era, this residence contained large amounts of asbestos which had to be safely removed. This included internal wall linings, external cladding and eaves linings. For this kind of work we call in the experts to safely and efficiently dismantle and remove from site.
Project Duration
The time taken for this home renovation project in Freshwater, from start to full completion was around 9 months, February to November 2020. Having the full Ferrari Constructions team on site for most of this build ensured the speedy completion.
After Snapshot
On completion, our lovely clients have a beautifully renovated 4-level family residence in an amazing location just in time for the festive season! The 3 generous outdoor areas enjoy the cool breeze which then flows on in to the main living space – perfect for Aussie summers.
We have immensely enjoyed working on a build of this style and calibre with lots of carpentry details to sharpen and hone our skills! The overall collaboration from everyone involved, from the designers and clients to all the trades, was truly a pleasure as well as a great success!
