CAIRNS’ RENOVATION & EXTENSION SPECIALISTS
Deciding to renovate or extend the family home isn’t a decision made lightly. Often it comes from a place of necessity.
You don’t want to move because you love the house you’re in, but you really need a dedicated playroom for the kids, or an adult retreat to unwind and relax. Maybe hosting the whole family for special occasions just isn’t possible at the moment, so you want an updated decking and entertaining area that allows everyone to come together to create wonderful memories. Whatever the reason for undergoing home renovations or extensions, Maxa Constructions can design the solution that works with what you have, to create what you need.
Extend your home. Extend your lifestyle.
When you’re bursting at the seams, there is another option to moving house. Once predominantly back of house additions, savvy home owners and investors are looking at extension possibilities in all directions, up, out and even under. A good extension provides a seamless integration into the main structure of the home and clever design will ensure no eye-jarring tie-ins, even when the main home is of a different era.
Renovating & extending your home with a specialist builder means you get to:
- Keep what you like about your home and change what you don’t
- Stage the work so large projects can be scheduled to suit your timetable
- Stay in your suburb and community where you feel comfortable
- Increase the value of your largest asset of the home and clever design will ensure no eye-jarring tie-ins, even when the main home is of a different era.
RENOVATE AND CREATE THE HOME YOU’VE DREAMED ABOUT
Renovate to create the home you’ve dreamed about.
You don’t want a bigger home. You like your house the size it is. You love the location. But…
You do want to change the way your home looks and feels, especially as it’s looking a little tired or the space isn’t quite working for you anymore. By renovating, you’ll be transforming your home within it’s existing footprint. Maxa Construction can help with:
- Removing walls to kitchen, living and dining areas to create an open plan area for better use
- Combining a kitchen renovation with an outdoor extension to create a seamless, multi-purpose area to use all year round
- Redesigning main thoroughfares and high use rooms for better flow, usage and storage
- Reconfiguring bathrooms for better usage including more storage space or natural light, separating or adding utilities, and making sure there’s no conflict when opening doors
Our Projects
Post War Cottage Renovation
We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make over this little post-war cottage in the inner city Cairns suburb of Westcourt.
To say she needed some TLC is an understatement.
The home was originally housing for Returned servicemen and the home remained with the original owner until it was sold in 2020.
This project was a complete restoration of the original home. The focus was to repair areas of disrepair, including a complete restumping and creating street appeal by adding a front porch.
What was the inspiration for the renovation?
Inspiration was drawn from the post-war homes that have been renovated in Brisbane. From the outset we wanted to add a small verandah which would not encroach upon the existing setbacks. We replaced the front aluminium windows with custom made timber casements to add character. The original front door had so much character but was unsalvageable so a new one was sourced.
What is your favourite part of the renovation?
The best part of this reno was when we landscaped. There is nothing like seeing green grass going down at the end of a reno!
What was the hardest part of the project?
The exterior had been clad in aluminium which needed to be removed to expose the beautiful original weatherboards. This was a time-consuming job for our boys as all the weatherboards had to be sanded and filled before painting began.
Beautifully Renovated Queenslander
There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a home owner’s renovation vision come to life. The renovation of this Queenslander home in Cairns was one of those moments. With a young family, the home owners needed to make better use of the existing space within their home, updating it at the same time. The brief included creating a new bedroom/study, bathroom & a new kitchen.
From the moment you arrive, the transformation to the homes exterior is evident. The clever redesign of the floor plan allowed us to create the new spaces within the original footprint of the home. Part of the existing patio was enclosed to make way for the bedroom/study and the new bathroom.
The focus of the renovation revolved around a new kitchen. The existing kitchen was outdated & wasn’t catering for this growing family. The redesign of the kitchen involved the removal of the original kitchen wall & moving the kitchen forward.
This took advantage of otherwise ‘dead space’ and by building a new back wall we created a walk-through pantry. This clever design also created the entrance to the laundry, bathroom and new bedroom/study.
The kitchen is the heart of this renovation. The owner selected a 2 pack paint system with Shaker profile doors. For the benchtop, 20mm Smartstone Carrara Milan was selected & is complemented with a double ceramic kitchen sink & gold sink mixer.
There is a generous amount of storage including the island bench, which features storage on both sides and includes a wine fridge.
The new bathroom and bedroom were created under the same roofline, without any need to extend the current footprint. This was an economical way to create the rooms while adding value to the home.
During the renovation we were mindful to be sympathetic to the original features of the home. The biggest challenges were removing materials such as flooring, architraves & mouldings so they could be re-used. Secuity screens were also custom made to match the existing ones so we achieved a seamless look throughout the home.
The exterior was overhauled with the removal of the lattice work. New tiling, lighting & painting has created a welcoming entrance to this home.
The result is a modern Hamptons style home, which ticks the boxes for this young family.
1980’s Home Makeover
There are a lot of reasons people decide to start a home renovation. It could be there’s not enough room, the layout of the house doesn’t flow, it’s dated or it’s been flooded.
This was the reason our owners decided to renovate their early 1980’s, painted block home in leafy Whitfield. A burst kitchen pipe flooded the house, including the kitchen and stunning parquetry floors.
Our brief was to bring the home into the 2020’s whilst retaining the great design features of the original home.
To create a larger, open plan design some dividing walls were removed and the existing laundry was demolished.
We then increased the size of the kitchen by including a walk-in pantry & laundry. This was a much more functional use of the space.
The kitchen was definitely the focal point for our home owners. The client chose beautiful Smartstone benchtops & splashbacks in Statuartio Venato. The doors are finished with Laminex Storm Cloud. The same palete is continue into the laundry, however the benchtop & splashback are finished in Polytec Grey Matera – a cost effective alternative to the stone.
Windows and doors always make a huge difference when you’re renovating. Changing from sliding windows to clear glass louvres in the kitchen has been instrumental in modernising the home along with updating the light fittings.
The flood had damaged the original parquetry flooring, but an area in front of the gorgeous brick feature wall was saved. A hybrid vinyl plank in Spotted Gum was laid throughout the rest of the home to complement the parquetry.
Here’s what we did
- Complete strip out of home including flooring
- New windows and lighting
- Designed the new layout for the kitchen & laundry
- New Kitchen, Laundry & wardrobes in the bedrooms
- New bathroom & ensuite
- New flooring & painting
My Favourite Part
This original brick wall is the absolute hero of the home. It’s original, unpainted brick which I haven’t seen before in a Cairns renovation. We’re so happy the owner kept it instead of covering up with plasterboard. It pays hommage to the original charector of this early 1980’s home.
A Serial Renovator’s Dream
I think Karl & I could call ourselves serial renovators. Not only do we do it as a business, but we have done so many of our own projects I’ve actually lost count. In short, we love it. We get an absolute kick from turning a home into something more beautiful or practical.
So this 1950’s home in Cairns was nothing short of a renovator’s dream for us. Purchased from the original owner’s family, the home had only two bedrooms and was still in original condition, right down to the oven.
The views over the Cairns skyline are spectacular, and our brief was to modernise the home & capture the views.
Part of any renovation process in a home like this is to retain the character. The original home had great design features and in terms of sustainability, was well ahead of it’s time. High banks of lourves in the living rooms & carport allow the home to be cooled naturally. These features are seldom seen in modern homes today!
To capture the views we constructed a full length deck to the back of the house. The stacking doors and bi-fold windows separate the inside and out. A new kitchen was created in the original space, but by removing the wall, the kitchen is now accessible from the deck and living room.
With all our renovations, we’re mindful to be sympathetic to the original features of the home. In this home the original floor plan was reconfigured to create another bedroom and bathroom, making this a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home.
Cairns
As a Cairns builder offering renovation and extensions, this house allowed us to show our skill blending modern finishes into the original character of the home. With careful recycling, restoring and matching to existing finishes, we turned this date house into a contemporary family home
Palm Cove
Nothing says resort-style living like this pool house renovation. First, we needed to repair the building to accommodate the client’s specifications and then we used Balinese inspired features to really capture the essence of tropical living.
Clemson
This Edge Hill cottage was in need of complete makeover. The kitchen was relocated to the rear of the home to be closer to the deck. The old space became a bedroom and an ensuite and walk-in robe was added to the master bedroom. History has it that the original builder had only one eye, so the house was built a slant! This meant features like windows and the front door needed to be custom made to fit into their respective recesses.
Forum
A beautiful renovation in Mooroobool where we gutted the downstairs of this 1990’s home. The walls & old staircase removed to make way for an open-plan living area. Bi-fold timber windows and doors open the kitchen and living up to the outdoor & pool area. With a new kitchen, pantry, tiles & Maxa designed staircase, the home has become more livable for this large family.
HOW DO I GET MY RENOVATION STARTED?
Planning your Renovation & Extension
If this is your first renovation project, you might feel a bit lost & overwhelmed in the beginning.
There are some essential things you’ll need to think about when planning your home renovation.
- Your Budget. Deciding how much you want to spend is essential. Even if you’re unsure what a renovation will cost, set the limit you want to spend.
- Ideas & Design. Write your wish list for your home. You might want to extend the living area, add a new bathroom or simply refurbish the existing home layout.
- Consultation. This is where we turn your ideas into a plan. We’ll bring our 20 years of renovation & building knowledge to you and discuss the best way to achieve your renovation & extension. We’ll add to your ideas and guide you on the technical aspects of the renovation.
- Plans. A great renovation starts with great planning. Plans drawn by a qualified Draftperson, Designer or Architect are the foundations of your renovations. You’ll need to submit plans to Council, so making sure they have all the information you need is essential. Working closely with your builder during the design process ensures your plans stay within your renovation budget. At Maxa, we can design and draft the plans for your next home renovation & extension.
- Finishes. Choosing your fixtures & fittings is the fun part and at Maxa, we have an in-house Interior Design service to help you through this process.
- Quotes. As mentioned, detailed building plans are an asset to any renovation. The greater the detail, the easier to compare quotes from tradespeople.
- Start your Reno.
