Major Home Renovations
Love where you live, but not the house you're living in?
Sydney + Central Coast
A major renovation can completely transform an existing home — improving the layout, creating more space, bringing in natural light and changing the way your family lives every day.
BettsWhite specialises in the design of substantial home renovations, alterations and additions across Sydney and the Central Coast.
From the first concept through DA or CDC approval and construction documentation, we help homeowners work out the smartest way to transform their existing home.
20+ years of residential renovation experience.
Start with: “How can this house work better?”
One of the biggest mistakes in renovation design is assuming that more floor area automatically creates a better home.
Sometimes it does.
But sometimes an existing house already has enough space — it's simply in the wrong places.
Poorly positioned kitchens, disconnected living areas, dark rooms, awkward entries, unused formal rooms and bad connections to the backyard can make a reasonably large house feel small.
We look at the whole home before deciding what should be retained, reconfigured, removed or added.
The goal isn't simply to make your house bigger.
It's to make it better.
WHAT COULD YOUR HOME BECOME?
A major renovation might include:
Opening the rear of the home to the backyard
Creating larger kitchen, living and dining spaces
Adding bedrooms and bathrooms
Reconfiguring poorly planned existing rooms
Creating better indoor-outdoor connections
Adding a second storey or partial upper level
Introducing more natural light and ventilation
Creating a parents' retreat
Improving the entry and street presence
Adding covered outdoor entertaining areas
Modernising the architectural character of the home
Every project is different.
Our job is to understand how you want to live and develop a design that makes the best use of the home, property and construction budget you already have.
Collaroy plateau
Major Home Renovation
BEFORE → DESIGN → COMPLETED
This existing two-storey home had an awkward layout with little flow. We gutted and redesigned the interior to create open, connected living spaces.
To get construction started sooner, we used a combination of CDC and DA approvals. The result is a completely transformed family home with a layout that finally works, better indoor-outdoor connection and spaces designed around the way the owners actually live.
VIEW COLLAROY PLATEAU PROJECT →
Saratoga
Major Home Renovation
BEFORE → DESIGN → COMPLETED
This was our own home — originally a tiny one-bedroom “toilet block”. Rather than demolishing it, we saw an opportunity to do something different. We kept the existing home downstairs and designed a completely separate three-bedroom family home above, with its own access, driveway and parking.
The result was a clever two-home solution that made the most of a small existing footprint and completely transformed the potential of the property.
VIEW SARATOGA PROJECT →
long jetty
Major Home Renovation
BEFORE → DESIGN → COMPLETED
The owners purchased this property to renovate and flip, so the design was all about maximising its potential. We redesigned the entire home through CDC, including the pool, creating a modern four-bedroom family home with a much better layout and flow. The transformation added significant value to the property and delivered a great result for the owners.
VIEW LONG JETTY PROJECT →
Naremburn
Major Home Renovation - Under Construction completed by end of 2026.
BEFORE → DESIGN → COMPLETED
The new owners saw the potential in this home, and so did we. We completely reworked the layout, bringing the kitchen, living and dining upstairs beneath new cathedral ceilings to take advantage of the sweeping district views. Currently under construction, this renovation is set to completely transform the way the home looks, feels and flows.
COMING SOON.
RENOVATE OR KNOCK DOWN AND REBUILD?
It's one of the first questions many homeowners ask.
And there isn't one answer that applies to every property.
Renovating may make sense when:
You like the existing character of the home
Parts of the existing structure are worth retaining
The existing house is positioned well on the site
You want to avoid unnecessarily rebuilding parts of the home that already work
Planning controls make retaining the existing home advantageous
You want to renovate in stages
A knockdown rebuild may make more sense where the existing building has significant structural problems, almost nothing is worth retaining, or the desired design simply can't be achieved efficiently through renovation.
We can help you investigate the options before you commit to either direction.
DESIGNING TO A REALISTIC CONSTRUCTION BUDGET
A beautiful design isn't much use if you can't afford to build it.
Construction cost is therefore part of the conversation from the beginning.
The cost of a major renovation depends on much more than floor area.
Existing structure, site access, bathrooms, kitchens, structural modifications, finishes, landscaping, services and the amount of existing building being altered can all have a significant impact.
Where appropriate, we encourage builder involvement during the concept stage so the developing design can receive real construction feedback before progressing too far into approvals and detailed documentation.
This helps us make informed decisions while changes are still relatively easy to make.
DESIGNED WITH CONSTRUCTION IN MIND
Major renovations require more than good floor plans.
Existing structure needs to connect with new structure. Levels need to work. Services need to be considered. Builders need clear information and architectural decisions can have significant construction-cost consequences.
After more than 20 years working with residential alterations and additions, we understand the realities of renovating existing homes.
We collaborate with builders, structural engineers, certifiers and other consultants throughout the process to develop practical, buildable design solutions.
OUR RENOVATION DESIGN PROCESS
01 — INITIAL CONSULTATION
We start by understanding the existing home, what isn't working and what you want the renovation to achieve.
02 — SITE + PLANNING INVESTIGATION
We review the property, existing house and relevant planning considerations to understand the opportunities and constraints.
03 — CONCEPT DESIGN
We explore how the existing home could be transformed and develop the proposed design using architectural plans and 3D visualisations.
04 — BUILDER COST CHECK
Where appropriate, builders can review the developing concept and provide early construction feedback.
05 — DA OR CDC APPROVAL
We determine the appropriate approval pathway and prepare the architectural documentation required for DA or CDC.
06 — CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION
Following approval, we prepare the detailed architectural documentation and coordinate the consultants required to get the project ready for construction.
07 — BUILD
We can continue to assist throughout construction with design clarification, selections, builder coordination and project support where required.
HOME RENOVATION FAQs
How much does a major home renovation cost?
Every renovation is different. Size is only one factor — existing structure, kitchens, bathrooms, finishes, access, structural modifications and the extent of work to the existing home all influence construction cost.
That's why we prefer to discuss budget early and involve builders during concept design where appropriate.
Should I renovate or knock down and rebuild?
It depends on the existing house, planning controls, construction budget and what you're trying to achieve. We can investigate the existing property and help determine which approach makes more sense.
Do I need a DA for my renovation?
Not necessarily. Depending on the property and proposed works, some renovations may be capable of approval through a CDC. Others require a Development Application through Council.
Can you design the renovation before we have a builder?
Yes. We usually begin with concept design and can then involve suitable builders early to obtain construction feedback before progressing further.
Can you work with our builder?
Absolutely. We regularly collaborate with builders and are happy to work with a builder you already know or help connect you with suitable builders.
Do you provide 3D designs?
Yes. 3D visualisation is an important part of our concept design process and helps you understand how the proposed renovation will look and feel before construction.
YOUR EXISTING HOME MAY HAVE MORE POTENTIAL THAN YOU THINK.
You don't necessarily need to move to get the home you want.
The right design can transform an outdated or poorly functioning house into a home that works for your family for years to come.
Thinking about renovating?
Send me your address.
Tell us a little about your existing home and what you'd like to change.
We will take an initial look at the property and we can discuss what's possible, potential DA or CDC pathways and the best way to get your project started.
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