Work with us for stress-free extensions and renovations
As one of Melbourne’s best specialist extension and renovation builders, our difference is clear; 70% of our business comes through referrals from previous customers. Our customers tell us that we offer a quality design and construct process that’s professional, smooth and stress-free.
Benefits of Spacemaker’s design and construct process
- Receive interesting creative, achievable design solutions that are practical, cost-efficient to build and optimise the value of your home, even for complex scenarios.
- From start to finish you have one company managing the project, greatly reducing the risk of important information, technical and construction details being missed, overlooked or misinterpreted, thus avoiding potential cost blow-outs during building.
- Eliminate the cost of expensive external third-party design, drafting and project management fees that may result in an unaffordable final project cost.
- Confidently arrange your finance knowing your project will remain within your budget.
We provide real design solutions
- Work closely with our experienced designers, who really listen to understand what you want to achieve.
- Spacemaker designs achieve a balance between flair and imagination and practical building solutions, ensuring we keep within your budget.
- We develop design solutions over multiple consultations to ensure total satisfaction with the final design before construction begins.
We offer low–stress construction
- You’ll receive ongoing and comprehensive project management with friendly professionals who support you through the entire build, our experienced specialist tradespeople not only achieve high-quality results. You’ll also enjoy having them around your home! At Spacemaker, we pride ourselves on the quality of our work and our friendliness and professionalism.
We achieve genuine fixed prices
- Thorough documentation (including detailed plans and specifications), prepared after comprehensive client consultation to establish exactly what you need.
- Thorough site investigations with our experienced construction team before completing your final documentation ensures accuracy with your fixed price.
Our Simple 6 Step Process
Initial Visit
We meet with you to discuss your goals for your home. Then we brainstorm creative ideas to help achieve those goals, estimate a budget and explain the construction process involved.
Concept
Once the budget has been approved and a design agreement has been finalised, we measure your home. We then draft a concept plan and 3D drawings, with an estimated budget and brief specification of what it entails.
Project Planning
& Detailing
As soon as the design and estimated budget are approved, we undertake a thorough site visit with our engineer, estimator and draftsperson. A detailed plan, accurate quotation and specification of works will be prepared.
Finalise Budget
& Timelines
We confirm your project’s final fixed price and then we sign the building contract together. By doing a detailed site investigation and involving you in the planning process, we can avoid going over budget.
Permits & Town Planning
The necessary building permits and, if required, town planning processes are entirely managed by our teams. Once we have all permits in place, we can begin with your construction.
Onsite management
We ensure a low-stress building process. Our stellar team of expert project managers and skilled tradespeople receive high praise from our clients while our peers award us on our unmatched quality of service.
Our Story
COMPANY BACKGROUND
Founded in 1969, Spacemaker is a multi-award-winning quality design and construct builder with more than 50 years of experience in the building industry.
Over this time, Spacemaker has gone from strength to strength as a quality builder with a suite of exceptional renovations, extensions and new home projects.
Spacemaker has grown over the 50-year journey to include an outstanding in-house team of builders, design consultants, estimators and project managers. We are a boutique building company with core values of honesty, integrity, and excellent customer service. Our projects are delivered with an emphasis on the personal touch so our clients can relax being in our hands.
EXPERIENCED BUILDERS
One of Spacemaker’s strengths is our ability to take on projects ranging from modest extensions to bespoke new homes. Drawing on the varied skills of our team, we’re able to deliver creative solutions for even the most intricate building project.
As an end-to-end builder for discerning clients across Melbourne, we deliver exceptional home extensions, renovations and custom new builds that reflect their visions. Spacemaker is highly regarded as one of Melbourne’s most reputable and awarded extension and renovation builders.
PROFESSIONAL TRADESMAN
Spacemaker employs experienced project managers to ensure your home renovation or house extension proceeds smoothly. We work with only Melbourne’s best specialist trades to ensure the high-quality results we’re known for. Importantly, they’re professionals we know you’ll be happy to have working in your home.
Our business model is clear: establish great relationships through quality projects on time and within your budget. It’s an approach that leads to satisfied clients and awards for excellence from our peers.
If you are ready to take steps towards your dream renovations or if you have any questions regarding home extension costs, contact the expert renovation, extension and new home builders in Melbourne today. At Spacemaker, we’re proud of everything we do.
IMPRESSIVE REPUTATION
We build great collaborations based on trust. We’re proud that much of our work comes from word-of-mouth referrals. More than 70% of Spacemaker’s house extensions and home renovations business is from recommendations and referrals our previous clients have provided. Many of our clients return to Spacemaker several times for renovations, extensions and custom new homes – or sometimes just friendly advice.
Why Choose Spacemaker?
Spacemaker draws on a long tradition of success in the design and construction industry. The true test of a successful project is when Spacemaker’s clients eagerly refer us to their family, neighbours, friends and work colleagues. We’re humbled that the majority of our work comes from client referrals thanks to the talents of our in-house team. From quality single-storey extensions to custom new homes, we’ve got it covered.
Spacemaker’s team has core values of honesty, integrity and excellent customer service. Our projects are delivered with an emphasis on the personal touch so you can relax in the hands of one of Melbourne’s most reputable and awarded builders.
1. DESIGN SOLUTIONS
- From our experienced designers who really listen to our clients.
- Designs that achieve a balance of practical building solutions designed with flair and imagination, not just architectural monuments or boring builder solutions.
2. GENUINE FIXED PRICES
- Full transparency with no unexpected costs for greater peace of mind.
- Comprehensive documentation with detailed plans and specifications, following multiple design sessions and close consultation with our clients.
- Thorough site investigations with our highly experienced team for quotation accuracy before confirming the final fixed price, ensuring we avoid cost blow-outs during construction.
3. LOW-STRESS CONSTRUCTION
- Constant site supervision and project management.
- Experienced specialist trades achieving high-quality results.
- Tradies selected to be the sort of people you’re happy to have around your home during construction.
Reputation and builder quality is everything
Spacemaker Home Extensions have a strong reputation in the Melbourne market. Two-thirds of our work comes in through referrals and word of mouth. Our clients often happily refer their family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues to Spacemaker. We are proud of this strong referral base and it sets us apart from other builders in Melbourne.
In addition to referrals, many of our past clients have returned to Spacemaker to complete new projects in new homes they have purchased. In some cases, our customers have designed and renovated and/or extended more than three homes with us.
How can you check a builder’s reputation and quality?
1. RESPONSES TO ONLINE REVIEWS
The most trustworthy way to learn more about a builder’s reputation and the quality of the work that they produce is by reading the feedback their previous customers have provided. This feedback comes in the form of online reviews in places such as Google. If a business has received negative feedback, always be sure to read the business’ responses to negative reviews. Be cautious of a company that doesn’t respond openly to negative feedback or doesn’t respond at all. This provides some insight into the level of customer service you can expect to receive when working with the organisation.
2. TESTIMONIALS WITH EXAMPLES
Testimonials published on a businesses’ website are helpful, particularly if they have been published alongside examples of the project that has been undertaken. This will help you to verify if the testimonials are authentic and it will give you some insight into the complexity of a project and the resulting customer satisfaction.
3. QUALITY REMAINS THE PRIORITY
A high-quality builder will never offer you the cheapest price in Melbourne. The objective will always be to focus on delivering the highest quality solution to fit your budget. With a fixed budget, it’s important to remain open-minded and to have a discussion about the end goals that you are trying to achieve with the project, along with the lifestyle benefits you hope will result from the changes you want to make to your home. A good quality builder will work with you on new ideas and suggest creative ways to improve your home so that you can improve your overall lifestyle. They will never sacrifice achieving your end goal by offering you a cheap solution that won’t see you reap the lifestyle rewards longer-term.
Why you should pick award-winning home renovators and builders
Customer reviews and testimonials can help you to learn more about a builder’s reputation, but a long track record of winning industry awards prove that a builder delivers to the high standards they say they do.
Award-winning home renovators and builders are audited by industry bodies including the Housing Industry Association (HIA) and Master Builders Victoria (MBAV). To win an industry award, the HIA and MBAV must verify a builder’s credentials, the quality of the construction carried out, the way that the builder approaches the design process, the materials they choose to use in the build, whether the customer achieved good value for money and if sustainability has been considered. The relationships that the builder develops with their clients throughout the process is also another important factor when judging a home that has been entered into the awards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Master Builders Victoria (MBAV) has a prominent industry voice. They hold awards to recognise other industry professionals and organisations, acknowledging their commitment to exceptional craftsmanship and professionalism. The MBAV honours members with awards across four categories: Excellence in Housing Awards, Excellence in Construction Awards, Regional Building Awards and Apprentice of the Year Awards.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) runs an annual awards program for the HIA Awards. Builders and tradespeople receive recognition as industry leaders due to the quality of their workmanship, professionalism, design excellence and innovation. The categories available for entry are HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards, HIA Housing Awards, Kitchen & Bathroom Awards, Apprentice Awards, HIA GreenSmart Awards, Professional Builder/ Renovator Awards and the Business Partner Awards.
HOUSE DEMOLITION
A demolition involves knocking down or demolishing a pre-existing home. This can range from a partial demolition where a section of the original residence is retained, or a complete demolition where a home is knocked down and the remnants are removed to make way for a blank canvas to start again. Many of our homeowners opt for a partial demolition as part of their extension and renovation project. This allows for expansion and the ability to create a larger space or improved spaces for the family to enjoy.
HOME RENOVATION
A renovation is a modernisation or improvement to your existing home. This includes structural changes to relocate wall positions or create new doorways. In some instances may only include new painting, plastering, replacing floors, ceilings, ceramic tiling and adding new cabinetry. Renovating can range from a single room renovation to renovating the entire home. At Spacemaker Home Extensions, with more than 50 years of experience in renovating homes in Melbourne, we have won many awards for the homes we have transformed.
HOUSE EXTENSION
A house extension involves adding additional spaces, rooms or zones to your home. In many cases, all three can happen at the same time. A home extension project can take your home from a small two-bedroom, one-bathroom abode, to a six-bedroom, four-bathroom residence with additional living spaces with an alfresco and storage facilities. The customers that invest in larger home extension projects tend to have growing families or they are looking to create a home that they can live in for many years to come. The options for a house extension are endless and only limited by budget, the size of the land, council permits and imagination.
Established in 1875, Master Builders Victoria was initiated to raise industry standards in building and construction. Spacemaker has been a member of Master Builders Victoria since 1972 and we have won many MBAV awards for the homes we have built.
Members range from tradies, manufacturers and suppliers to engineers and contractors. Membership provides access to training, support, advice and industry information, amongst a variety of other services.
Master Builders are highly regarded within the building industry due to the continued standards they uphold.
A HIA builder is a member of the Housing Industry Association. The Housing Industry Association or HIA are the official body that has been representing the housing industry in Australia at both regional and national levels for more than 70 years. They run a membership program that serves and supports professionals, manufacturers, contractors, residential builders and suppliers. The HIA offers services to help members with managing workplace safety, government building regulation changes and legal support, along with offering training programs and keeping members up to date with industry news.
Renovation costs vary significantly depending on several factors including the size of the renovation project, the materials used, the quality standards of the builders contracted and whether council permits are required. A recent report containing lending data revealed that Australians invest an average of $71,067 on home renovation projects in Victoria. This state average is based on the loans that were taken out to pay for renovation projects, large and small. Spacemaker works with homeowners that are focused on high quality, custom finishings and those that are looking for award-winning design. We specialise in renovation projects between $100k-$2m.
Whilst the time required to build a house, renovate or extend your home is typically between 3 to 9 months, this can vary depending on several factors including the size and complexity of the build and the type(s) of council permits that may be required for your project. In Victoria, each council has different restrictions and building compliance requirements that a home needs to meet to be approved by the council. Amongst many things, these approvals ensure that the final result is safe to live in and that the building adheres to overlays including those relating to heritage, vegetation, landscape and bushfire. Typically when these overlays require town planning approval, this time needs to be added to the construction period.
Any work that may be needed on the block before building commences, including soil treatments, levelling and tree removal or maintenance, can lengthen the building process. A good quality builder will be able to assist you with council permits and any arrangements that need to be made to prepare the property for build. Speak with your builder to learn more about the timelines forecasted for your project.
Whilst we have worked in many Melbourne suburbs over the years, our core client base is located within a 10km radius of Glen Iris and the surrounding areas, including but not limited to Malvern, Surrey Hills, Camberwell Ashburton, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, Caulfield, Kew, Hawthorn and Richmond. Many of our clients are repeat customers and most of our business is generated from referrals and word of mouth in the areas that we service. The above provides a guide to the areas we service, however in contacting our team, we will confirm if we service your area.
