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Home Extensions & Structural Work in Melbourne
Extending is usually the better answer to "we've outgrown this house" than moving. You keep the location, the school zone and the neighbours, and you spend the stamp duty on floor area instead.
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Most extensions are simpler than people expect. A ground-floor rear addition often needs only a building permit, not a planning permit - and where planning is required, we run it alongside the design rather than sequentially after it, which is usually where months get lost.
What we build
Ground-floor extensions
Side and front additions where the site allows, including garage conversions and side returns on terraces.
Load-bearing modifications
Removing internal walls, installing steel, converting compartmentalised floor plans into open-plan living. This is often the highest-value work per dollar in an older home — it changes how the house feels without adding a square metre.
Rear extensions
The most common by some distance. Opening the back of the house into a new living, kitchen and dining space, typically with better light and a proper connection to the garden. See Open-Plan Living & Rear Extensions for this work in detail.
Second-storey additions
Adding bedrooms and bathrooms above the existing footprint. The critical question is whether the existing foundations and walls can carry the load - sometimes they can, sometimes it needs underpinning or a new structural frame. We assess that before you commit to a design.
The approvals question
Depending on your site and council, an extension may need:
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A building permit - always
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A town planning permit - only if it triggers overlays, setback variations or ResCode provisions
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Structural engineering and soil reports
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Neighbour notification, and potentially a response to objections
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A heritage permit, if the property sits in an overlay
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Where a planning permit is required, budget 8 to 16 weeks, and longer if objections are lodged. Building-permit-only projects are considerably faster. We'll tell you which category you're in at the consultation.
How we work
On-site Consultation
A working session where we walk the house, tell you what's structurally possible and what it's likely to cost, and give you two or three costed scenarios rather than one. The fee is credited against your contract if you proceed.
Preconstruction Design
3D preconstruction modelling so you see the reconfigured space before demolition.
Construction Estimate
Fixed scope, line-by-line costing.
We needed to remodel the kitchen and shift the laundry into a new location as we outgrew our current kitchen. Dean and the team were extremely professional throughout the whole process. The communication was on point and the result, fantastic. Throughout the whole process we felt informed through honest, clear communication. Can't wait to use Novastri again for future renovation projects.
Boushra N.
Melbourne, VIC
Brilliant, professional, amazing communication and timely - we could not have asked for more. Highly recommended. I have never seen such amazing tiling and we had difficult tiles to work with. Recommendations and ideas for the 3 bathrooms were brilliant and we are so happy with all the work Dean did for us. Thanks Dean. We have never had such a brilliant experience with renovations.
Lisa H.
Melbourne, VIC
Amazing work, Dean was professional and on point with his planning. I was kept updated with all progress & developments. No unexpected surprises as the quality was maintained throughout the project. I’ll be using Novastri again for future projects. My reconstructed balconies have added increased value to the property. Thank you Novastri.
Ivan
Melbourne, VIC
Common
Questions
Do I need a planning permit for a rear extension?
Often not. Many ground-floor rear extensions sit within ResCode and need only a building permit, which is much faster. Heritage overlays, setback variations and overlooking issues are what trigger planning. We'll tell you which applies before you spend anything on design.
Can my house support a second storey?
Sometimes as-is, often with strengthening. It depends on the foundations, the wall construction and the soil. A structural engineer's assessment early on is the cheapest money you'll spend on the project, because it determines whether the design you're imagining is affordable.
Do I need to move out?
For a rear extension, usually not for the whole period - though the last stage, when the new and existing structures join, is disruptive. For a second storey, generally yes.
Can you extend a heritage-listed property?
Often, yes, though the design has to work with the overlay rather than against it. See Heritage & Period Restorations.
What if the neighbours object?
It happens. Objections go to council and can go to VCAT. Designing with the likely objections in mind from the start is the best defence, which is one reason we bring planning thinking into the design phase.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes - registered building practitioner with full public liability and domestic building insurance. Our work carries a structural warranty.