FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Planning Stage
Yes, just talk with our builder during your consultation for additional things you may be considering. eg. additional m2, balcony, extra rooms/bathrooms, gables etc… and he can include these in your quotation for you.
Meeting with our builder gives you real guidance, realistic budget expectations, and avoids you designing something that can’t be built within budget. Our consultation isn’t just a rough estimate, it’s a professional service where the builder prepares a detailed, tailored written quote which enables you to confirm your financial viability before moving forward.
The fee is credited toward the next stage if you decide to move forward.
No! Smart Home Additions manage and control the design process from the beginning. We develop a design that is structurally efficient, cost effective and specifically designed for second storey additions – your plans are designed to align to your quote. Smart Home Additions is great for those that are budget focused and in need of space and are happy to allow the builder to design your addition to suit your home and their build style for you.
If you already have plans, please reach out to our parent company www.32degreesbuilding.com.au and they can assist you with a quote
We start with a quote so you can confirm your finances, we then design your plans to align to the quote at the next stage – the Preliminaries. We will detail this in your quote.
The Preliminary stage is the planning and approvals stage – which is to complete everything that is required in order for your build to proceed to construction.
CDC: approx. 4-5 weeks.
DA approval: approx. 8–14+ weeks.
Overall, we say to allow 6 months to complete your planning and approvals and secure your finance so that you’re build ready.
The location of the stairs is planned during the design stage to suit your home’s layout, maximise space, and ensure compliance with building regulations.
In most cases, we place the stairs in an existing bedroom on the ground floor. This room is opened up to create the staircase, allowing for a seamless connection between your ground and upper levels while minimizing impact on the rest of your home.
If you have specific preferences for the staircase, this can be discussed with the builder during your consultation and we can incorporate these into the design for you.
About Your Home
Yes, BAL-low right up to BAL-FZ (flamezone) if you know your BAL rating be sure to let us know and we will include the costs specific to the BAL-rating your home is in when we provide a quote to you.
If your property is affected, it will require a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment. This determines the level of risk and the specific construction requirements for your home. These may include upgraded materials, ember protection measures, and specific design considerations.
We take this into account during the design and approval stage, working with the relevant consultants to ensure your second storey addition complies with all bushfire regulations while still achieving a functional and well-designed outcome.
Yes, in many cases you can still build a second storey addition on a home located in a flood-affected area.
The key consideration is your property’s flood zoning and planning controls. These will determine specific design requirements such as minimum floor levels, structural considerations, and compliance with local council or certifier regulations.
As part of our process, we review the relevant planning controls early and work with consultants to ensure your addition is designed to meet all flood-related requirements. This is all addressed during the design and approval stage.
Yes, we can build in flight path affected areas.
If your property falls within an ANEF (Australian Noise Exposure Forecast) zone, there are specific acoustic requirements that must be met to reduce aircraft noise inside the home. These typically include upgraded glazing, insulation, and sealing to improve soundproofing.
We consider these requirements during the design and approval stage, ensuring your second storey addition complies with the relevant standards.
It is not recommended to build timber frames on top of a steel frame home as they’re different material which expand and contract differently and can cause cracking through the home. Also, steel homes are generally not designed to take than the weight of the existing roof and so it would likely require stripping walls on the ground floor to add in additional support for the addition.
Yes! In most cases, having an existing chimney won’t prevent you from building a second storey addition.
Depending on its location, we can either design the new level around the chimney or remove it as part of the project. If the chimney is removed, you can choose to retain the fireplace as a feature or have this removed as well.
In most cases, existing skylights will need to be removed as part of the construction of a second storey addition. This is because the second storey addition will be built directly over the existing roof where the skylights are located.
Depending on the design of your addition and the position of the skylights, we will remove them and professionally infill and patch the ceiling on the ground floor as part of the works.
Where possible, we can also explore incorporating new skylights into the new design to ensure your home remains bright and well-lit.
During The Build
You are given access to your own Client Portal. Here you can view your build timeline and track the progress of your build, make selections and use the chat function to communicate with the team along the way. There is also a dedicated project manager line to call and a friendly team in the office to help guide you along the way.
Yes, there is a short period where you will need to vacate your home. This typically occurs during the demolition and floor framing stage and usually lasts around two weeks.
During this time, power to the home is turned off for safety reasons, ensuring the wellbeing of both our team and your family. We’ll provide clear guidance on timing so you can plan ahead.
We build using timber frames and a conventional framing method, where all framing is cut and constructed on-site. This approach is cost-effective, flexible, and well-suited to residential second storey additions.
We work with a wide range of cladding options to suit your design, budget, and compliance requirements. These include Weathertex EcoGroove, Hebel, Rendex, James Hardie, Colorbond, brick, and seamless finishes.
The best option for your home will depend on factors such as your budget, bushfire rating, and overall design aesthetic, all of which are considered during the design stage.
Yes — you may supply your bathroom products and door hardware for us to install
Construction of a second storey addition typically takes around 10–14 weeks, depending on the size, complexity, and site conditions of your project.
This timeframe covers the physical build only. It’s important to also allow time for design, planning, approvals, and confirming your finance prior to construction, which can vary depending on your site and council requirements – but as a guide allow 6 months for this.