LEADERS IN QUALITY RENOVATIONS FOR HERITAGE HOMES
ABOUT
EcoZen Renovations offer a specialty service in the design, project management and construction of heritage home renovations and extensions in and around Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
With more than 35 years experience in renovating Victorian, Edwardian and Federation period homes across Melbourne, EcoZen are dedicated to creating an affordable, quality renovation, whether restoring to authentic period detail, or creating fresh new looks for your existing interior or extension. And we can advise on energy efficiency upgrades too, all the way to Carbon Positive.
We offer an independent service, helping you select designers, builders and trades suppliers, all while managing the time and cost parameters of your renovation to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery.
EcoZen Renovations is a business of EcoZen Homes, a registered member of the Housing Industry Association.
“Ron has been helping us refurbish a local Alistair Knox
building, sustainably and on a budget! Ron has know-how,
positivity and a creative mind for solutions. Great to work
with.” Marissa J., Montmorency, Vic.
OUR APPROACH
Preconstruction Planning
The most important first issue for many homeowners is to determine what is possible. We will help you unlock all the great ideas you have and help you prioritise them based on our extensive experience. Realistic advice on timing, costing and the best way to manage the process is crucial at this early stage.
Design and Documentation
While we are not designers, we have a vast network of both architects and building designers that we can recommend. By getting EcoZen involved early we can not only save you time and find you the right design partner, we will save you money by closely managing the design and documentation process.
Construction
Management
Finding the right builders for your renovation is one of the biggest challenges facing homeowners. We will help you select the best building team for the job, scrutinise their cost assumptions and then ensure that the work is carried out by the best tradesmen and delivered on-time and on-budget. Guaranteed.
1982
Year Established
206
Suppliers
Sourced
374
Contractors Appointed
0
Lost Time Injuries
OUR PRIORITIES
1. Your Vision
Let's be honest, you already know what you like. You bought a period home to enjoy a specific lifestyle in a beautiful building in a prestige suburb. And while some times an architect can provide inspiring new directions that you hadn't previously considered, in other cases we often meet well-informed clients who already have a clear idea of how they want to take their period home into the future.
We see our first priority as realising your vision, in all its myriad details. We want your home to transform before your eyes from wherever it is now, to exactly how you want it to be in your imagination. That's our job, and we love it.
BEFORE
AFTER
2. Your Budget
We realise that money is a very real aspect of this process. Not only how much you have to spend, but how much makes sense in terms of capitalisation, return-on-investment and your planned timeline of ownership.
Having transformed Melbourne houses from derelict condition to beautiful family homes, we well understand the cost parameters of every aspect of your build, from the demolition stage to the finishing touches. And having being at it for over 35 years, we know a lot of very clever ways to save you heaps of money. And still get the job done.
3. Your Convenience
Renovating a family home can be a very challenging process, as it impacts on so many aspects of your lifestyle. And to be honest, having lived through a lot of renovations ourselves, the challenges really need to be well managed or they'll drive you crazy.
The scheduling of your work, the quality of your tradesmen, the interruptions to family life and work, all are vital factors in making every decision of your renovation work in your favour, to your convenience.
Yep, as much of a cliche as it seems, one of our priorities is consideration of your priorities. All your priorities.
In so many ways, including the design features of your renovated home, your preferred energy management regime, your garden preferences, views and sightlines, noise abatement issues, colour schemes, finishes on walls and floors, degree of building automation, the need for special rooms including parents retreats, walk-in robes, en suites, butlers pantries, wine cellars, home gyms, home theatres, guest rooms, additional off-street parking, attic spaces, additional storage, special hobbies, home offices, rumpus rooms, there are so many elements to consider.
And that's without even considering future-proofing. Let's face it, if you will be in your renovated home for more than 10 years, you will need to consider ever-changing requirements for room usage, computer and entertainment technology, possibly even retirement considerations like home elevators or safety rails in wet areas.
We will listen, and advise how best to achieve all of them. After all, it's your home!
5. Your Safety and Security
The renovation process can be undertaken at many different scales, from simple single-room refurbishment, to rebuilding half your house, and adding a garage! But no matter the scale, the building process is fraught with safety issues, from demolition to delivery.
At EcoZen we are especially sensitive to these concerns. We aim to conduct every process of your renovation safely and securely. Site safety, sub-contractor conduct, waste management, material delivery, noise and dust control and asset protection are paramount for us, and on your behalf. We will happily share our OHS/WHS plan with you for approval prior to work commencing.
OUR PRIORITIES
1. Your Vision
Let's be honest, you already know what you like. You bought a heritage home to enjoy a specific lifestyle in a beautiful building in a prestige suburb. And while some times an architect can provide inspiring new directions that you hadn't previously considered, in other cases we often meet well-informed clients who already have a clear idea of how they want to take their period home into the future.
We see our first priority as realising your vision, in all its myriad details. We want your home to transform before your eyes from wherever it is now, to exactly how you want it to be in your imagination. That's our job, and we love it.
BEFORE
AFTER
2. Your Budget
We realise that money is a very real aspect of this process. Not only how much you have to spend, but how much makes sense in terms of capitalisation, return-on-investment and your planned timeline of ownership.
Having transformed Melbourne houses from derelict condition to beautiful family homes, we well understand the cost parameters of every aspect of your build, from the demolition stage to the finishing touches. And having being at it for over 35 years, we know a lot of very clever ways to save you heaps of money. And still get the job done.
3. Your Convenience
Renovating a family home can be a very challenging process, as it impacts on so many aspects of your lifestyle. And to be honest, having lived through a lot of renovations ourselves, the challenges really need to be well managed or they'll drive you crazy.
The scheduling of your work, the quality of your tradesmen, the interruptions to family life and work, all are vital factors in making every decision of your renovation work in your favour, to your convenience.
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4. Your Priorities
Yep, as much of a cliche as it seems, one of our priorities is consideration of your priorities. All your priorities.
In so many ways, including the design features of your renovated home, your preferred energy management regime, your garden preferences, views and sightlines, noise abatement issues, colour schemes, finishes on walls and floors, degree of building automation, the need for special rooms including parents retreats, walk-in robes, en suites, butlers pantries, wine cellars, home gyms, home theatres, guest rooms, additional off-street parking, attic spaces, additional storage, special hobbies, home offices, rumpus rooms, there are so many elements to factor in.
And that's without even considering future-proofing. Let's face it, if you will be in your renovated home for more than 10 years, you will need to consider ever-changing requirements for room usage, computer and entertainment technology, energy and water management, and possibly even retirement considerations like home elevators or safety rails in wet areas.
We will listen, and advise how best to achieve all of them. After all, it's your home!
5. Your Safety and Security
The renovation process can be undertaken at many different scales, from simple single-room refurbishment, to rebuilding half your house, and adding a garage! But no matter the scale, the building process is fraught with safety issues, from demolition to delivery.
At EcoZen we are especially sensitive to these concerns. We aim to conduct every process of your renovation safely and securely. Site safety, sub-contractor conduct, waste management, material delivery, noise and dust control and asset protection are paramount for us, and on your behalf. We will happily share our OHS/WHS plan with you for approval prior to work commencing.
Assessment & Potential
Time spent correctly assessing the potential of your home for renovation is time well spent. Too many clients leave the key decisions to the last minute and then rush, often with disastrous results.
A prestige heritage building often needs a good deal of loving care, carefully thought-out planning and an unusual scheduling and cost structure.
Planning & Permits
There are some unique aspects to planning regulations when it comes to heritage buildings. You may already have a Heritage Overlay applied to your property by your local council.
We will guide you through what's easy and what's not in achieving your desired outcomes. And we'll help you lodge those pesky permit applications.
OUR EXPERTISE
Project Management for Prestige Period and Heritage Homes
We've tackled everything from room upgrades to entire houses, including new kitchens and bathrooms; in double brick, brick veneer and timber cladding (weatherboards). And all of Melbourne's period styles; Victorian, Edwardian, Federation, Art Deco and beyond.
We've worked with the best specialist craftsmen in stonemasonry, bricklaying, tuck pointing, timber fretwork, cast iron and aluminium lacework, bull-nosed verandahs, tessellated tiling, cast iron fireplaces, claw-footed baths, lathe-and-plaster walls and ceilings, period joinery and slate roofing. We know our capitals from our finials, our skirts from our architraves, our ceiling roses from our corbels, our sconces from our dados, and anything else your period home might contain (or need restored!).
In short, aside from the normal building issues of design, permits, scheduling, costing and finding the most reliable craftsmen to carry out your work, we understand both the skeleton and fabric of your home, and it's original architectural intent. And how to preserve and enhance it.
We have developed new skills and expertise in sustainable design, looking at appropriate ways to integrate environmentally-friendly design concepts and energy saving technologies into period homes. As water and electricity become more of an issue everyday, we have studied the best solutions and can advise on best practice in this important area.
Below are some of the guidelines that are vital to success, from our experience.
Scheduling & Budgeting
A lot of heritage home renovations and extensions go spectacularly wrong in the scheduling and budgeting area, often due to inexperience, whether by well-intentioned DIY home owners or professional builders. Even the order of operations in demolition can be crucial, with vital building elements destroyed through ignorance.
Building and Finishes
The construction process for heritage homes is often quite different from that for more contemporary buildings.
Many tradesmen have little or no prior experience with these issues and need close supervision to achieve satisfactory results. This is especially true of period finishes, from hard plastering through tiling, carpentry and joinery and even painting. We can help.
Energy, Water and Comfort
GREENING YOUR HERITAGE HOME
One of Australia's biggest challenges is how to transform our very energy-inefficient homes into 'homes of the future', with environmentally-friendly profiles in energy usage, water usage, garden habitats, and greater comfort and serenity.
EcoZen Renovations helps homeowners in the oldest buildings, those Victorian, Edwardian and Federation houses, to achieve these goals, lowering annual running costs, increasing comfort, contributing to healing the planet and combating climate change.
Ask us for your comprehensive plan to upgrade insulation, control draughts, harvest rainwater, utilise solar energy in water heating and electricity, create growing walls and greenhouses, and even move off-grid if desired!
Illustrated: solar roof tiles that both heat water and make electricity, with a slate look suitable for heritage and modern homes
"Green Buldings Are More Than Brick & Mortar" Bryn Davidson, Canadian Architect - Tedx Talk
Carbon Positive ?
Concerned about Climate Change?
Should you be concerned about Climate Change, you can contribute to healing the planet when you renovate your home.
EcoZen Renovations can guide you through the necessary steps to upgrade your home to a carbon positive outcome.
This requires considerable reworking of underfloor areas, walls and ceilings, plus the replacement of windows, as a minimum, and should only be considered for major rebuilds. However, it is possible and will reduce running costs to your home for many years to come, increase comfort, and eventually pay for itself as well.
Ask us about the potential for your home.
OUR PARTNERS
CONTACT
Inquiries
For any inquiries, questions or commendations, please call: 0414 097 290 or fill out the following form
Contact Us
Head Office
Unit 2 / 54 Kelvin Avenue
Montmorency, VIC 3094
PO Box 1 Hawthorn, 3122, Victoria
Mob: 0414 097 290
Tel: 03 9882 4319
Employment & Suppliers
To apply for a job or promote your service to EcoZen Renovations, please send a cover letter together with your C.V. or link to us at: askme@ezrenos.info
HIA membership ID 1243079
Talk to us now: 0414 097 290