Steve and Judy are a retired couple who have called beautiful Athelstone home for many years. Now enjoying retirement and more time to travel, they decided it was finally the moment to bring their much loved home up to date. Having built and renovated several times before, they knew exactly what a project like this would involve, and they were ready to give their two-storey home a thorough refresh.
The lower level of the house had dated, and no longer suited the way Steve and Judy wanted to live. What began as a plan to update the kitchen and a bathroom soon grew into a complete rethink of the entire lower floor. As experienced renovators, they weren’t daunted by the build itself, but they were thoughtful with a significant investment and wanted genuine confidence that they were getting real value. Cost transparency mattered enormously to Judy in particular: she wanted reassurance that every price had been tested against the market and that there were no hidden margins. To add to the challenge, much of the planning would happen while the couple were travelling overseas, so they needed a builder they could trust to keep things moving and to communicate clearly from a distance.
From the first conversations, what set ZJ Building apart was openness. Amy, our Pre-construction Manager, walked Steve and Judy through a detailed breakdown of the costs, margins included, and reassured them that every trade had been competitively quoted and selected for skill and fit, not simply price. When the budget needed careful management, the team found savings without compromising the couple’s vision. Mikayla, working through the selections, sourced like-for-like materials at better value and refined the joinery and detailing to reduce labour while keeping the intended look. The process stayed flexible, too: the external pool and paving works were held as a later stage so Steve and Judy could make those decisions on their return, at no extra cost. Throughout, regular updates through Buildertrend meant the couple always knew exactly where things stood, even from the other side of the world.
The renovation went well beyond the cosmetic. New double-glazed, retrofit timber windows were fitted across the lower level, and fresh insulation and plasterboard linings were installed to make the home warmer in winter, cooler in summer and quieter throughout. Underfloor heating was added to the bathrooms, and a new gas fireplace brought warmth and a natural focal point to the living space. It is the kind of healthy, comfortable, high-performing home ZJ Building sets out to create.
Today, the lower level works the way the family actually lives. The relocated kitchen has become the heart of the home, complete with a walk-in pantry, while a reconfigured bedroom now provides a dedicated study. The bathrooms and ensuite have been reimagined with easy-clean, walk-around walls in place of fiddly screens, and the whole floor feels lighter, calmer and more connected. Outside, the pool area has been opened up with a glass balustrade and new paving. For Steve and Judy, it’s a home that finally matches the way they want to live: comfortable, considered and ready for the next chapter, and the next adventure.
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