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RENOVATIONS • EXTENSIONS • ADDITIONS / COPACABANA

An extension that belongs on your Copacabana site.

An ocean outlook is only part of a comfortable Copacabana home. Elite Additions helps you explore renovations, extensions and additions that consider the daily layout, shelter, site levels and the practical work needed to connect old and new.

Project image for the Cremorne first-floor addition
Cremorne first-floor addition · Completed Elite Additions project

Foreshore houses beneath a coastal landscape

Council’s Copacabana character reference describes foreshore strips with detached houses, including larger two-storey brick and timber buildings and some basements. It also records wind-shaped coastal vegetation, cliff and rock-platform settings and lower slopes between wooded hills and the beach. These localities differ from one another; a single building description cannot cover the whole suburb.

Use the current survey to establish where your home sits within that landscape. Identify the changes made to the house over time, particularly enclosed decks, altered entries or rooms at different levels.

Local research and property-check sources

Make the outlook comfortable to use

Before enlarging glazing or extending a deck, consider sun, wind and where you will sit throughout the year. A smaller sheltered outdoor space may be more useful than a wide exposed platform. Test shade and privacy alongside the view, including the relationship to neighbouring homes.

For a kitchen and living renovation, work out whether the existing plan already faces the best outdoor space. Changing circulation or the kitchen position may improve the home without adding as much area. Keep storage, laundry and the route from parking in the brief.

Start with your property.

Tell us your suburb, the changes you are considering and whether you have plans. Scott can discuss the next information needed for your project.

Resolve the slope and water before the footprint

On a hillside, compare a stepped extension with an excavated level platform. Obtain advice on ground conditions, retaining structures and drainage before assuming that a basement or a large terrace is the simplest approach. Existing support walls need assessment if loads or levels will change.

Check current coastal and flood information for the address, including the relevant lagoon catchment where applicable. Use Council’s mapping to identify other tree, biodiversity, bushfire or heritage considerations. A character reference describes the setting; the current controls and proposal determine the approval assessment.

Include exposure and access in the budget

Exterior openings, roof junctions and deck connections should be detailed for the actual conditions and accessible for maintenance. Discuss suitable specifications with the design team. A material selected for appearance alone may not suit every elevation.

Bring plans, photographs of the approach and your priorities for the new rooms. We can discuss project scope and availability for Copacabana before arranging the next step. Allow for investigations and approvals, then set a construction programme that reflects access, protection and work to the retained house.

Real projects to help shape your brief.

Photographs below show completed Elite Additions work. Each project is labelled with its actual location.

Project image for the Cremorne first-floor addition
Cremorne first-floor addition · Completed Elite Additions project

Cremorne first-floor addition

Explore the photographs and video of a completed first-floor addition to an existing home in Cremorne.

Explore the Cremorne first-floor addition

Raised timber deck with frameless glass balustrades in West Pennant Hills
West Pennant Hills deck · Completed Elite Additions project

West Pennant Hills deck

View a completed timber deck with glass balustrading in West Pennant Hills, and consider how outdoor space could connect to your own home.

Explore the West Pennant Hills deck

Explore the work you are considering.

Questions about your Copacabana project.

Will a larger deck make the home more usable?

Only if its shelter, access and relationship to the interior work. Compare how it will be used in different conditions before deciding its size.

Can an existing basement become living space?

It needs investigation of approvals, structure, levels, moisture, drainage and the requirements for the proposed use. Do not treat a currently enclosed area as automatically suitable.

Can we build upwards to avoid excavation?

That is an alternative to assess, not an automatic solution. Existing structure, stairs, planning and neighbouring amenity still need to be resolved.

Continue exploring.

Local research and property checks

These references inform the local context. Historical and character material does not replace current property controls, a survey or advice for your proposed work.

Tell Scott what you have in mind.

Start with your suburb, the work you are considering and whether you already have plans. Scott brings 20 years of building experience and will discuss a suitable next step with you.

You can share plans and photographs after we make contact. The current enquiry form does not upload files.

ELITE ADDITIONS · SYDNEY

Let’s talk about
your home.

Plan right.
Price right.
Build right.

Builder-led guidance for Sydney homes, backed by 20 years of building experience.

Scott Meyers, builder at Elite Additions

Scott Meyers · Your builder
20 years of building experience

What are you planning?

A starting point is all we need.

Builder-led advice
Clear next steps
Personally reviewed
Concept design is a paid, staged service. We explain the scope and fees before you commit. There is no payment required to enquire.
You can send your plans after we make contact. You do not need approved plans to enquire. For damage or deterioration, choose Structural or building repairs, even if you have engineering drawings.
You do not need drawings to start a conversation. We can discuss any plans or approvals your particular work may need.
Photos or reports can be supplied after we make contact. They are not required to enquire.

Prefer to speak? Call Scott · 0433 765 885

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