What you need to know about renovating a country fixer-upper

So you’ve escaped the big smoke and picked up a country property in need of a reno. Maybe you’re making it your forever home, holiday house, or aiming to earn an income through short-term letting.

But what do you need to know before you begin? And how does this kind of project different from taking on a renovation in the city?

Making the numbers add up

When successful treechanger Stuart Scott and his wife relocated to Thora, halfway between Bellingen and Dorrigo, two years ago, part of their plan was converting the old dairy on their new property, into holiday accommodation to provide extra income while they developed their farm.

“You plant an orchard, you might get a return on it in four years,” said Mr Scott. “We needed an immediate cash flow.”

Although he had experience renovating that allowed a DIY approach to keep costs down, Mr Scott didn’t think a buyer would necessarily need experience to take on a country renovation, just the right attitude.

“If you’re the sort of person who is prepared to jump in, get a few books, ask for help and learn on the job,” he said. “Otherwise you’ve got to have deep pockets.”

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Working with the environment

With neighbours further away and less privacy issues, taking advantage of views can be easier, according to Sally Sutherland from Source Architects in Orange.

“The country views – they’re absolutely stunning,” Ms Sutherland said. “People think its not a view if there’s not water – it’s totally wrong.”

However she added that local views could also bring up some unforeseen dilemmas, with Orange in particular boasting mountain views to the south and west.

“One of the challenges here is that the view is not always where north is,” Ms Sutherland said. “You want to chase the view but it can’t come at the expense of the natural light.”

Keeping it local

It’s important to tailor a renovation to available resources, according to Tristan Ryall, from the Southern Highlands-based Architecture Republic.

“On one hand it can be more difficult in a regional area,” he said. “We’ve had Sydney people wanting to do innovative things like insulated concrete, but you have to truck them in.”

“But it can also be an opportunity. Often in country towns you have local tradesmen or craftsmen that might give you something special. It might cost a fortune in the city, but in that particular area it is very available.”

Ms Sutherland said working in a smaller town came with the benefits of a more trusting environment, but noted the competition for work between tradies was not as high.

“The ones who are good are really busy,” she said, adding particularly good tradespeople could have wait-times as long as six months. “You have to do a lot of planning and be careful with the timing.”

This proved true for Mr Scott, who cited the “tyranny of distance” as a factor. “Even though we’re only 12 kilometres out of Bellingen, getting trades it not always easy and you have to be patient. All of a sudden you’re on country time.”

Local materials can not only save money but also enhance a project. For Mr Scott’s renovation, recycled timber from cattle yards was used for kitchen benchtops and interior features.

“It preserved the character of the building,” he said. “People love it, they love that rustic character.”

Larger blocks and different rules

Country renovations may offer more flexibility, according to Mr Ryall, with larger block and less stringent regulations.

“An obvious example – extending a terrace, you can only go up,” he said. “But extending on a big block, you can go out, up, or out the front.”

Remote properties do offer specific challenges though, with accessing electricity, water storage and the property itself proving tricky and potentially pricey.

“If you’re in a remote area and the roads aren’t up to what they need to be for bushfire access, it can be very expensive [to upgrade them],” Mr Ryall said.

Dealing with councils and zoning

As with any renovation, it’s essential to obtain information from council in writing outlining what is and isn’t allowable on the block. But avoiding assumptions is especially important, according to Mr Ryall.

“Often people don’t realise that a block hasn’t got a building entitlement,” he explained, adding that disregarding the rules was risky.

“You often get people suggesting that things can just get built without approval in the country,” he said. “I would suggest that it’s good to avoid this. You create issues with insurance and resale.”

Mr Scott said they’d ensured all work done on their property had been performed by licensed tradespeople. His property also had river frontage, which was environmentally sensitive and required care.

“The last thing you want it someone from council pitching up and saying ‘That’s not going to work for us’,” he said.

Due diligence is vital during the purchasing process, as according to Mr Ryall, one risk with farming land is that a lender might require a 50 per cent deposit.

“They’re treating it as a business loan, not a home loan,” he said.