Maintenance
Beware of lead paint when renovating
Everyone knows about asbestos, but it’s surprising how few people realise how much of a risk lead paint can be – and just how common it is in older Australian homes.
How to fix a leaking tap
Most of the time, if a tap in your home is leaky, dripping or hard to close it's the result of a broken washer. While it's possible that your leaking tap's a 'washerless' tap (i.e. one with a ball, cartridge or ceramic disc mechanism - see the 'Types of taps' article linked below), it's a lot less likely that these taps will be leaking like this. You can usually tell if you have a ceramic disc type tap because it'll only need a quarter or half turn to fully open the tap.
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Maintenance of bathroom fittings
Keeping your fittings clean and gleaming will really make them stand out, and if you’ve put any amount of time into your bathroom design, they will be one of the key features that people will notice.
Ventilation regulations
While not as regulated as air conditioning or heating, there are specific Australian Standards that you (and your builder) need to be aware of to ensure that your ventilation complies with building regulations.
Disconnection of electricity, gas and water
For safety's sake, one of the most important parts of demolition is ensuring that things like electricity and gas have been properly disconnected. Find out how this is done, when it's done, and who's responsible for it.