convert lounge to bedroom

Hi,
I have 2 bed 1 bath house with a large lounge roughly 6mx3.5m. I want to convert half of that lounge into the 3rd bedroom (2.5m x 3.5m) and keep the remaining for the lounge.

There's not much involved for it, just moving the door and constructing a wall in the middle of the lounge.

1) Do I need council approval for this sort of activity (as they are just the internal walls)?
2) This house has always been sold and advertised as 2 bed house as per the past sale records. Now if I plan to sell it as 3 bed house going further do I need to take approval from any authority?
3) Its under mortgage as well, so I hope bank or insurance will not throw the spanner in. I believe, they will only profit from house value going up from being a 3 bedder rather than 2 bedder

Thoughts please.
 
You are installing a wall - it needs a DA/CC.

Will both rooms have windows/ventilation?

Thanks. Windows are there already and ventilation exhausts too. Both rooms will have their own windows.

Do we need a draftsman or architect for drawing plans for the DA? Not sure what steps are involved in this.
 
Don't need draftsman, it's a simple gyprock wall with timber frame. Get a maintenance person to do it. Costs around $1500 depending on size.

Value added to house - bank does not need to know what improvements you are making - only if you refinance.
But check anyway laws may be different to what I'm referring to
 
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Whether you need DA depends on council

Check with them. Local builders should be able to confirm as well.

I did a similar thing In Sydney and no approval from this particular council was required

In Sydney The closer you are to CBd the tighter control the councils will impose

Creating an extra bedroom is worthwhile doing for the relatively low cost. For valuation purposes it pushes your property into a higher priced category.

All the best with the works
 
Thanks all for replying. I'll explain bit more.

This 2 bedder house has 3 separate living areas two of which are huge (6mx3m) and the third being the dining room. My intention is to somehow add a 3rd bedroom as it will easily appreciate the house value by 20k and I will get more interest while selling it.

Upon further thought, I think it will be much less hassle if I just convert the dining room into the 3rd bedroom. So that's the plan and here it goes.

The dining room, which is walled on all 4 sides, is 2.5mx3.3m and will easily fit in a double bed with a tallboy while still retaining ample moving space. It has its own window, ventilation, lights, switches, electric wall heater and A/C in proper places already, so a perfect candidate for the bedroom.

So I have to do these renovations, please comment regd work involved and council approval

1. I have to fill a sliding door which opens into the kitchen with a solid wall. Just a timber stud and gyprock I reckon.
2. I need to slightly move another sliding on the other wall to the corner, and put a regular door there.
3. Skirting and paint.

So do I bother ringing up council, if all I'm doing is filling up a door and moving another ???

If I don't, then later when I sell this house as 3 bedder, won't they/or someone find from sales records that it was a 2 bedder and how did it become 3 bedder without our notice/approval?
 
Sorry for the previous long post. I still want to ask this
1. Do you think council needs to be informed, if I need to fill up a door on a wall and move another door by 1 foot.
2. If no, will it be alright if I sell this house as 3 bed in future (rather than 2 bed)

cheers
 
Sorry for the previous long post. I still want to ask this
1. Do you think council needs to be informed, if I need to fill up a door on a wall and move another door by 1 foot.
2. If no, will it be alright if I sell this house as 3 bed in future (rather than 2 bed)

cheers

1. Depends on your council! In the ACT, you probably wouldn't need a D.A. (but depends on whether you're obstructing/changing heating or entrances). You would need building approval through a certifier. Are your rooms you'll create going to have the correct BCA ventillation and lighting requirements for their purpose? Have you used the correct frame sizes? Will the wall fall over when someone leans on it? etc.

2. You can make the change, but if it needs approval then when you sell you'll have something along the lines of "Unapproved structures: xxxx" against the building report for the sale. It could easily (*very* easily) put people off, and I wouldn't trust they would pay any premium for something that has no warranty involved (since unapproved).
 
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