What Your Second Storey Will Actually Cost
And Why the Quote You've Been Given Might Be Off by $150,000
A free guide for Mornington Peninsula and Bayside families weighing up a second storey. It breaks down the seven cost drivers that make two quotes on the same street differ by six figures - so you can read a quote properly, ask the right questions, and never get blindsided by a "variation" halfway through the build.
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What Your Second Storey Will Actually Cost
And Why the Quote You've Been Given Might Be Off by $150,000
A free guide for Mornington Peninsula and Bayside families weighing up a second storey. It breaks down the seven cost drivers that make two quotes on the same street differ by six figures - so you can read a quote properly, ask the right questions, and never get blindsided by a "variation" halfway through the build.
The Builder Whose Millimetre Precision Means Your Home Still Feels SOLID, TIGHT, AND TRUE -- 20 Years From Now
The Builder Whose Millimetre Precision Means Your Home Still Feels SOLID, TIGHT, AND TRUE -- 20 Years From Now
Let me tell you about a conversation that happens in this industry every single week.
A family calls a builder. 1970s brick veneer in a suburb they love. Kids getting bigger. House staying the same. They've done the numbers on moving - stamp duty, agent fees, the gap between what they'd sell for and what they'd need to spend - and it doesn't add up. So they want to go up, not out.
They ask for a ballpark.
The builder says "$300,000 to $500,000, depending on a few things."
And they go quiet. Because that's not a number. That's a shrug with a dollar sign on it.
Here's what nobody tells you. A second storey is one of the most variable projects in residential building. Two homes on the same street, same size, same era, can honestly produce quotes $150,000 apart - and neither builder is ripping you off. They're just quoting different things. The trouble is, if you don't know where the differences hide, you can't tell the honest quote from the one that's going to grow the moment you're locked in.
It doesn't have to be that way. Once you understand what actually drives the cost, the fog clears - and you walk into every builder meeting knowing more than most people ever do.
For Mornington Peninsula homeowners who want to be sure every detail of their renovation is done right
Let me tell you about a conversation that happens in this industry every single week.
A family calls a builder. 1970s brick veneer in a suburb they love. Kids getting bigger. House staying the same. They've done the numbers on moving - stamp duty, agent fees, the gap between what they'd sell for and what they'd need to spend - and it doesn't add up. So they want to go up, not out.
They ask for a ballpark.
The builder says "$300,000 to $500,000, depending on a few things."
And they go quiet. Because that's not a number. That's a shrug with a dollar sign on it.
Here's what nobody tells you. A second storey is one of the most variable projects in residential building. Two homes on the same street, same size, same era, can honestly produce quotes $150,000 apart - and neither builder is ripping you off. They're just quoting different things. The trouble is, if you don't know where the differences hide, you can't tell the honest quote from the one that's going to grow the moment you're locked in.
It doesn't have to be that way. Once you understand what actually drives the cost, the fog clears - and you walk into every builder meeting knowing more than most people ever do.
For Mornington Peninsula homeowners who want to be sure every detail of their renovation is done right
That's exactly why I put this together.
It's a free guide called What Your Second Storey Will Actually Cost, and it walks you through the seven cost drivers that make second storey quotes swing so wildly - the ones most builders don't raise until they're already on site and the trades are booked. It finishes with a Variation Protection Checklist you can take into any contract, from any builder, to make sure nothing's hiding in the fine print.
Inside, you'll find out:
How to read a structural allowance so you know whether a builder has actually assessed your home - or just dropped in a guess that blows out the day the ceiling comes off
What a provisional sum really is, and the one question that instantly tells you whether the number is real or wishful thinking
Why asbestos, roof work, and services upgrades quietly add tens of thousands - and how to get them priced before they become a mid-build surprise
The temporary accommodation cost almost nobody budgets for, so you're not hit with a $30,000 rent bill six weeks before the slab pour
A realistic cost framework for four types of second storey project - so you finally have a number that means something for your home
The one question that separates a good builder from a great one, and exactly how to ask it
It takes about ten minutes to read. It could save you a hundred thousand dollars in surprises.
"I could never deliver something I wasn't happy with myself."
-- David Alberse, Founder
That's exactly why I put this together.
It's a free guide called What Your Second Storey Will Actually Cost, and it walks you through the seven cost drivers that make second storey quotes swing so wildly - the ones most builders don't raise until they're already on site and the trades are booked. It finishes with a Variation Protection Checklist you can take into any contract, from any builder, to make sure nothing's hiding in the fine print.
Inside, you'll find out:
How to read a structural allowance so you know whether a builder has actually assessed your home - or just dropped in a guess that blows out the day the ceiling comes off
What a provisional sum really is, and the one question that instantly tells you whether the number is real or wishful thinking
Why asbestos, roof work, and services upgrades quietly add tens of thousands - and how to get them priced before they become a mid-build surprise
The temporary accommodation cost almost nobody budgets for, so you're not hit with a $30,000 rent bill six weeks before the slab pour
A realistic cost framework for four types of second storey project - so you finally have a number that means something for your home
The one question that separates a good builder from a great one, and exactly how to ask it
It takes about ten minutes to read. It could save you a hundred thousand dollars in surprises.
I'm David Alberse.
I build second storey extensions and forever homes across the Mornington Peninsula, Bayside and the Bass Coast, and vertical extensions are close to ninety percent of what my team does. This isn't our first rodeo.
Before I ran my own company, I spent years on high-end commercial projects - the high-roller rooms at Crown, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre - where tolerances were measured in fractions of a millimetre and "close enough" didn't exist. I brought that standard home with me. I'd rather spend a week getting a single frame dead straight than hand over something I wasn't happy with myself.
I wrote this guide because I've sat across too many kitchen tables watching good people try to compare quotes they had no way of comparing. It's just as easy to do this right as it is to do it wrong. So I'd rather you knew what to look for - even before we ever speak.
"I could never deliver something I wasn't happy with myself."
-- David Alberse, Founder
I'm David Alberse.
I build second storey extensions and forever homes across the Mornington Peninsula, Bayside and the Bass Coast, and vertical extensions are close to ninety percent of what my team does. This isn't our first rodeo.
Before I ran my own company, I spent years on high-end commercial projects - the high-roller rooms at Crown, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre - where tolerances were measured in fractions of a millimetre and "close enough" didn't exist. I brought that standard home with me. I'd rather spend a week getting a single frame dead straight than hand over something I wasn't happy with myself.
I wrote this guide because I've sat across too many kitchen tables watching good people try to compare quotes they had no way of comparing. It's just as easy to do this right as it is to do it wrong. So I'd rather you knew what to look for - even before we ever speak.
I don't ask clients to say nice things. They just do.
"Very few surprises and variations, which isn't the norm these days."
- Luke Cattanach
"Straight forward and upfront with all costs. Rare to find a builder who takes pride in their work nowadays."
- Jason Humphreys
"Always kept me informed and were very fair when unexpected issues came up."
- Marie Anderson
That middle one matters most. Because the fear underneath every second storey isn't the quote. It's what happens when something unexpected turns up mid-build - and whether your builder handles it straight, or hands you the bill.
I don't ask clients to say nice things. They just do.
"Very few surprises and variations, which isn't the norm these days."
- Luke Cattanach
"Straight forward and upfront with all costs. Rare to find a builder who takes pride in their work nowadays."
- Jason Humphreys
"Always kept me informed and were very fair when unexpected issues came up."
- Marie Anderson
That middle one matters most. Because the fear underneath every second storey isn't the quote. It's what happens when something unexpected turns up mid-build - and whether your builder handles it straight, or hands you the bill.
Mornington Peninsula Forever Homes and Premium Renovations -- Built to the Millimetre, Backed for Life
Mornington Peninsula Forever Homes and Premium Renovations -- Built to the Millimetre, Backed for Life
Get the free guide and the Variation Protection Checklist sent straight to your inbox.
No cost. No catch. Just an honest breakdown of what a second storey really involves before you commit a cent.
Get the free guide and the Variation Protection Checklist sent straight to your inbox.
No cost. No catch. Just an honest breakdown of what a second storey really involves before you commit a cent.
No spam, ever.
Your details stay with us, and you can unsubscribe with one click any time.
And this is a genuine resource, not a sales pitch dressed up as one. I'd rather earn your trust before I earn your business. Read it, use it, take it to whichever builder you like. If it helps you avoid one nasty surprise, it's done its job.
No spam, ever.
Your details stay with us, and you can unsubscribe with one click any time.
And this is a genuine resource, not a sales pitch dressed up as one. I'd rather earn your trust before I earn your business. Read it, use it, take it to whichever builder you like. If it helps you avoid one nasty surprise, it's done its job.
Know before you sign.
Get the free guide plus the Variation Protection Checklist.
Alberse Homes
Mornington Peninsula, Bayside, Bass Coast and Phillip Island
Registered Building Practitioner - LICENCE NUMBER
Prefer to talk? Call David on +61 485 032 121
Know before you sign.
Get the free guide plus the Variation Protection Checklist.