Advancing to the Rear

The Sunday Times, Home Magazine, October 2008

The Mt Hawthorn location swayed the Barbittas' decision to renovate instead of sell. And they are very happy they did.

Choosing between selling and moving to a new property or renovating is a common conundrum first homebuyers face.

One Mt Hawthorn couple, Sophie and Troy Barbitta, were confronted with this challenge when their first child, Julian, was born.

When they bought their three-bedroom, one-bathroom home with a sleep out in 2001, they weren't planning to outgrow it.

"It was fine when it was just the two of us, but when Julian came along we really needed the extra space," Sophie says.

After considering all their options, including moving and building a second-storey, they took the advice of a family friend and extended their existing home into the back yard.

"We looked into knocking the whole thing down at one stage. But we really love the character of the home and that's why we can't let it go," says Troy, who is the creative director at advertising agency Linc Integrated.

The home's location - with Leederville's restaurants and cafes within walking distance - also swayed Troy and Sophie's decision to stay in the area.

"There are just hundreds of great parks around here and they're all fenced and get cleaned every second day," Sophie says.

"It's definitely a nice family suburb. There are always other mums out and about with their prams."

While choosing to extend into the back yard, Troy was adamant that some space should remain for Julian to play in.

The additions included and open-plan living and dining room at the back and floor-to-ceiling windows that allow sunlight to pour in.

"It used to be hot and claustrophobic in summer, but now I can open all the windows and let the breeze through," Sophie says.

"I wanted an additional room, too, which was going to be an office, but it ended up being a playroom," Troy says.

Dale Alcock Home Improvement's services were enlisted for the renovation, and Sophie and Troy couldn't be happier with the result.

"It's fantastic - it's really worked out well and the Dale Alcock team was great," Sophie says. "They said it would take three months and it took three months. They were very professional."

The Barbittas say their research made them feel confident they made the right choice.

"I think we made a smart decision and it's moved our house up to the next level in the property market," Troy says.