As a young man Steve Burke lived with his mum and dad on a farm in a caravan. They lived in this cramped transportable box while they built their new home from scratch. After this taste of building, Steve went on to cut his teeth in the trade as a carpenter. Steve believed in true good quality building and so started his own company with his high standards being the foundation. After working on larger scale developments, he saw an opening for builders specialising in renovation.

With a wealth of 20 years experience and desire for owners to be as informed as they can, he decided to write a book that covers everything, from making the decision to renovate to exploring the why, when and how. This includes planning and design, ensuring your home is green, bathrooms, laundries and kitchen renos through to extensions and managing your renovation. The details are important. Money, being an owner-builder, doing it right the first time, happy neighbours, the pitfalls of contracts, how to spot a dodgy tradie, scheduling and even flat-pack kitchens. And so the list goes on.

Any book on this subject has its limitations. Kitchens are covered but it can’t go through the design of every opening and shutting door or drawer. However, the book provides a comprehensive list of information for anyone thinking about a renovation and ‘Burkey’s tips’ throughout are really useful. It’s very accessible and I can see how it could not only save you time and possibly a lot of angst, but money as well. What to ask, what to look out for, how to plan. Essential stuff.

Reviewed by Alice Wilson