Renovation questions, answered clearly.

A design-and-build renovation is delivered by one company under one contract: the same team designs your project, prepares the approval documents and then builds it. At Milani Concepts, Harry Milani is both the architectural designer and the NSW-licensed builder (391529C), so the person who draws the renovation is the same person who quotes and constructs it. That removes the gap between designer and builder, protects the original intent and gives you a single point of accountability from sketch to handover.

It depends on the scope. Small internal changes, such as a like-for-like kitchen or bathroom refresh, often fall under Exempt Development and need no approval. Larger work — structural changes, additions, external alterations or work in heritage conservation areas — usually requires either Complying Development Certificate (CDC) approval or a Development Application (DA) through council. During your first consultation we assess the site, the design and the local planning controls, then we manage the approval pathway for you.

Most renovations take between 3 and 9 months from the first site visit to final handover. A kitchen or bathroom update may take 6–12 weeks on site; an entire home renovation typically takes 4–7 months on site, plus design and approval time. Because design and construction sit with the same person, our programmes rarely slip due to drawing errors or miscommunication between separate parties.

We service Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, North Shore, Inner West and The Hills District. Most of our recent work is in suburbs such as Paddington, Mosman, Balmain, Hunters Hill, Kellyville and Castle Hill. If you are close to these areas, call us and we can confirm whether your project fits our current schedule.

Yes. Milani Concepts holds NSW Builder Licence 391529C and is a Registered Building Practitioner. We are fully licensed and insured, including public liability cover, and have operated in Sydney since 2018.

Harry Milani holds a Bachelor of Architectural Design (Deakin) and a Diploma of Architecture with Distinction (UTS), and is a licensed builder holding NSW Builder Licence 391529C. That means one person is accountable for design quality, buildability, cost control and the final finish. You do not hand a designer's drawings to a separate builder and hope the intent survives; the drawings are made by the same hand that builds them.

Yes. Our Design Only service is ideal if you already have a builder lined up and need concept design, council-ready documentation and a detailed specification package. Because the documentation is produced by a licensed builder, it is costed and buildable from the start, which reduces variation claims later.

A Complying Development Certificate (CDC) is a fast-tracked approval for projects that meet fixed standards in the State Environmental Planning Policy. It is assessed by a private certifier and usually takes 2–4 weeks. A Development Application (DA) is assessed by your local council and is required when the project does not qualify for CDC — for example, in heritage areas or where setbacks and height limits are exceeded. DAs generally take 2–4 months. We identify the correct pathway at the feasibility stage and lodge the application for you.

Costs depend on the size, scope, finishes and structural work. As a guide, our custom architectural kitchen transformations typically range from $40,000 to $75,000+, complete turnkey architectural bathrooms from $25,000 to $40,000+ (a full strip-out structural and commercial-grade waterproofing transformation, not a cosmetic touch-up), custom laundries and mudrooms from $25,000 to $35,000+, and comprehensive whole-home interior transformations from $100,000 to $150,000+. All figures are presented on a turnkey basis, inclusive of architectural design, trade labour, waterproofing, quality materials and single-point licensed project delivery under NSW Builder Licence 391529C. We provide fixed-price quotes that are drawn directly from our own documentation, so the price you see is based on the actual design rather than a provisional allowance.

Yes. As a licensed builder we carry public liability insurance on every residential project. We also honour the statutory warranties under the Home Building Compensation Fund, including the six-year structural defect warranty and the two-year non-structural defect warranty. We have delivered work in Sydney since 2018 and stand behind every project we complete.