Building against the bush
St Ives has some of the largest residential blocks left in this part of Sydney, and a good number of them run up against national park or reserve. That boundary is most of the reason people buy here, and it is also the thing that shapes what you can build and how much it costs.
Blocks on the bushland edge come with requirements that a suburban block simply does not have. Bushfire attack levels influence construction methods, materials, window and door assemblies, decking and screening. Vegetation clearing is controlled. Access for machinery is often longer and tighter than it looks.
None of that is a reason to build less ambitiously. It is a reason to know what applies to your block before anyone designs for it, because these are requirements that change the fabric of the house rather than the finishes.
Living with the outdoors, properly built
The reason to be on a block like this is the outlook and the way the house opens onto it. That puts a lot of weight on the parts of the project that are neither strictly house nor strictly garden: covered alfresco areas, decks, screening, levels stepping down toward the rear, and the transition from the living areas out into the landscape.
Those are the pieces most likely to be delivered badly when a house builder and a landscaper are working to separate contracts and separate programs. We build both, which is why we would rather hold the whole property than hand half of it over at handover.
What we build in St Ives
Custom homes
New homes on large blocks, positioned around the outlook and what is already growing rather than clearing the site and starting flat.
Knockdown rebuilds
Replacing a house that no longer suits the family while keeping a block that would be very difficult to buy today. Demolition, site preparation, construction and landscaping under one team.
Pools
Space is rarely the constraint on a St Ives block. Access to the rear, fall across the site and trees usually are. See how we design and build concrete pools.
Gardens, decks and outdoor rooms
Structural landscaping is where this business started, and on a bushland block it is a substantial part of the build rather than a finishing touch. Gardens, retaining and outdoor living.
Our nearest work
For a finished house on a leafy sloping block, the Westleigh home is the closest comparison: a block falling more than five metres, a house stepped across three levels to follow it, and terraced retaining outside holding a lawn that was not there before.
How a build works with us
Start with a conversation. An intro call, then a site visit. We look at your block, listen to the brief and give you a straight early read on scope and budget.
Design and approvals. We do not draw the plans or lodge the approvals, but we stay involved through that stage so what comes out of it is something we can actually build to budget.
A detailed, fixed quote. Inclusions spelt out line by line. We price what is documented and flag the gaps other builders price around, so the number you sign is the number you build to.
The build. Our director runs the site from start to handover, and you deal with him throughout. We limit how many projects we take on each year, which is why we can promise that.
Why a director led boutique builder?
- The person who quoted your project is the person running the site
- Home, pool and landscaping under one contract, one point of responsibility
- HIA NSW Finalists 2018, 2019 & 2023
- 20+ years building across Sydney, with a 5 star Google rating
Common questions
How long does the whole process take?
The front end depends on design and approvals. We do not draw the plans or lodge the approvals, but we stay involved through that stage so what comes out of it is something we can actually build to budget. Once there are approved plans you get a construction program with the quote, and we tell you early if something starts tracking off it rather than at the end.
Does a bushfire rating change the build?
Yes, and often more than people expect. Depending on the rating that applies to your block it can affect wall and roof construction, windows and doors, decking, screening and even where certain materials can be used at all. Which rating applies is determined at the design and approval stage rather than by us, but it is worth understanding early because it changes the fabric of the house, not just the finishes.
Can you do the pool and garden at the same time?
That is the way we prefer to work. Pool, home and landscaping under one contract means the levels, drainage and access get resolved together, and there is no second contractor arriving months later to dig up finished work.
Can you build around established trees?
Regularly. Protection zones dictate where machinery can track, where you can excavate and sometimes where a pool can physically sit, so they belong in the plan from the start rather than surfacing once the build is running.
Get in touch
Call 02 8014 8962 or email enquiry@refinedgroup.com.au. Or start with a no pressure intro call with our director.
