The home you want in the house you have.

Nobody can answer that honestly over the phone, and you should be cautious of anyone who tries. What we can do is walk through your house, understand what you want, and then price it properly against your drawings.

What we will tell you early is which parts of your brief are driving the cost and where the money is going, so you can make decisions with real information rather than a guess.

Line by line, from your drawings, rather than from a square-metre rate. You receive an itemised quote covering every element of the work.

We are careful not to promise a single fixed figure on renovation work, because some of what matters is behind plaster and under floors until the job starts. Anything that cannot honestly be priced in advance is listed as a provisional sum and explained, so you know from the outset which parts of the price are firm and which depend on what we uncover. Nothing beyond that is ever added without your written approval.

Renovations can uncover things — rot, old wiring, a wall carrying more load than it should. If yours does, you receive the cost and the time impact in writing, and nothing proceeds until you have approved it. No variation appears on an invoice you have not already seen and approved.

It depends entirely on scope. A single bathroom is measured in weeks; a whole-house renovation involving structural work and council approvals is measured in months, and the approval stage before we start often takes longer than people expect.

You receive a detailed timeline for your project before work begins, and weekly updates from Claire once it is running, so you always know which stage you are in.

It depends on complexity. Architects are generally engaged for structural alterations, major extensions, heritage or planning-sensitive projects, and designs needing close coordination between structure, services and finishes. Draftspersons and building designers commonly handle internal reconfigurations, minor extensions and straightforward alterations.

Whoever prepares them, your drawings need to be clear and complete. Incomplete or conceptual drawings lead to assumptions, variations, and quotes that cannot fairly be compared.

Often yes, and we will tell you honestly when the answer is no. It usually comes down to whether the kitchen and bathrooms are out at the same time, and whether there is structural work overhead. We plan the staging around that decision early, because it affects both your cost and your daily life.

Yes. We guide you through the permit process and arrange what is needed, including the Home Warranty cover Victorian law requires. If your property sits under a planning overlay, we will tell you at the start what that adds in time and consultants.

Collis is a registered building practitioner in Victoria, DB-U 45837. Work is carried out under a Master Builders contract, and Home Warranty cover is arranged before work begins. Since 1 July 2026 this scheme replaces Domestic Building Insurance and is provided by the Building and Plumbing Commission. It covers major defects — structural, waterproofing and weatherproofing — for up to six years, and other defects for up to two years, both measured from completion of the work.

Yes. We renovate whole houses inside and out, but we also take on a single kitchen or bathroom. If you are unsure whether your project is substantial enough to bring to us, please ask.

Across the Mornington Peninsula and Bayside, and greater Melbourne for the right project. Our completed work includes Mount Eliza, Frankston South, Mornington, Moorooduc, Sorrento, Cheltenham and Elwood.

You receive a complete handover pack — warranty details, appliance warranties and manuals, final certificates, and a full list of the materials used on your project. We stay contactable, and we offer an optional general home maintenance service to keep your home looking its best for years to come.

Yes, and we encourage it. We are happy to put you in touch with people we have built for, so that you can hear first-hand what the months in between were really like. Several of our clients have renovated with us more than once.

It begins with a phone call, without obligation. If it sounds like a good fit, Collis visits your home, looks at what you have and what you would like to do, and talks you through the options. We will respond to your enquiry within 24 hours.