Architectural renovations, rear extensions and second storeys, planned, approved and built by one award-winning local team.
2026 WinnerMaster Builders NSW
2026 FinalistMaster Builders NSW
A full renovation and rear extension on a steep Coledale escarpment block, and a second storey on a tight coastal site at Wombarra.
An ageing coastal home reworked into a refined contemporary residence: a complete interior refurbishment, an expanded rear living room and balcony opening to bush and ocean views, a timber-clad garage, and a new timber walkway linking the street to the house below.
Read the project story
A coastal cottage that couldn't extend outward, so it went up. The new level created a home for multi-generational living, with wider spaces, a stair lift and an independent area for an older family member, while keeping the character of the original cottage.
“Right from our first meeting Keiron proved to be an excellent, straight forward communicator with meticulous attention to detail.”
David & Caroline, Wombarra
A high-end renovation isn't a list of expensive finishes. It's a planned transformation: a better layout, more light, joinery designed for the space, and a builder who resolves every junction on site.
Extensions and second storeys mean engineering, footings and roof tie-ins that have to be right first time. We plan the structure first, so new work sits cleanly against the old.
Older homes hide problems. We inspect before we price, then give you a detailed fixed-price quote with a documented scope and minimal provisional sums, before any contract is signed.
CKS employs its own carpenters, led by a carpenter foreman, and Keiron Moore is a carpenter by trade. The people who plan the details are the people who build them.
Replace a cold, low-ceilinged sunroom with a timber-framed pavilion that keeps the ocean and bush views.
A steep escarpment block below street level, with tight access, bushfire and geotechnical constraints.
The pavilion and balcony on twin hardwood posts, a new timber bridge to the front door, and a timber-clad garage.
“There is a difference between a good builder and an excellent builder. And the excellent builder is the one that has the eye on the detail, that has the eye on the design intent.”
Alex Urena, Building Designer, Alex Urena Design Studio
“Keiron worked with us and the architect with positivity and practical solutions throughout the design process.”
Geoff McIntosh, CKS Projects client
Video stories from CKS clients
Managing Director Keiron Moore is a carpenter by trade with more than 25 years of residential building experience. CKS Projects has built and renovated across the Illawarra since 2014, including plenty of steep, coastal and escarpment sites.
“The journey to your dream home is just as important as the finished result, built with trust, care, and vision.”
Keiron Moore, Managing Director
Layout, light, finishes and joinery reworked together, so the house reads as one resolved design.
Bigger living areas, balconies and indoor-outdoor connections that open the home to its garden or view.
Build up where the site won't let you build out, and gain bedrooms, bathrooms and views on the same footprint.
Renovations on steep, exposed and salt-air sites, with structural input and materials chosen for the conditions.
Kitchens, bathrooms, ensuites and custom joinery are designed and built as part of a larger renovation. Where you need a DA or CDC, we manage the approval process for you.
Tell us about your home, what you want to change and your budget. You get an honest early read on scope, and on whether renovating or rebuilding makes more sense.
We review the existing structure, access, slope and the planning controls likely to apply to your renovation.
Developed with our team or your architect, then documented with engineering, BASIX and any specialist reports.
A detailed quote with a documented scope before you sign. Where approval is needed, we manage the DA or CDC.
Our carpentry team and trusted trades build it, with regular site meetings and an online client portal.
Finishes checked against the agreed scope, then handover with ongoing post-handover support.
It depends on the scope, the level of finish, the condition of the existing home, the site and the approval pathway. A layout rework, a ground-floor extension and a second-storey addition are very different projects, so a square-metre rate rarely applies.
We inspect your home first, then provide a detailed fixed-price quotation with a documented scope and cost breakdown before any contract is signed. We'll explain the quoting process on your discovery call.
If your home has good structure and a layout that can be improved, renovating often makes sense: you keep what works and add space and light where you need it. But older homes can hide expensive problems such as asbestos, termite damage, outdated wiring and plumbing, or footings never engineered for a second storey. In those cases a knock down rebuild can be better long-term value.
Because CKS Projects builds both, you get a side-by-side comparison, not a pitch for one option.
Many Wollongong homes can, but it depends on your existing footings, frame, roof structure, site slope, height limits and council controls. A second-storey addition needs structural engineering to confirm the ground floor can carry the new load, or what reinforcement is required.
We assess this early so you don't spend money on plans for an addition your house can't support.
Not necessarily. CKS Projects offers design consultations, concept development, floor plans and 3D renders, and works with trusted architects, engineers and certifiers where a project needs them.
If you already have an architect or designer, we work alongside them and add the builder's view on buildability, detailing and budget, as we did with Alex Urena Design Studio at Coledale.
Not always. Some minor work is exempt development. Many alterations and additions can be approved as complying development (CDC), while others need a Development Application (DA) assessed by Wollongong City Council, particularly on escarpment, heritage or bushfire-prone land.
We confirm the right pathway for your site and manage the documentation, engineers and certifiers for you.
Sometimes. Smaller or staged renovations can allow you to stay, but major structural work, second-storey additions and anything involving the roof, kitchen or bathrooms usually means moving out for part or all of the build, for both safety and speed.
We'll talk through staging options and give you a realistic view of when you'll need alternative accommodation.
This is the biggest fear with any renovation, and it's why we investigate your home before we price it. Where hidden issues are a genuine risk, we flag them upfront and explain how they're handled in your contract.
If something unexpected does turn up, you'll hear about it straight away, with clear options and costs, before any extra work goes ahead.
Our focus is whole-home renovations, extensions and second-storey additions. Kitchens, bathrooms and joinery are usually designed and built as part of a larger renovation, so everything follows one palette.
If you're considering a single room, get in touch and we'll tell you honestly whether it suits our current schedule.
Timeframes vary with scope, approvals, site conditions and selections. A single-level interior refurbishment is a very different program from a second-storey addition on a steep block.
We'll outline a realistic program once the scope is understood, and keep you updated through regular site meetings and an online client portal.
Tell us about your home and what you'd like to change. We'll call within one business day for a discovery call and an honest early read on scope.
We'll be in touch within one business day.
