Dean Zarif has a passion for transforming old and dated homes into modern and luxurious gems – a passion that has led him to start his own home improvement company specializing in remodeling top bathrooms and kitchens of range.
But there's another driving force behind Dream Interior Transformations, which the Sydney-based renovator put in place earlier this year.
“There are a few companies that do phenomenal work, but far too many are charging too much for sub-standard work,” Zarif says.
He shares the story of his family and friends who paid a lot of money for supposedly luxury renovations, but were disappointed with the quality of the work.
"So I went out with a business plan to fill this gap in the market where my core value is to put building a bathroom, kitchen or of an exceptional and luxurious home before profits, ”he says. "I often buy extra unbudget items or do extra work without charging my clients a variation if I think it will improve the overall look of the renovation."
Zarif says luxurious renovations don't always have to be expensive. "If done correctly and on budget, [these types of renovations] can add significant value to your home," he says.
"Like living in a seaside resort"
Zarif says what attracts him most to luxury renovations is the sense of fulfillment that comes from seeing the satisfied look on his clients' faces.
"The biggest benefit and one thing I constantly hear from my clients after every high end renovation I do is that they have it. Feeling like living in a complex, ”he says. "While having a newly remodeled bathroom or kitchen is always exciting, having a luxurious remodel feels completely different."
One of his recently completed projects is the renovation of a bathroom at a property in Miranda, which required a complete teardown.
"The bathroom was pretty tired and dated when I started and asked to be stripped down and rebuilt from scratch," he says. “It was far too small and cramped for a modern family. Had to increase the size of the bathroom to be able to provide a spacious Hamptons / Old English style renovation. "
Miranda bathroom before renovation
But creating more space is just the beginning. To achieve this look, Zarif put in a lot of work.
He stripped the bathroom down to its stamp frame and moved a bedroom door next to the bathroom entrance so that it could be moved back about an inch. metre. He also removed a linen closet, adding a crucial 350mm length to the room, and removed the old concrete floor base, which rested on corrugated iron.
Zarif then replaced the old steel and terracotta drainage with brand new PVC pipes to accommodate the extended layout. He installed a new double hung aluminum window with colonial bars. Niches were also built for the tub, shower and shaving cabinet.
As for modern conveniences, rewiring was required to accommodate the three vertical rails of the heated tower, an LED light under the shaving cabinet niche, an electrical outlet hidden in the drawer of the dressing table, LED downlight and four-in-one radiator light and fan.
After waterproofing and tiling, Zarif fitted out the bathroom with a free-standing tub and shaker-style vanity unit with marble countertop and vanity unit. The porcelain handle faucet is the icing on the cake, he says.
The result is, in Zarif's words, "a stunning new bathroom that the owners are absolutely delighted with."
Miranda bathroom after renovation
The complete renovation cost $ 40,000 and took about three weeks.
When asked how much value his renovations add to the property, Zarif says his goal is always to add $ 3 for every dollar spent on renovations.
For the Miranda property he says the owners were so happy with his job that they asked him to also renovate the kitchen and completely repaint the property. Once completed, Zarif expects the changes to bring the property's value to around $ 5 for every dollar spent on renovations.
Other projects
Zarif doesn't focus on one area when it comes to doing projects and has done several high end renovations in Sydney.
Among his current projects is a waterfront property in Padstow Heights, where he stripped two bathrooms, a laundry room, and a restroom. He says he's also making major changes to the layout by installing additional fixtures in the bathroom. This project is to be completed in two weeks.
Zarif is also renovating a kitchen at a property in West Sydney, where he removed the floor tiles and 40 year old cement screed covering the original parquet. This project should be completed in 10 days.
Zarif's top five tips for budding renovators
1. Plan absolutely everything
"Have a detailed floor plan before you start." This ensures that everything will be fine and that your trades know exactly what's going on where before they start. "
2. Purchase everything before you start
"Having all of your fixtures, fittings and tiles on site before you start ensures that there won't be any delays due to out-of-stock items when you need them." Additionally, the online datasheets are sometimes incorrect, so having a bathtub on site, for example, allows you to measure the exact height and build your doghouses accordingly. Shower bars have water inlets at different heights, and some require your water outlet to be less than the standard 1800mm. If you're wrong, your shower head may be sitting too high or too low. "
3. Have a written scope of works for each trade and have them sign before starting
"This ensures that there are no misunderstandings about who is doing what and that you know exactly what is and is not included in their quote. Also list your expectations. This is also true. may include texting or calling you if they're late or can't come. If you don't live locally, one of your expectations may be that each trade text you to the end of each day with a photo and details of the work done as well as their start time and plan for the next day. "
4. Don't use the cheapest trades
“The poor pay twice, as they say. There is no point in purchasing beautiful light fixtures, accessories and tiles if they are not installed correctly or damaged during installation. I'm not saying don't shop for good prices, but I highly recommend asking for a few references and asking them to see some of their previous work. Tiling can make or break your bathroom remodel, for example, so bringing in an experienced tiler with a constant track record of great work is crucial. "
5. Inspect what you expect
"Even if you are a novice, I highly recommend that you inspect every craft job as soon as it is completed. If you're not sure exactly what to look for, let your trades know before you start that you have a policy that you will pay the bills three days after they finish their job. This allows the next trade to come in and start working and any issues or issues with the previous trade work can be identified. It is often quite difficult to get work done right once a transaction has been paid for, but they'll likely be keen to fix issues if they haven't been paid yet. "
