Home Additions Burwood

Two storey home in Burwood with brick and weatherboard exterior after a second storey addition by Strava Group

Second Storey Additions · Burwood

Add bedrooms, bathrooms & living space, without moving.

Fixed price second storey additions for Burwood homeowners, from $274,000. Built to our Above Standard Carpentry Specification, with a solid Hebel PowerFloor included as standard on early projects.

NSW Builder’s Licence 487370CFixed price scopeClear inclusions & exclusionsInner West local

Limited time offer

Hebel PowerFloor included free on early Burwood packages. A solid, quieter floor, normally an upgrade.

Space without moving

More room, without leaving Burwood.

You love your Burwood street, your neighbours, the school run. What you do not love is running out of space. Moving means stamp duty, agent fees and starting over somewhere that may never feel like home.

On a million dollar purchase, stamp duty alone runs to roughly $40,000 before you have paid an agent, a conveyancer or a removalist. In a suburb like Burwood, where you are ten kilometres from the CBD with the station at the end of the street, that maths rarely favours moving.

A second storey addition lets you stay exactly where you are and build the space you need. Extra bedrooms, a second bathroom, a private master retreat or an upstairs living zone, without giving up a metre of backyard.

Strava Group builds second storey additions across Burwood and the wider Inner West. About us.

Same land. Same street. Same address. A whole new upstairs.

Choose your package

Three fixed price starting points.

All prices are “from”, GST inclusive, and apply to the new upper floor works only. Every package includes Hebel PowerFloor while the current offer runs.

Essential
Approx. 40 to 45m²
From$274,000
1 Bed · 1 Bath · Retreat

  • New upper level with 1 bedroom
  • 1 bathroom or ensuite
  • Retreat or study zone
  • Internal staircase allowance
  • Hebel PowerFloor included
Best for: smaller additions, a parents’ or teenager’s space.

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Family
Approx. 55 to 65m²
From$304,000
2 to 3 Beds · 1 Bath

  • 2 to 3 bedrooms upstairs
  • 1 family bathroom
  • Internal staircase
  • Moves bedrooms up, opens your ground floor
  • Hebel PowerFloor included
Best for: families wanting bedrooms moved upstairs.

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Complete
Approx. 70m² and above
From$320,000
3 Beds · 1 Bath · Living

  • 3 bedrooms upstairs
  • 1 bathroom
  • Upstairs retreat or living area
  • Internal staircase
  • Hebel PowerFloor included
Best for: a major, whole family transformation.

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Not a package job?

Custom second storey additions.

The three packages cover the shapes we build most often. Plenty of Burwood homes do not fit them. Wider footprints, a second bathroom upstairs, a full ground floor reconfiguration underneath, or a Federation roofline that has to be worked around rather than replaced.

We build those too, priced against your plans rather than squeezed into a package. Same fixed price contract, same standards, same specification. Custom builds generally run $270,000 to $400,000 depending on size and what we find underneath.

Custom builds
Priced to your plans
  • Any size or configuration
  • Ground floor works included in scope
  • Heritage and character homes
  • Structural upgrades where needed

Discuss a Custom Build

Every plan is drawn to suit your Burwood home. Package price covers the new upper floor works. Design, engineering and council approvals are quoted separately as preliminaries, at roughly $30,000.

The Strava difference

A solid, quieter upstairs.

Most second storey additions sit on 19mm lightweight particleboard. While it does the job, it can feel hollow and bouncy underfoot. As a result, footsteps carry straight down to the rooms below.

For early Strava Group projects in Burwood we include Hebel PowerFloor as standard. It is a 75mm autoclaved aerated concrete panel, almost four times thicker than standard flooring. Laid over your joists, it creates a solid, concrete style floor.

  • 75mmAlmost 4 times thicker than standard 19mm particleboard, so it feels solid underfoot with no bounce or flex.
  • 0Squeak free. The thick AAC panel does not creak the way timber based flooring can over time.
  • Helps reduce noise transfer between levels for a quieter upstairs, especially with the right ceiling system.
  • Non combustible AAC, with thermal insulation and moisture resistance built in.
Your upper floor, layer by layerSection
Floor finish (timber, tile or carpet)
Hebel PowerFloor75mm solid AAC panel, included on early projects75mm
Engineered floor joists
Acoustic and thermal insulation
Plasterboard ceiling below
Diagram is illustrative. Acoustic ratings apply to the complete floor and ceiling system, not the panel alone, and depend on the ceiling, insulation and joist design. Hebel PowerFloor is included where suitable, subject to engineering, access and final scope.

Local knowledge

Building a second storey in Burwood.

Burwood is not a blank slate. What sits under and around your house changes both the cost and the approval pathway.

Council

Burwood Council

Burwood sits within Burwood Council, one of the smallest local government areas in Sydney. A small council means planning staff know their streets well, and the controls around the older residential estates lean protective while the tower zone near the station is treated completely differently.

Heritage

The Appian Way and conservation streets

Burwood holds some of the most protected Federation streets in Sydney, the Appian Way estate above all, plus conservation pockets around Burwood Park. On those streets the fast Complying Development pathway is off the table and a full Development Application is required. That changes the timeline, not the possibility. We check your property before quoting.

Housing

Federation villas and interwar brick

Away from the station towers, Burwood is Federation villas, Victorian homes near the park and interwar brick bungalows through the quieter streets. Beautiful houses, and every one of them was built to hold up one floor, not two. The roof structure and the footings both need checking before anything is designed.

Blocks

Wider than the Inner West average

The older estate streets in Burwood were laid out generously, so blocks here often run wider than Ashfield or Leichhardt. That helps crane and scaffold access. The semis closer to the rail line are the exception, and they are always custom builds rather than packages.

Neighbours

Overshadowing still rules

Even with wider blocks, Burwood Council protects neighbours’ winter sunlight and privacy closely, particularly around the conservation streets. Designing for those rules early is what keeps an application moving.

Roofline

Matching the street

Burwood’s Federation streetscapes are some of the most consistent in Sydney, and council notices when an addition is not. We design the new level to sit with the existing roofline and detailing rather than sit on top of it.

We confirm which approval pathway your Burwood property falls under before we quote, so you know the timeline before you commit to a design.

Before anything is designed

Can your house actually take a second storey?

This is the first question, and it usually gets skipped in favour of talking about floor plans. It is worth answering properly, because for roughly one house in six the answer is no, or not without spending money you would rather put into the addition itself.

01

What is under the house

Your house was built to hold up one storey. A second floor roughly doubles what the foundations carry. Older Burwood homes often sit on shallow footings that need strengthening first. That is a real cost, and you want to know about it before you fall in love with a floor plan.

02

What the walls are made of

A double brick house, a brick veneer house and a timber framed house each handle a new floor differently. The question is whether the weight can travel down through the walls you already have, or whether new supports need to appear somewhere you would rather they did not.

03

What the timber has been through

Framing that looked fine when you bought the place can be quietly damaged in ways that only matter once you ask it to hold a floor up. We look before we quote, not after.

04

What your council allows

Inner West Council sets a height limit and protects your neighbours’ winter sunlight. Between them, those two rules often decide your ceiling heights and your roof shape before anyone draws anything.

05

Whether we can get a crane in

Tight side access near the semis, overhead power lines and protected street trees all add cost in Burwood. Better to know at the start than in week three.

06

How we find out

An engineer checks the first three. We organise that before we give you a fixed price, because a price without it is a guess.

If your house cannot take a second storey without spending more than it is worth, we will tell you. Building out the back is usually the better answer in that case, and we build home extensions in Burwood too.

Clear scope

What is included, and what is not.

Being upfront about both is exactly how we keep your fixed price genuinely fixed.

Included as standard

In the new upper floor package area.
  • Hebel PowerFloor (75mm solid AAC panel), where suitable
  • Structural timber framing to engineer’s details
  • Wall framing and roof framing
  • Roofing
  • External cladding
  • Aluminium windows
  • Insulation
  • Plasterboard and setting
  • Internal doors, hardware and hinges
  • Skirting and architraves
  • Standard staircase allowance
  • Electrical allowance, LED downlights and smoke alarms
  • Bathroom allowance (where part of the package)
  • Painting to new upper floor areas
  • Builder supervision and construction management

Quoted separately if needed

Every existing Burwood home is different, so these are assessed per property.
  • Structural steel beams (unless listed)
  • Footing, pier or foundation upgrades
  • Additional bracing to the existing house
  • Ground floor renovations or layout changes
  • New downstairs kitchens, bathrooms or laundries
  • Existing termite, rot, water or defect repairs
  • Electrical mains, switchboard or stormwater upgrades
  • Air conditioning upgrades
  • Design, engineering, BASIX and council approvals (preliminaries)
  • Rock excavation or unforeseen ground conditions
  • Premium window, cladding or staircase upgrades
  • Any works outside the new upper floor package area

Want the full detail?

The complete inclusions and exclusions, right down to hardware, fixtures, fittings, finishes and specifications, are provided in detail when you enquire, and confirmed in your contract.

Get the full inclusions & exclusions

How the fixed price works

Our fixed price packages apply to the standard new upper floor works listed above. If your property needs structural steel, footing upgrades, extra bracing, service upgrades, defect repairs or downstairs renovation works, those items are assessed and quoted separately, clearly, before you commit. Where something genuinely cannot be priced until the roof comes off, it is listed as a provisional sum with a stated allowance rather than hidden inside the total.

The first decision

Up or out?

Most people arrive having already decided. In Burwood, the block usually gives you a genuine choice.

Go up

$3,500 to $5,500 per m²

On a typical Inner West block, going up is usually the answer. Frontages are narrow, yards are small, and site coverage is often close to its limit already.

Going up buys bedrooms without buying land, and it leaves what garden you have intact. It costs more per square metre and often needs a longer approval pathway, but on a tighter Burwood block it is frequently the only way to add real space.

Extend out

$2,500 to $4,500 per m²

Extending out works if you have a deeper block with real yard to give up, or if the existing structure cannot carry a floor economically.

Ground floor work is cheaper per square metre, you can often stay living there, and it avoids the structural question entirely. A rear home extension in Burwood can be the better value answer.

If the existing house needs work regardless, a full renovation staged alongside the addition costs less than doing them five years apart, because you pay the preliminaries once and open the walls once.

Plan · Manage · Build

Your Burwood second storey, step by step.

Our proven building process is designed to customise your project, avoid cost traps and deliver your vision with minimum disruption.

01

Your Initial Assessment

First, we review your enquiry, site, timeframe and budget. Then we contact you within 24 to 48 business hours to arrange a consultation.

02

Consultation & Build Cost Estimate

An experienced builder discusses your project and site, then prepares a detailed build cost estimate.

03

Preliminary Agreement

This formalises your engagement, secures your spot in our schedule and starts coordination with consultants and authorities.

04

Plans & Design

Next, we coordinate design and documentation. As a result, you get plans that suit your brief, site and budget, with optional 3D modelling.

05

Submission to Council

After that, we prepare and lodge your DA and CC, or a CDC with Inner West Council. Approval typically takes around 4 to 8 weeks.

06

Final Cost & Contract

Once approved, we confirm the final build cost and issue your HIA Fixed Price Building Contract. Importantly, you review it in full before signing.

07

Pre-Start Selections

Together, we finalise your fixtures, fittings and finishes with suppliers, so everything is confirmed before work begins.

08

Start of Construction

Your project manager meets you on site to confirm documentation, expectations and communication before works commence.

09

Construction

Your project manager oversees the build, coordinates trades and manages quality, keeping disruption to a minimum.

10

Practical Completion

A final inspection, then warranties and compliance documents are provided. We stay available after handover.

Why Strava Group

A licensed builder who knows what is behind the wall.

A stronger standard inclusion

Hebel PowerFloor comes standard on early packages, giving a solid, quieter upstairs that standard lightweight flooring cannot match.

Structure first, always

Over a decade across site and project management on residential and commercial builds, backed by a trade background. Your addition is framed and supported to our internal Above Standard Carpentry Specification, so the new level feels solid, aligned and original.

Clear scope and fixed pricing

Transparent inclusions and exclusions from day one, so you know exactly what your Burwood project covers before you commit. NSW Builder’s Licence 487370C.

Also exploring other options? Strava Group builds home renovations and home extensions in Burwood. See our recent work in the gallery.

Nearby

Also building across the Inner West.

See all Sydney service areas.

Get in touch

Talk to a builder about your Burwood home.

Tell us about your home and what you would like upstairs. We will let you know whether your property suits a second storey and which package fits. No cost, no obligation.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions.

How much does a second storey addition cost in Burwood?
Our fixed price packages start from $274,000 (Essential), $304,000 (Family) and $320,000 (Complete), covering the new upper floor works including Hebel PowerFloor while the offer runs. Custom builds generally run $270,000 to $400,000. Design, engineering and council approvals are quoted separately as preliminaries, at roughly $30,000.
Do I need council approval for a second storey addition in Burwood?
Most Burwood second storey additions fall under Burwood Council. On the Appian Way and other conservation streets a full Development Application is required. Elsewhere, depending on your site, the project may proceed via a Complying Development Certificate or a full Development Application. Because parts of Burwood, including the Appian Way estate, sit within heritage conservation areas, some homes need the DA pathway. We assess which applies and manage the approvals for you. Approval typically takes around 4 to 8 weeks.
Can you add a second storey to a Federation or character home in Burwood?
Yes. Many Burwood homes are Federation villas, Victorian homes or interwar bungalows. We design the new upper level to tie into the existing roofline and detailing so it looks original rather than added on, and flag any heritage or conservation area considerations early.
Can my Burwood house support a second storey?
It depends on the footings, the wall construction and the condition of the existing frame. Adding a floor roughly doubles the load the structure carries, and older Inner West homes often sit on shallow footings. A structural engineer assesses this, and we arrange that assessment before giving you a fixed price.
What is Hebel PowerFloor and why is it included?
Hebel PowerFloor is a 75mm solid autoclaved aerated concrete floor panel, almost four times thicker than standard particleboard. It gives the upstairs a solid, concrete style feel underfoot, helps reduce noise transfer between levels, and is non combustible. We include it as standard on early Burwood projects because it is a genuinely better floor.
Will I have to move out during construction?
Often you can stay, depending on the scope and whether ground floor works are involved. During the early structural stage, when the roof is off and the house is open to weather, there is usually a short period where it is safer to vacate. We set out that timing before we start.
How long does a second storey addition take?
As a general guide, construction runs around 12 to 24 weeks depending on size and complexity, with design and approvals beforehand. Larger builds that include ground floor works run longer. We give you a project specific timeframe once we have assessed your Ashfield home.
Does a second storey addition add value to a Burwood home?
Adding bedrooms, bathrooms and living space in a well connected suburb like Burwood, with its station, schools and park typically adds significant value, and you keep your land and location. Once you factor in stamp duty of roughly $40,000 on a million dollar purchase plus agent fees, it is usually more cost effective than buying a larger home.
What is not included in the package price?
The package covers the standard new upper floor works. Structural steel, footing upgrades, downstairs renovations, existing defect repairs, service upgrades and the design, engineering and approval preliminaries are assessed and quoted separately, so your fixed price stays genuinely fixed.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Strava Group holds NSW Builder’s Licence 487370C and carries public liability insurance and Home Building Compensation Fund cover on residential work over the statutory threshold. You can verify the licence through Service NSW.

Get your free quote today.

Ready to build up in Burwood?

Contact Strava Group for a free consultation and a quote for your second storey addition, with Hebel PowerFloor included while the offer runs and a fixed price scope you can rely on. Building up is one of the most cost effective ways to add space and value under current NSW housing and construction settings.