House Extensions in Brighton
Between Seacliff and Glenelg
Brighton is a coastal suburb of Adelaide on Holdfast Bay, between Seacliff and Glenelg. It has the Brighton Jetty, a surf lifesaving club, the Brighton-Seacliff Yacht Club and a large sandy beach. The Windsor Theatre was built in 1925. Jetty Road runs perpendicular to the Esplanade and is home to restaurants, cafes and the Espy hotel.
A Kaurna name
The Kaurna name Witu-wattingga is accepted for the area, though it may have come from confusion with Wita-wattingga, meaning in the midst of peppermint gums. Witu-watti may also mean reeds in the middle, which could describe small swamps. Ask each builder whether any soft ground has been found on your street, and what a soil report would include.
Town hall of 1869
The Corporate Town of Brighton was formed in 1858 and its first town hall was built in 1869 from Adelaide Hills stone on concrete foundations. The second town hall opened in 1937 at 24 Jetty Road and is still a municipal office of the City of Holdfast Bay. Older stone buildings suggest older homes, so ask a builder to inspect before they quote.
The Mawson house
Sir Douglas Mawson and his family moved into their new home Jerbii at 44 King Street in 1920 and lived in Brighton until at least 1958. If your house is in an area with historic homes, ask the council whether character or heritage rules apply, and ask each builder how they would design an extension that respects the original.
The Esplanade
Wikipedia says the Esplanade is prime real estate that has changed from a street of old cottages to modern townhouses. Ask each builder how they would handle a narrow site, such as scaffolding over a boundary, access for deliveries and protection of a neighbour's fence.
Sand and salt
Brighton's beach has a sand replenishment program and the dunes are replanted with grasses. Close to the sea, ask your builder which materials and fixings they use, how windows and doors are sealed against salt and wind, and what you will need to wash or maintain, and how often.
The jetty and its storms
The original Brighton Jetty was built in 1886 and stood for over a century. Winter storms badly damaged it in 1994 and it was rebuilt, with a telecommunications tower at its end. At the shore end stands a war memorial arch where Anzac Day dawn services are held. Ask your builder how they would protect new work from weather during construction, and who pays if a storm damages it.
Approval and insurance
PlanSA explains how to find out whether you need approval. For council-approved domestic work costing $20,000 or more, SA requires building indemnity insurance. Check each builder's licence on the public register, and ask for the insurance certificate and a written scope that lists inclusions, exclusions and allowances.
Where is the Brighton Jetty?
At the end of Jetty Road, on the Esplanade at Holdfast Bay.
Who lived in Brighton?
Sir Douglas Mawson and his family, from 1920.
When was the first town hall built?
In 1869, the fourth town hall in the colony.
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Nearby
Glenelg
Mitcham