47 WENTWORTH AVENUE

Our accounting practice was leasing premises in York Street and we were faced with a steep rent review. We decided to look for premises to relocate the accounting practice to. 47 Wentworth Avenue was a 4 storey warehouse and office building occupying a small footprint on a much larger block of land. We had nine car spaces which we saw as a very valuable addition to the premises.

This was not only our first commercial renovation, but also the first in the Sydney CBD. We had to employ a team of architects, hydraulic, electrical and structural engineers and consult with town planners and the Sydney City Council in approaching the renovations the building had to undergo. In such a project it is important to have a good grasp of the detail and be across every aspect of the proposal. We relied on our hydraulics engineer for an opinion on the adequacy of the sewerage, but when the water board tested the sewerage lines they failed. This was an expensive mistake but it taught us the value of checking everything that so "experts" put to us.

In 1987 asset values were going through a boom. We had taken an old warehouse and converted it into a light and airy office space. It is testament to the quality and aesthetics of our renovation that this property was acquired by an interior design company.