Ever wondered if you could squeeze a bit more space out of your block? With the housing market showing no sign of flagging, increasing numbers of homeowners are looking to maximise the value of their properties by renovating or expanding rather than moving. Depending on the site this can involve exploring under-house options, with media, games and rumpus rooms for the kids all possible. hipages caught up with Lyn Eiffe from REMX for their tips on tight access excavation and an insight into their range of services.

Block sizes are getting smaller – is this a trend you are seeing?

“Yes, with prevailing property and land prices there is a real squeeze on space – especially in our cities.”

What exactly is tight access excavation?

“We are dedicated to maximising the space you have in your home or land. We do this by using specialised equipment that allows us to access awkward spaces such as under house excavation or other narrow sites. Normal excavation equipment is simply too big to access these types of situations.”

What equipment do you typically use?

“We have a range of mini machines, including excavators, bobcats, hammers and other demolition equipment.”

What spaces are homeowners looking to create?

“Under house spaces are very popular areas to expand into and include rumpus rooms, garage enlargements, media rooms, wine cellars and additional storage zones.”

What are some of the other residential jobs you work on?

“Besides expanding under house space we also do bulk and detailed excavation from backyard clearouts, demolition, backyard levelling to under pinning; as well as retaining walls and remedial building work.”

What do you mean by remedial building work?

“Any job that involves repairing an existing building and its structure. This may include repointing, under pinning, waterproofing and foundation repairs. We do quite a bit of work on rising damp, especially in older buildings which have no damp proof course fitted or where this protective layer has been damaged.”

How would you treat rising damp?

“We would begin by examining the wall and determine what the extent of the damage is. This includes removing any affected plaster or mortar and installing or repairing the dam proof course with a physical or chemical product.”

You are associated with the Master Builder of the Year 2010…

“Yes, we are the preferred excavator for Mardini Constructions, an award winning residential construction company.”