Welcome to Season 6, Episode 5 of the Expat Mortgage Podcast, where we discuss the latest issues of securing and maintaining an Australian mortgage whilst you are an Australian expat. In this episode, we’re joined by Zach Bunston of Bunston Architects (Melbourne) to unpack how to plan and deliver renovations and extensions—especially on heritage homes—from abroad. We cover how to align brief vs budget, realistic $/m² ranges (Melbourne vs Sydney), the end-to-end process (DA/Planning → Building Permit/NCC → Occupancy), timelines, common pitfalls, and why a good architect can save you stress and money. Zach shares a live expat case study (client based in Saudi), practical ways to design for cost and speed (buildability, simple materials, shorter site time), opportunities in DA-approved listings, and the studio’s Keesen House project in St Kilda as a model for smart, family-friendly alterations & additions.

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The Expat Mortgage Podcast is all about helping Australian expats secure and maintain an Australian mortgage whilst they're living and working overseas.

This podcast is brought to you by Atlas Mortgages which is part of the Atlas Wealth Group who is the leading provider of Australian expat financial services.

Atlas Mortgages works with Australian expats in over 50 countries and we make it our job to speak to 45 Australian Mortgage Lenders and review over 3000 Australian Mortgage products to ensure that not only can you get that mortgage as an Australian expat but also provide you with a loan that is right for you and your circumstances.