"Architect-designed houses are not accessible to all." This is a myth championed by the building industry. Alternatively, why not focus on the key benefits architects bring to a project. Here are a few for you: • Appoint an architect to your project and you’ll gain a home designed for the way you want to live.The alternative is a builder-designed home that suits what the builder is used to building. Quality builders will ask for plans and specifications to be thoroughly documented so that they can go ahead and do what they do best, which is build. Working out with the owner what you’re going to build and why is the architect’s role. • An architect manages planning approvals. This process is complex, often arbitrarily applied by many Councils, fraught with pitfalls for the novice and is ramped up every year with new hoops to jump. If you want a professional on your side who knows the territory, will go in to bat for you and will forge a way through this minefield, you need an architect. • If you’d prefer to put the works to tender to a number of builders rather than having to accept the quote of the builder you started the process with, you need an architect. • If you’d prefer to protect yourself with a proper, architect-managed ABIC contract that works equally for both parties and is legally enforceable, you need an architect. • An architect will minimise costly changes during construction as he or she will produce a proper level of drawings (expect 20 x A3 pages for a new home, rather than the 1-2 pages you’ll receive from a drafting service.). The reasons for this are that you have on paper exactly what you want to build. Without this, you are entering a contract with a builder with none of the details resolved. You wouldn’t do that if you were buying a house, so why do it when spending an equally significant amount of money? Unfortunately, some builders see this approach as an opportunity to happily accept constant changes from ‘project managing’ owners because it’s just another variation that he can charge for. The longer he is there, the better for his margins, particularly when there’s no contract to speak of. Finally, an architect is a specialist with a professional duty of care, irrespective of financial gain. In other words, they’re there to support and protect you, without benefit to themselves. No one else in the building industry can provide this.

Hi Vick, We are currently in the planning stage of knocking down our house and we have engaged with an architect who is pretty good. Let me know if you want her details. TC

Hi RJ, There seems to be some dangerously incorrect criticism floating about of using area rates to map out the cost for a project in the early stages, however we can use this to highlight to the Houzz community the appropriateness of using area rates to cost your project in the early stages. RJ you have done everything right in using an approximate area rate to map out your project costs before a designer is appointed!! Although there is some merit to note it is helpful to source your area rates from similar projects from the industry at that point in time - which can be obtained from a QS/Cost Planner/architect/designer - at least you are starting to think in realistic budget terms terms. $2K/m2 may/may not reflect what a builder can deliver for a bespoke design - depending of course on whether structure or kitchens / bathrooms are affected (i.e. check out this amazing kitchen / bathroom calculator from realeastate.com.au!! https://www.realestate.com.au/calculators/renovation-calculator/) ........however this is still getting you close to what might end up being the budget or the revised scope of work. The first thing your designer should do - almost before ANY drawings are done - is check your project budget matches your brief/scope of works by using Cost Plan A area rates and an 'Opinion of Probable Cost".. They can also identify if you are touching other parts of the site or scope that need to be taken into account that you may not have realised. At the start of a project, when there is no design yet, only plans with an approximate area scope of works (floor area schedules), it is what is referred to as "Cost Plan A" stage. Refer to this helpful description from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services; "Due to the very nature of information available, cost plan A is developed in conjunction with floor area schedules and should be based on data gathered from other similar projects, surveys of existing conditions and major project specific issues such as the suitability, age and condition of existing facilities, including upgrade of site services, asbestos removal, topography, heritage issues and so on."....http://www.capital.health.vic.gov.au/Planning_and_evaluation/Cost_plans/Cost_plan_stages/  One of the benefits of using an architect is that we are rigorously trained and registered to provide "Cost Advice", and right from the early stages using area rates. Building designers must provide this advice however are governed by consumer law and not by an Act of Parliament. When your project is at this stage there is clearly no 'Trade Breakdown" as the design hasn't even started yet!! And yet we must guide you as to an appropriate budget to match your scope of works. A responsible architect / building designer will test these area rates with industry-standard costings to identify an appropriate budget right from the beginning, so that we can make adjustments to the scope to ensure we can get excited about what you can really afford to build before the design is finished. Refer also to this helpful article by Choice on "what can go wrong"......but also what can go right when using an architect/building designer; https://www.choice.com.au/home-improvement/building-and-renovating/design-and-trades/articles/architects-designing-to-build-budget I love that you are already excited to begin looking at a shortlist of Pros in the Brisbane area and I wish you Good Luck!

I would not recommend containers... by the time you configure them, pop in footings, add doors, windows, insulate and roofing IMHO you may as well build a conservative plan with just what you need and or thought to add to it later. If the site is exposed to elements there may be extra requirements which building from scratch can incorporate but containers may not. All in all I think it would be much easier to go simple and conventional. Happy to assist with designing for you..... First thing to do is look up PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN and make sure you use the sun in living rooms to heat the home for FREE! Cheers Margot