Well said! I have to add this too: Architects don't just design pretty houses or draft plans. We are professional consultants who offer a variety of consultation services in many forms ranging from occasional hourly consults to regular on-site observation and management of construction contracts. Just because you have a stock plan and are on a budget does not mean you don't need an Architect. In fact, the cost over-runs that can occur due to the *lack* of an Architect consultant on your stock plan building project can cost you significantly more than what was "saved" on the Architect's consulting fee or even the costs "savings" for having foregone an Architect's custom design on the plans. And if you are contracting it yourself, the value of an experienced consulting Architect is immeasurable. Architects are not expensive designers. We are primarily thinkers, planners and puzzle solvers, and when it comes to building we are experienced ones!

your question has opened the flood gates!! so, not in any special order, first check with local council to clarify legal responsibilities as owner builder, i did a training course, organised special building insurance, had all the power tools and extension cords certified to be safe to use on site, set up safety barriers, did most of our demolition, hired machinery and scaffolding, rubbish removal (about 45x20kms trips to the local tip, recycling (required by BASIX) loaded, unloaded moved and rearranged millions of bricks, pavers and other supplies and equipment...Make sure you understand your plans and have thoroughly researched every aspect of the build down to placement of power points and outside taps and brand, texture, size and preferred colour of every surface (eg which gutter do you need?) and have that info in writing on paper with pictures and measurements immediately available in a BIG FOLDER and with extra copies of brochures and installation instructions (eg for taps, toilets, light fittings, sizes of window and floor covering and keep contact names and phone numbers and accounts with all the local suppliers, use email for negotiating quotes and confirm every agreement in writing ...address all suppliers by name and appreciate any special service, keep a diary of what's happening when, where and by whom, confirm delivery dates and manpower in advance, organise supplies on site well in advance (and keep a map of what is stored and where its stored and label the boxes to identify which item goes where) you don't want to be paying for trades to stand around while you try and find a forgotten tap...Manage the correct timeline for each stage and allow for contingencies.... i think the hardest part is having all the suppliers and trades take you seriously and treat your job with the importance that you think it deserves...try and think of every possible contingency and then expect the weather will ruin the timetable or the waterproofer has a family emergency and the plumber and tiler and cabinetmaker and electrician can't work on the bathroom for weeks (so have a list of alternate trades and optional wet weather projects that might be able to be done out of sequence )..we always think we'll save money by dealing directly to cut out the "finder fee" charged by the professional builder but, although we've had very successful outcomes for several owner built projects we eventually discovered that a good builder is worth his fee and eg ours was able to save about $8000 (30%) off the cost of windows for our latest project because his ongoing relationship with the supplier has earned him fabulous discounts and also his reputation meant deliveries were always on time and the quality of work is excellent because suppliers and trades want his repeat business and, although my tradies have always been very happy with my home made hot food and very impressed with not having to do the daily clean up, most owner builders usually have real jobs, homes and families to take care of so it's exhausting just thinking about it all!!

You can see the bush from your back door or you’ve heard from ‘Bill’ down the road, who thinks that the street might be classed as being within a bushfire zone – so what now? The bushfire zone & processing can all be a little confusing at first, especially if you haven’t tackled it before; but relax, there IS a way through it. Building even in the highest level bushfire zone doesn’t stop you from building, it just impacts & limits what your material options are. Have a look at this outdoor living, deck & patio cover we created at West Pymble. This construction actually ticked pretty much every box. Development Application through Ku-ring gai Council There is an easement running right under the deck The property is classed as BAL FZ – to put it simply that means we couldn’t use any timber within the construction So can you tell? Does the finished result look so far different to what you had in your mind? Being classed as a BAL Flame Zone (FZ) doesn’t mean the end of your outdoor living dream. To learn more about this particular deck/patio cover outdoor living area in West Pymble, click through here to go through to the case study. Essentially there are 3 first steps that you need to take to find out IF you are in a BAL zone & if you are, what zone you actually are. Step One – Confirm if you are in bushfire prone land This can be done quickly & for free a number of ways. If you have recently bought the home, dig out all of your paperwork/contract of sale etc & look for a council document titled ‘149 (2)(5) Certificate’. This will have a section which advises if you are located in bushfire prone land. Alternatively, check online via the NSW Rural Fire Service website. Just plug in your street address & it will come up a yeah or a neah. Easy; however & remember that this is only step one. Step Two – Confirm your BAL Zone Huh?? What’s a BAL Zone I hear you ask? This is the biggest piece in the puzzle & without this we really don’t know where we are heading. For instance, it might be obvious that you are in a BAL Zone, but there might be a house between you & the bush, so the level could be either BAL 29 or BAL 40. In terms of construction this could be the difference of timber vs no timber for your deck or being able to use light panels or not within your patio cover. So this changes the aesthetics, feel, materials & cost of your project. BAL = Bushfire Attack Level & it is a calculation based upon the amount of radiant heat which may affect your property. The higher the level of radiant heat, the more protection you will need when you construct. So what are the BAL zones? Have a look at the table in thelink to get the full picture. BAL LOW is the lowest bushfire risk & BAL FZ the highest. Your BAL Zone is determined by a number of factors where you live including, the vegetation surrounding you, the distance of this vegetation from your home & the slope of the land. Whether you are planning the construct via a Development Application through your local council or via CDC (Complying Development Certificate) through a PCA you will require a written BAL report. Some Local Councils can provide this service or even local private bushfire consultants are available as well. If you are putting it into the too hard basket, we are here to obtain this report for you, so don’t stress. Step Three – Material & Design Selection You have now found out your BAL zone, so you can understand what material options are available to you & get the best design for your outdoor living area. This blog will help you understand your design options. Essentially, the higher the BAL level, the greater the risk, thus the more limitations there are on the materials you can select for your patio cover or deck outdoor living area. We’ve created the tables in the link to try & keep it simple & clear to understand – however, keep in mind that this is very generalised & you will need to seek further advice prior to proceeding with any construction.

What comes to mind when you think about cladding costs? Perhaps material costs are the first thing that comes to mind. There are many factors beyond the purchase price of materials that need to be considered for a project. Best practice is looking at the long-term value of the project and asking yourself what cladding type will give you the best possible outcome. How hard is it to install? Another cost front of mind may be the installation cost of a cladding product. Installation costs will vary depending on your choice of cladding material. Inflexible and heavy materials such as brick, fibre cement and timber can require additional transport costs to get them to site. Some of these products may also require specialised labour and equipment for installation, therefore, increasing completion times and costs. A flexible and lightweight system, however, is easily transported and easy to install, saving you on both time and money. How long will it last? Some materials are made to last a lifetime. While some are at the mercy of the elements and require ongoing maintenance and replacement. In areas of extreme weather conditions, cladding types that are susceptible to rotting, warping, splintering or fading are not ideal for the project. Cladding that easily wears will require repainting, re-staining or even removing – adding significant costs onto a project over time. It is also important to ensure your cladding product is safe and compliant with Building Code of Australia – Since the onslaught of recent tower fires Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) have been restricted. If you use or have used this cladding you may be mandated by the law to remove and replace it – another costly exercise. How does it look? Eveyone’s goal is to make their project or home attractive for many years to come. The warmth timber delivers is a popular building aesthetic – but finding a product that looks great and can remain looking aesthetically pleasing is a difficult task. While natural timber may be an obvious choice, if it is not maintained it will warp, splinter and start presenting an unpleasant appearance. Vinyl claddings are cheaper and claim to be timber-like in appearance. However, they often disappointment with their visibly plastic looking texture. Powder-coated, sublimated aluminium cladding can achieve the natural look and feel of timber, without the issues of rotting or fading. This allows your cladding to remain visually appealing for years! DecoClad Looking for a cladding system that is durable, easy-to-install and appealing to the eye? Look no further than DecoClad! Made from solid aluminium, the sublimated, powder-coated cladding system provides a rich and textured timber grain finish for your project. DecoClad retains its beautiful appearance in extreme weather conditions. The Super Durable finish protects the cladding from wear and tear, eliminating the necessity for on-going maintenance other than cleaning. The solid aluminium profiles are light weight, fire-safe and very easy to install and transport. To find out more about cladding costs, what to look out for and how all aspects of cost can affect your project visit www.deco.net.au.