Do I need a Drafts person or building designer?
Victoria Howe
5 years ago
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Comments (3)Yes, of course. All they'd be caring about is what they will be doing first in the build schedule. Your floors will be one of the first internal fit-outs to be done. They'd need to potentially be getting quotes and orders of timber/tiles at framing stage....So not to hold you up if you choose a tile that is sitting on a dock somewhere and 3mth away. Bigreaders advice is good. Houzz is awesome to help you determine your style and colour pallet....See MoreWhich pro? Architect, builder, building designer? Help!
Comments (8)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!...See Morearchitect vs building designer
Comments (3)No, architect's don't just do "big budget"....but custom design just can't compete with the cost efficiencies that volume housing companies can achieve. $400K is super tight for a custom designed home no matter how small it is. I could give you a pretty accurate trade breakdown on a new house scenario (without designing anything) and dealing with say a minimised scale/size) and when you stack up the costs starting with preliminaries and then considering if you are an acreage situation considering services trenching in, site establishment flag falls, larger scale external aspects, even done conservatively you'll be more realistically/likely talking $700K ballpark minimum as a start and will go up from there depending upon certain decisions & detail........You need to be thinking $3500/m2 as a minimum for a custom scenario so unless the house is super small/apartment/unit sized ( which doesn't make sense on an acreage scenario) you'll have your budget challenged.........I crunch these numbers on a daily basis and I'm not exaggerating or being loose - but hope this helps give you a gauge for your decision making moving forward......Whilst I am a passionate advocate for architecture & quality design, I'm also super conscious of the realistic of what it practically costs to achieve the built results and you need a certain amount to achieve a certain scale of building when they are "one-offs" with minimal inherent economies of scale........... Possibly in your case you may be best to pursue a new home at an under $400K budget with a smaller design & construct packaged builder who kind of does a certain thing regularly so you can possibly achieve some system cost efficiencies but also get some customisation/flexibility....steer clear of the bigger companies because they as you say will be inflexible........ best of luck! Cheers PD...See MoreDesign/drafting serving the illawarra
Comments (5)can you send me the site details and address? just Message or email alexg.3da@gmail.com I will ask my bushfire consultant to check and quote...See MoreVictoria Howe
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