Starting to build your own home can be both exciting and sometimes a little scary. Here's how the design process works:
STEP 1
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Gather together as many ideas as you can. Take the photos, flick through the magazines, scout through Pinterest and Houzz.com.au, drive around the new subdivisions and visit the showhomes to get an idea of the things you like and don't like. Some people present me with a full album of their design brief, while others have little or no idea what they want. That's okay.
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STEP 2
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We meet at your site to discuss what you would like. Here's some of the things we might talk about:
- The style of houses you like, wall and roof claddings, whether you prefer single or double storey - Number of bedrooms, office, sewing room, hobby zones, storage, computer nooks, bathrooms ... - Outdoor areas - pergolas, verandahs, patios - Preferred styles of windows and doors - bifolds, stackers, awning, casements ... - Heating - heat pump, fire, underfloor heating, radiators, electric or gas hot water - Garage or carport, workshop, extra space for the trailer, boat, motorbikes, 5 bay shed ... - Stud heights - 2.4m, 2.55m and 2.7m are the standard heights, and then we can think about slopes, or coving, or exposed rafters ... And lots more ... |
STEP 3
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We sign a "Short Form Agreement" and I draw up a sketch plan - a floor plan and an elevation, which I email to you. You pull out your red pen and let me know if we're heading in the right direction. We bounce emails back and forth for a while. Once you're happy with the sketch plan we move to ..
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STEP 4
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Preliminary plans - a dimensioned floor plan, four elevations and a site plan. You can take these to your builder to discuss 'ball-park costs', we can start talking to an Engineer about any work which is needed, sorting out Resource Consents if required, talk to kitchen designers etc. Once everyone is 100% happy, and all changes are locked in we move to ...
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STEP 5
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I draw up working drawings and specifications, ready for me to lodge the building consent application with the Council, and for you to put out for pricing with your builders. The Council normally takes about 3 weeks to process your application, and then you and your builder can begin.
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