Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Sep 10, 2013 4:22 pm We plan to develop a block of land (currently owned by a close relative) into battleaxe double storey config. As part of the feasibility process, we really want to confirm that the building footprints and outdoor areas would satisfy our requirements as well as fit in the council regs and /WAPC restrictions. We selected a builder we liked and asked them to sketch up a site diagram to identify the building envelope. They said they would, but then only drew half the diagram before telling us the company policy had changed and could not complete the task without a deposit. We agreed, but now they aren't even responding to our communications! Now we are wondering whether we're better off going to an independent architect to help with a site sketch, or whether building broker is the way to go, or just find another builder. Any thoughts greatly appreciated Re: Choosing between Architect, Building Agent, Project Buil 2Sep 11, 2013 11:32 am Your budget will dictate which direction you will take. A project home ( standard plan & layout from their in-house designers ) will cost you somewhere in the $1100-$1500 per sq m for an average style/medium quality build. These guys can give you a lot of floor space for a reasonable price. A one-off design done by a good building designer or draftsman will cost $3000 - $5000 for the plans and $2500 - $3000 per sqm to build for a reasonably well appointed dwelling. An architect will cost you double that and for a top quality home you would be looking at $3000+ per sq m. There are of course all sorts of variances to this depending on your site , access, final design, total floor area etc Most builders are just that - builders so your first port of call should be to a draftsman or architect that is familiar with your local council and open to what YOU want to build and not Plan 465 off his database. Stewie Re: Choosing between Architect, Building Agent, Project Buil 3Sep 11, 2013 3:16 pm Thanks Stewie The block (which is in suburban Perth) is long and thin (only 15m wide), so I expect front/rear designs will have to be custom in order to maximise efficiency with respect to the block's dimensions. Budget always seems to be the first point of consideration. But were hoping that: first work out if it would all fit onto the block, and then second, see how much it would cost, then third, work out the finances. Perhaps that's why we're finding this feasibility process difficult! Thanks again! Re: Choosing between Architect, Building Agent, Project Buil 4Sep 11, 2013 3:23 pm I think your going about it a bit back to front 4kids - I would work out my finances first before even thinking about who to go to - just about anything is achievable if you throw enough time and money at it. There is no point spending 10 grand having an architect draw up an amazing plan only to discover that it will cost 600k to build but you can only afford 400k and believe me it happens Building is always about compromise (unless money is not an option) and even then sometimes it's a compromise with council regs and neighbours etc. So decide finance (ball park) then even if you go to an architect / building designer / builder you can say I want this, this and this and this is my budget. Lots of Luck Akb <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=62083">viewtopic.php?t=62083</a><!-- l --> Re: Choosing between Architect, Building Agent, Project Buil 5Aug 14, 2014 1:52 pm Hi 4kids, How did you go with your feasibility? Keen to hear about your approach and experience. We are trying to do a feasibility study on (a) project builder (b) architect design + custom builder (c) draftsman (builder's own) + custom builder. To AKB's point - our starting point was to nominate our budget. Re: Choosing between Architect, Building Agent, Project Buil 6Aug 14, 2014 3:46 pm Hey johndoe, yeah the project fell through because our counterparts pulled the plug on the project. It seems that it's necessary to put money down during the feasibility study, because no one will design (or confirm an existing design) for a house AND put it through the council without some kind of commitment. So I'm still stuck on the catch22 of: 1) with a small block size and the limits of residential codes - can we fit the house we want onto the block? 2) if it does fit, then can we afford to do it at all? From my investigation, a 'building agent' seems to manage the whole process, and charge the builder a commission. If you don't continue down the line, they'll charged a flat fee. This might be the simplest way to do the feasibility ... but we never got that far Re: Choosing between Architect, Building Agent, Project Buil 7Aug 14, 2014 8:24 pm You can estimate a footprint size, based on the prices per metre squared in posts above, and your budget. Be realistic about what your budget will build and always allow for some breathing space. From there, go to a designer and get them to design something based on the size your budget will allow. (you will need to pay for this). You then take it to a quantity surveyor who can give you an accurate price for construction. This will also cost you money, but is well worth it. You may need to tweak the design based on the QA's build price. Finishes and product choices can make a big difference to price. Once you have a design you like that should be within your budget, take it to some builders to quote. Re: Choosing between Architect, Building Agent, Project Buil 8Aug 14, 2014 9:46 pm It's true that you will need to put down some money for your feasibility study. There is really no free lunch on this especially you are going to customized plans. You better off set a budget for yourself first. My experience is that I set myself a minimum budget which is what I told my potential builders/designers etc.. They might not tell you anything and walk away or will tell you how much they would be expecting for something to happen. I also set an upper limit for my budget as well so things don't get out of hand. I told my builder this when I chose the one I want to go with so everyone knows the limit and work on it. Some hints on your budget, try to work out the must have ones first and anything that cannot be done at later stage. ie: You don't want to add an extra toilet or room in few years time. but you can change your actual toilet any time later if you can't afford the best one the time you build. Be prepared to drop 1k ~ 3k for a concept design / feasibility study when you find the builder/designer you want to go with. Work from there and good luck! Re: Choosing between Architect, Building Agent, Project Buil 9Aug 14, 2014 11:19 pm +1 to the advice from Snowing and tjilpi 4kids - We are kind of going through a similar phase - the last bit of feasibility. My starting point was our budget. We then did a quick assessment and figured out how much sqm we are likely to get (the only guide we had was a generic price of around $1300 to $1500 per sqm for an average level of finish quality/bespoke design). Once we had an idea of how spacious/large the house was likely to be (and that we were going to be happy with that size +/- 10%), I sent off heaps of emails to Architects/Designers asking if they would be interested in designing a house for a price around the $1500 sqm mark. We did not go down the custom builder.draftsman for this concept/feasibility phase as we wanted to retain ownership & control of the drawings. You will be surprised at how many architects/designers walk away at this point. I asked them questions around the average build cost per sqm for the last few builds they have done - that helped me filter a bit more. In the end, I landed up with two that I could have a conversation with. If you are more concerned about the size/spaciousness and what you are allowed to build because of council/SEPP regs, you might get an indication from having a look at the SEPP regs first. Have to start somewhere - pick one $$$ or size (sqm) and run that thread down. Your build is relatively simple, I believe your job can be easily done by a good building designer, you really do not need to pay for the architect. Remember, architect's… 3 8360 Before you rip it up, if you can in the grout lines, drill some holes and pour/inject techgrip by sika. I have used it to bond mdf to timber, but in the process it dripped… 1 2990 Not much in this responce. My suggestion is, what are you looking to build and why. This will all be impacted by the local councils planning scheme. Familiarise yourself… 6 4946 |