Browse Forums Renovation + Home Improvement 1 Nov 17, 2013 8:29 pm Hi All!!! First time poster!! My husband and I have just purchased a home in the Inner West of Sydney. It is a structurally sound double brick and tile 1930s house. It is dated and needs a makeover. Internal is 80sqm, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom and small living/kitchen/dining. Our intention to have a :- - open plan living, kitchen and dining area that opens onto a lovely deck/backyard. - new bathroom, kitchen - add 3rd bedroom with ensuite. - possible carport or garage. - Not sure if we want to go a level up or extend. We have had conflicting fees proposals from architects ranging from $10k to 30k plus. what do people think is a reasonable deal and what should the architect do in exchange for that? Cheers Re: HELP!! Need advice on Architect costs...... 2Nov 18, 2013 11:32 am If you already have a fair idea of what you intend to do I'd just opt for a draftsman rather than architect. If you do need some advice though it can be really worthwhile getting an architect plus good design can really add value to your house - you also need the funds to pull off the design though. A mate of mine used an architect for his garage/granny flat and it is a work of art. Everything design wise works so well in terms of practicality as well as isolating noise from garage/bathroom/bedroom. The architect did all the council stuff, was often on site checking the work and discussing issues with the builder and also came a year after completion just to check everything was still ok. I can't say I would've used an architect for such a project but can see the value in it if you have the money. http://camdenbuild.blogspot.com.au/ by invite only please pm me Re: HELP!! Need advice on Architect costs...... 3Nov 20, 2013 2:18 pm Hi, It sounds like you know what you want, so a draftsman can get you what you want for a lot less money. A Draftsman may not have the UNI degree that an Architect has, but many (if not all) work with or have worked with architects preparing plans and documents for them. If they work for themselves, then they are also doing the designing themselves, so design and construction knowledge is a must for any draftsman, as are council rules and requirements Don't get me wrong, I am not playing down what Architects do. They work hard and have an very challenging job. Many of them produce some amazing buildings and are very passionate about their work. But at the end of the day, an Architect may be surplus to your requirements and you could end up paying a lot of money when you don't really need to. I would look into hiring a good draftsman if architects fees are looking a bit too steep - Mark 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 11417 I've just had a look at the website. The company are just building broker's. There are plenty of similar companies that basically draw your plans (they own them so you… 8 11858 Levelling compound Ardit is the best but buy a bag of sand and make sand dam to protect your wood floor 2 15599 |