Browse Forums Renovation + Home Improvement 1 Feb 14, 2014 10:23 pm Hello, THANKS FOR READING THIS POST! My wife and I have met with a few draftsmen and spoken to a few architects regarding our extension. We are looking to; - add a master bedroom with WIR and ensuite - additional larger living area - new deck - adjust kitchen to compliment larger home - (if) possible to have a total of four bedrooms - carport/ garage - we have a narrowish driveway on a slop - anything else that is suggested or comes up - we do not want a second storey the extension must be added to the back of the house We have an inundation overlay on the block. We are on a budget so believe the best thing we can do is leave the existing home as realisticly untouched or unchanged as possible. So the draftsman we have in mind has given us an estimate of about $10,000 to get us to building permit stage, the final amount depends on engineer reports and stuff we will only know is required once we get our hands dirty. I spoke to an architect and he said "yeah I will charge more than your draftsman, probably about $5000 more but I will save you more in the long run" His message was better design, more detailed drawings equates to better builder estimates and therefore better chance that I get the best spend of my dollar. That was the theme. I AM NOW CONFUSED Considering our general design brief is extend at the back of the house and have it match our existing home (which is all ok just too small) do I really require that "extra" an architect provides? By no means am I disappointed with the draftsman I have spoken to. Will there be a substantial difference in what is drawn between the two? Is it a reality that the extra money spent on an architect is easily made up with overall project savings? Who would be better to keep within my budget? Hope my post makes sense, I really appreciate people's thoughts! Thanks Pete HELP -- Starting an extension - Draftsman VS Archtect 2Feb 16, 2014 9:20 am Heh.. my bias to disclose.. I used to be an architect. If you want something that stays within your budget, choose the building designer/draftsman. Didn't see that coming did you? Completed a knock down and rebuild in northern Melbourne. Handover completed 27/09/2013 and now moved in. Re: HELP -- Starting an extension - Draftsman VS Archtect 3Feb 16, 2014 12:15 pm If you choose a building designer, make sure you see examples of their finished work and speak to at least three former clients. Also make sure the plans are fully detailed and examine them carefully for mistakes or oversights. Get everybody to have a look at them - even the postman! We are still dealing with problems caused by our designer's lack of attention to detail and failure to even try to understand the site. Don't trust their judgement; double check everything and employ a building inspector. Re: HELP -- Starting an extension - Draftsman VS Archtect 4Mar 13, 2014 4:46 pm We live in a small brick/tile home that we built as late teenagers 32 years ago on acreage. We have decided to undertake a considerable extension/renovation which consists of a master suite, large open kitchen/living area (kitchen, dining, butler’s pantry, storage), laundry, media room, study and alfresco and to change the façade. I decided to contact six Designers and "interviewed" each onsite. One of them just felt like the right person and we went with him. He only prepares the concept not the working drawings. Presented us with the concept a couple of days ago and it blew us away. We absolutely love it, fits the brief perfectly and melds the old with the new with a modern twist. Saved money by using some existing internal walls which we were sure would have to be removed. He works in with someone who can prepare the working plans or is happy for us to have our own draftsman and he then checks the drawings against his concept. He will also meet with the builder to ensure everything is correct. 10/10 so far. Re: HELP -- Starting an extension - Draftsman VS Archtect 5Mar 13, 2014 7:20 pm And just make sure that your designer signs a clause in the contract that states that the proposed building works must fall inside your quoted building budget. No point having plans drawn up that are actually not affordable once the tender docs come back. Our 'simple' plans (sic) came in double our budget. Expensive waste paper. Hi, We have a single story MacDonald Jones house, on a waffle pod slab with steel frame. Are we able to build a second story extension? Other info is we are 900mm from… 0 8461 Hello Josh, This is Irving from PRIMA, we are a manufacturer of the staircase, railings, kitchen cabinets, windows, doors from China. If you have requirement to purchase… 0 5456 |