A common way people go about buying a home from a builder is to get an independent designer or Architect to design their home.
This way they own the plans and then can shop it to builders to get the best price. Sounds like a good idea, right?
So, is it really a good idea or is it a bad idea? And if it is a bad idea what is the alternative?
The idea of hiring an Architect or Designer to design your home is a popular move that people wanting to build do. It costs a bit up front but in theory the end result will be a sharper price.
Architects and designers can come up with beautiful homes that have creative features that really make the home amazing. Being artistic they can certainly bring your home to life with style and architectural features.
However, the issue often arises with costs. Is the Architect and designer aware of what their design will really cost in the end? It may look good but if the client can’t afford it then it’s kind of pointless. Unfortunately, in a lot of cases the price does blow out and the process is deflating.
This is what happens, they talk to you, get your brief, take it away and design this amazing home and fall in love with it. They will say, I have worked it on this sqm rate or it should be around this figure.
You love it. Pay for it and then take your design to builders to price so you can select the best and go from there… unfortunately this rarely unfolds this way.
When you go to get the home priced (some builder won’t price it) you will often, not always, find that the home comes in way over budget. We often hear $50,000 – $120,000 over budget. This leaves you in a tough position, you either have to find the extra money or you have to start pulling things out of the home that you love. This leaves most people disappointed and disheartened.
You see, with this process you are hiring them to design the home, not design and build the home. So, their goals are different. One ticks the box of design, the other ticks the boxes, great design, that fits the client’s budget and can be built.
At Independent Building Advice we design homes for you that look amazing but designing the home is only one part of what we do. We know what things cost, we know what is involved in building and we know how to design to a budget. So, when you sign off on the final design, you know it’s going to go ahead. Not to mentioning helping you all the way through.
We also are the ones who takes it to builders on your behalf. So were not doing our job if the home is not affordable. This service normally gives you a superior design but will also save you money.
Reach out to Independent Building Advice today to chat about how we can help.
