Expert advice can save you from a renovation and building nightmare

​Designing a renovation or a new home is a uniquely personal experience, all people, families and sites are different.
 
Whether you are renovating or building a highly customised home in an established suburb or building a kit home in a residential estate, things can and often do go wrong including:

• costly re-working of design to comply with Council;
• scope creep leading to cost and time blow-outs;
• disputes with builders over quality; and
• building code non-compliance. 
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Having expert advice from the initial concept design stage can save you a lot of potential heartache.
 
In an ideal world all home owners are able to follow these 10 steps to a dream renovation or build:

1. Engage an architect from the concept design stage
2. Architect develops a clear brief based on what you and your family want and need
3. Architect designs to your brief in the context of budget, town planning requirements and buildability
4. You review designs and develop clear expectation of achievable design outcome
5. Architect gains town planning approval
6. Architect compiles a detailed scope of works
7. Architect manages tender process to secure the right builder at the right price for the project
8. Architect lets the build contract and continues to manage and check in on the build to ensure the build is occurring according to design, building code requirements and time allowed within the contract
9. Architect acts as a mediator between owner and builder to negotiate costs if scope changes are desired or required.
10. Renovation or build is completed on time and on budget, client’s design and build expectations are met and they are delighted with the project outcome.

 
Often the reality is a home owner hasn’t had an architect involved in all aspects of the design, approvals and build process.  However, when issues arise it is never too late to have an Architect on your side. 
 
Milton Architects are experts in town planning regulations and building code requirements and can get involved at any stage of your project to trouble-shoot or help avoid looming problems.
 
Here are some of ways we have assisted clients on an hourly rate basis with issues:

• Inspections for compliance with building code requirements and recommendations for how builder can ‘make good’ to ensure compliance.
• Recommendations for project home builders
• Checking in on the progress of a project home build and compliance with design and building code
• Representing clients at the Queensland Building and Construction Commission
• Acting as an expert witness and report writing for submissions to; the Land Environment Court, Supreme Court of Victoria and the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

 
If you would like a dream build experience from the beginning, contact Stephen Milton on 0410 660 538 for an initial consultation to discuss your ideas. Milton Architects don’t have a defined residential architectural style as each project has unique requirements and each client has individual tastes.  We make our clients wants and vision come alive.