Advice When Building or Renovating an Existing Building

No matter the age of the building, there is always scope to renovate, and if you are starting a new build, you can impress your personality and ideas directly on to the original design. However, we advise that you never tackle a construction project or renovate without professionally designed plans developed by a licensed professional designer.

Don’t overestimate your skills

It takes years of practice to design and build a house well. And, while you think you may be able to save a few dollars by doing some of the work yourself, building or renovating can be problematic in more ways than one. Without the assistance of a qualified designer, and advice from a builder, you may run the risk of underestimating the cost of the project which could potentially halt the project as it nears completion due to budgetary constraints.

Hire a professional with all-encompassing knowledge

While you may have a good understanding of the aesthetics of your finished design, you will need to consider other aspects such as council restrictions, current structure, the age of the building, and orientation, just to name a few. There is a lot to take into account when it comes to the design and build, and without a solid design plan to back you up, meeting your budget and deadlines can be problematic.

Poor design can lead to property devaluation

Your aim is to maximise the value of your home should you choose to sell in the future. Poorly laid out and developed plans can actually go a long way in decreasing the value and destroying any investment potential. A qualified designer will be able to not only give their opinion on your design, but their ideas are also supported by years of design experience that an afternoon or two of internet research could not even begin to compete with.

Seemingly small errors can cost a lot to repair

Failure to possess the engineering knowledge that needs to accompany a quality building design can lead to issues which may be missed in the early stages of the project. If your structural design is deficient then the cost to repair it can be immense. Failure to use a qualified designer may result in you not being able to recoup the money you put into the property which would be a huge shame. It is vital that you take the time to get it right the first time.

Inadequate building design is not covered by insurance

While you may think you can get the job done yourself, you need to understand that if your building starts to deteriorate rapidly because of an initial design fault, your insurance company will not pay a claim if it was something you knew about or should have reasonable knowledge about. This will apply to design faults as well as structural faults due to inadequate design plans. This can have a significant impact on future repairs, and you may find that you have to sell at a lower price to recoup even some of your financial investment.