Question 1

How does the home design process in Canberra work?

Accepted Answer

As mentioned above, there are 3 primary avenues to take when it comes to home design. The first is to have your own idea and bring it to us. We will design the blueprint and refine it until perfect. The second is to take one of our 15 preset designs and tweak it to make it yours. These plans come with energy efficient design and are elegant yet budget friendly. Finally, we can build a project from your own project that you have worked with an architect on.

Question 2

Does Canberra Home Builders have the necessary qualifications for these home designs?

Accepted Answer

We would not be home builders if we did not have all of the licences and registration numbers. Our registration numbers are as follows: ACT Builders Licence - 2009700, NSW Builders License - 219055C, and ABN - 22 120 091 625. We also offer public liability insurance, a 6 year structural warranty, a 90 day defect guarantee and are members of Master Builders New South Wales.

Question 3

How can I reduce home design costs in Canberra?

Accepted Answer

One thing you can do is go to a ‘design and build’ contractor like Canberra Home Builders. If you select an architect then they may draft up plans that look fantastic but without the cost in mind. Not all of them do this, but it is a better approach to work with a builder that has preset designs to tweak. You could also have to pay a significant amount in architect fees for design plans that may never materialise - because they are too expensive to create! A double whammy.

Question 4

What is wrong with going to an architect?

Accepted Answer

You can bring your own architect-drafted plans to us, and we can work on them without a problem. But there are advantages to working directly with us. Architects get paid upfront, so they have less ‘skin in the game’, while the builder is responsible for complex designs that may be quite impractical. They might also be more concerned with designing wonderful buildings that enhance their reputation and look great on their portfolio. Which is great, except they are not actually paying for the building. It’s fairly simple - they have less risk and little incentive in reducing costs. However, if you are set on making the home of your dreams and don’t care about spending some extra capital, then the architect is the way to go, and we will work with the architect to make your dream home come to life.

Question 5

How long does it take to get home design and approval?

Accepted Answer

This really depends on a number of factors. We will need to go back and forth a few times on the design to get it right, and this stage can take anywhere between 1 - 4 months. This part can’t be rushed, and we need to be clear on the entire process before we commence work. We take care of all council approvals. This takes around 6 weeks on average. In fact, we can take care of a lot of the red tape involved in a new home build.

Question 6

How long does the build process take?

Accepted Answer

This depends on the size of your home and the complexity. We cannot give any reasonable estimate until the plans are finalized. However, once the plans are made concrete, we can tell you a completion date. On average, an Australian home will take between 6 - 12 months to be completed once everything is in place. Higher quality homes will often take longer to create.

Question 7

What is the difference between a building designer, an architect, and a building contractor?

Accepted Answer

A building designer is similar to an architect. They will have less education in terms of creating building drafts, but their services are often far more affordable. A building contractor is an organization that you hire to execute on the blueprint/drafts. They will give you a quote, get the necessary approvals, and hire a team of tradespeople to build the house. With increases in technology and company formation, many of these formerly separate roles can overlap, such as a building contractor with an in-house architect. For cost-effective home designs in Canberra or to simply turn your blueprint into a structural reality, call Richard Bradford now on 02 6171 6104 for a no-obligation quote.

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Dr Tom Forrest

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