Extending / Renovating
Who should you call first? A builder?
“Builders undertake the building works so it is understandable that most people call a builder first. Builders have lots of experience in building- that is what they specialise in!“
When you invite a Builder to your home and ask “what can I do to make my living area bigger?” and “how much will it cost?” the builder will guess an answer because they don’t know how big your ideas are or how elaborate you want your house to be. What a builder really wants is a full set of drawings that they costs and use to build your dreams. So how do you get there- You contact an Architect First! An architect will work with you to determine how much space you really want, how to make your house feel like yours, help you work out what level of finish you want and what will suit your budget. Taking time to work with an Architect not only helps you get exactly what you want, but can also save you time and money. Making a change on a drawing is simpler and cheaper than making that same change during the building stage. If your drawings aren’t detailed enough then any undocumented items will need to be solved during the building stage. Savings found by engaging for simple, quick drawings will be soon eaten up with a builder, plumber and carpenter standing around on site for hours trying to find the best way forward, at multiple stages of the build. Take the BEST first step towards your new home.