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Keep Your Architect Honest

Prepare your own cost plan

 

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Article on renovation costs by Jonathan Drane

I Thought It Would Only Cost...?!

People are amazed to find that their budget is blown almost in the first few days of the project.

People think that the main source of cost blowouts occurs during construction, however the ability to effect cost is actually far greater in the early 'concept' or 'dream' phase of the project.

The Dream Phase

Think of your dream car, let's say it is a ferrari. Now think of the most economical and practical car, let's say it is a 'VW Golf'. With the change of a thought, you can effect the car budget by tens of thousands of dollars.

When you first envisage your new home renovation, you do the same thing. You use that magazine article with the amazing kitchen, the home improvement show with the incredible verandah.. all these form your internal dream of what the end product should look like.

Be Careful What You Wish For

The problem is that when you take this 'dream' to a designer, who in effect makes the dream come to reality through his/her design, they take a cue from your dream. If you envisage the vogue kitchen, then a vogue kitchen you will get!

Dream Police

In the 'dream' stage the 'dream home' emerges in one's mind, and with the simple change of a thought, the new home can change dramatically. Depending on what 'thought' you end up with, before or during your brief to the architect, your cost can be blown dramatically.

In order to solve this, you need to understand one key principle.. police  your dream before you brief the designer.

That sounds easy, but how do you do this without a design? The answer is that you may not be able to draw up a design, but you are able to plan it and describe it in your own way, before the designer is on the project!

You will also be surprised to know that you can establish a 'ballpark' cost relatively easily by your self, or if you are not confident with this, then through a quantity surveyor or cost consultant.

Space Control

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Thought It Would Only Cost...?!

Blew your budget in the first few days!!?

Watch this video..

 

Fail to Plan?. Plan to Fail  

Prepare your own family masterplan

Watch this video..

 

I Had A Dream..!!?

Has your dream reno turned nightmare on you!!?

Watch this video..

 

 
 

Don't Overcapitalise

Use our 'Rich House, Poor House Method.

Watch this video..

     

 

I Jumped In the Deep End  

And Found I Didn't Have any Floaties!

Watch this video..

 

 
 
   

Remember one key principle when it comes to policing your dream, and that is space costs money. The bigger the space, the more the cost. The higher the quality of space, the higher the cost. The more complex the shape, the more the cost.

Quantity surveyors use a method called 'spatial cost planning' when they do their initial estimates. It is very simple, they work out a list of spaces, then work out the area of the spaces individually, and then they apply a cost per m2 to the space. This gives them their ballpark estimate.

The beauty about this is that if the space changes in quality or size, the cost changes also in their estimate.

Article by Jonathan Drane

First published March 2009 on www.jondrane.net this article is copyright all rights reserved .

 

If you are already in a bind with this topic, then here are some ideas*:

- Prepare a list  of spaces in your new renovation

-Allocate a m2 area to each space

-Apply a $ rate per m2 to each space (see our cost planning tool  or research 'average  building costs per m2 of renovation of your type in your region').

-Calculate the overall cost.

-Use a spreadsheet to do the above if possible, and change the size or quality of the spaces so that you arrive at an acceptable budget figure.

The end result is a cost plan which 'targets' the size, quality and cost of your new renovation. This can be used as a briefing document to your designer, who should be asked to validate the costs per m2. You have in effect created a 'space control'

 

 

 

Whose Project Is It Anyway?

Has your architect got you by the..!!?

Watch this video..

 

 

 

Learn More About This Topic

This topic is covered under the following on our web site:

-our e-guides called 'The Concept Phase' and 'The Cost Plan',  see our Catalogue

- Our 'Space Plan' and 'Cost Plan' tool see Tool Kit

- our Starter's Webinar

 

 
     

* The ideas we offer are for assistance, however enactment of them requires that you undertake your own review, seek separate advice or brief a lawyer if the situation is extreme. We take no responsibility for the effectiveness of the ideas, nor are they to be taken as direct advice, as we are not privy to the actual situation you are facing. Each situation requires its own special assessment by you and other required parties.

 

   

 

 

   

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