CUSTOM HOME RENOVATION AND DESIGN

by Dwell Building Services | August 2020 | Custom Home Design

There’s a well-noted trend that around November each year, people really start wanting to renovate their home…in time for Christmas! The big question is…why do we wait until it’s almost too late to do things? We’re all equally guilty in this particular phenomena. We over-estimate what we can do in a year but under-estimate what we can do in a decade. We have a naturally warped sense of time.

Critical to the building process is design. If you don’t have plans drawn up it’s hard to get to the next stage putting those plans into action.

Panic is the enemy of good planning. If you are going to try and get any renovation work done you need to go through the planning stage well in advance with the help of a professional. Who is not us. As much as we would like to take credit for all aspects of the beautiful things we build, there is that planning element of design that happens before we get the tools out.

It is a romanticized ideal of The Builder who can look at a room and measure it with only his eyeball then recall those figures when ordering timber.  This fictional character can pull an accurate quote out of thin air without consulting other trades. His name is Super Builder. He does not exist.

In the preliminary stages, you’re right to come to us and talk to us about budget parameters and general requirements - because why plan a renovation you might not be able to afford?  We’ll then recommend someone that we know and trust to draw the plans for your home renovation dream. There are a lot of great draftsmen, architects and interior designers in the area and depending on the look you’re after and the budget you’re working with, we know someone who can achieve it for you.

Once you’ve settled on a design, that’s when fixtures and fittings are chosen, an exact quote can be produced, contracts for work are signed and the renovation can start.  The planning and quote stage can take approximately 6-8 weeks and most renovations depending on size, can take between 4-8 weeks. So you can get from start to finish in 4 months if you’re dedicated to the project.

And on that note, happy planning  – it’s an exciting part of the process.