Renovations, extensions and other transformations to your beloved space - it’s an enormous milestone for you and your family. With such a lengthy, detailed, and oftentimes stressful experience, it’s simply good sense to be as informed as possible. We make every effort to keep our clients informed, comfortable and excited, so we like to answer questions as they come, and where we can, get ahead of the curve.
So, here we are with the most common questions we hear as a full interior design & build studio. If you find yourself looking for more than what you read here, please don’t hesitate to ask our wonderful team.
How long does the design process take?
We work with a range of wonderful projects, from small or large renovations, to broad, transformative extensions on character homes. The scope of your idea can make a large impact on timeframe, but we are always upfront about what you can expect from us very early on.
As a guide, we usually expect to take around 3 months to design an internal renovation and 6 to 12 months for an extension - the difference mostly due to council interactions.
How involved do I need to be?
Working with our design team, we ensure all aspects of your internal renovation and addition are created with careful consideration and, importantly, collaboration. Regardless of how involved you choose to be, you’ll always have access to the lead designer on your project, who will manage all consultants on your behalf.
Want to be there at every single step? We’ll work with you to carry your desired aesthetic & style through the materials and finishes selected, and wholistically permeate through all elements of your project.
Prefer, or need to be, more hands-off? We’re experienced interior designers, builders and project managers, and are happy to operate on your behalf, and present you with only the most top-level, relevant, or pivotal decisions.
How long will the construction phase be?
Like most building projects, timeframes are highly variable. Typically, a small internal renovation without a wet area can be completed in less than 3 months, or 6 months if one is present. Internal renovations with additions will typically run for a longer 12 months.
When you engage us, we make timelining a collaborative process to ensure that your lifestyle sees minimal impact while we work, and a detailed construction programme will be provided at the right time. As a design & build studio, we’re exceptionally efficient come construction, with quick on-site decisions, precise plans, and our own in-house joinery studio all contributing to your schedule.
What is a PC cost?
PC or Prime Cost, is an estimated placeholder value, allowed for in place of distinct prices in your construction contract. It represents an unknown cost for materials and/or labour that will be determined during construction, and, in many cases, is the cause of large budget blow-outs.
Some places you may see PCs include; undesigned internal finishes and joinery, incomplete or unfinalised selections, volatile cost of materials and latent site conditions.
PCs are, in the vast majority of designs, necessary to some degree, but they can very much be mitigated to protect your budget, or, on the other hand, abused by a negligent or dishonest operator. We always aim to completely mitigate the effect of PCs in our designs to keep our clients within budget, and our quotes as accurate as possible.
What should my budget be?
You should always have an idea of the investment you intend to make into your new space, but knowing what is feasible for your project in terms of size and level of finish isn’t easy to assess on your own. Critical to our master planning stage, we first have an open and honest conversation about project scope and budget expectations. At this very early stage we design to your budget to ensure we are not putting forward designs that won’t carry through to construction, or, potentially worse, be loaded with surprise costs that you only find after it’s too late.
If you’re completely unsure of how to decide your budget, we invite you to sit down with our design team to find what can work for you.
What do I get at the end of the design phase?
At the end the design phase clients receive - and own in full, a project specific drawing set that can include plans, elevations, sections and joinery detail drawings and all associated schedules ready for quoting.
All of our documentation and design-work, external and internal, are meticulously completed to allow for quoting with the utmost accuracy, minimal Prime Costs, and a smooth, stress-free build.
How do I minimise variations during the build?
Your best course of action to reduce variations is to resolve as much of your project as possible before you sign a contract. Make your selections, decide on variables and request thorough documentation, and you’ll be signing on a significantly more accurate price.
A well resolved drawing package, including associated schedules, ensures your project manager and all trades are crystal clear on what should be costed and the full scope of the project. Thorough documentation also ensures that you, as the client, know exactly what is being delivered at the end of your build.
On the other hand, significant alterations or change of mind decisions during construction can be a large source of cost variation. Some minor changes are inevitable, but even those can be mitigated with meticulous planning.
I already have my council approved drawings and selections, when can my project start on site?
Given council approved plans, internal detail drawings and all associated schedules, we will create a highly detailed quote over 4 to 8 weeks. As soon as you approve and sign the contract we typically start construction within four weeks.
