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First-Time Renovator to Informed Client
For most people, a building project is a once-in-a-lifetime event — entered into with little or no experience, yet met with a barrage of creative, financial, and project management decisions. This guide distils years of hands-on architectural practice into the exact roadmap we give our own clients: how to plan, who to hire, what it costs, and how to avoid the mistakes that blow out budgets and timelines.
Why Sydney renovators and new-build home owners need this
Understand the entire design and construction process in order that you spend your money wisely
Sydney's planning system is genuinely confusing — DA vs CDC, LEP vs DCP, LMR overlays that can override your Council's own rules. Get it wrong and you waste money and lose time.
Most people don't discover the "hidden" costs (Council levies, Sydney Water approvals, contingency, consultant fees) until they're already committed.
Our Guide serves those engaging an Architect or designer or going owner-builder/project home route
Part one of our eGuides - Inside the 67 pages you will learn to
Plan with confidence before you spend a cent
How to prepare a proper brief, set a realistic budget, and pull free planning data (zoning, height limits, FSR, heritage overlays) on any Sydney site before you even call an architect.
Understand your project approval pathway
A clear breakdown of Complying Development (CDC) vs Development Application (DA) — timeframes, guarantees, and which one actually applies to your site.
Understand implications of heritage and other building aspects to review prior to lodging for Authority approval
Know exactly who to hire (and why)
An architect vs draftsperson vs project builder comparison, plus a full checklist of consultants you will and may need — surveyor, structural engineer, geotechnical, arborist, town planner, and more — with typical fee structures for each.
A detailed breakdown on how Architect’s structure their fees and scope.
Avoid budget blowouts
What's really included in a "construction cost," where contingency should sit, and the high-risk cost items (excavation, asbestos, old services, joinery, kitchens/bathrooms) most people underestimate.
Realistic timelines
Why a build takes a year-plus from first meeting to first shovel. Understand why good project preparation and sound documentation is important.
Insider tips from a practising architect
Real, practical advice from a NSW registered Sydney architect — from design, planning through to what to check before selecting a builder and managing your construction expectations.
Educate yourself to avoid expensive mistakes
First-Time Renovator to Informed Client
For most people, a building project is a once-in-a-lifetime event — entered into with little or no experience, yet met with a barrage of creative, financial, and project management decisions. This guide distils years of hands-on architectural practice into the exact roadmap we give our own clients: how to plan, who to hire, what it costs, and how to avoid the mistakes that blow out budgets and timelines.
Why Sydney renovators and new-build home owners need this
Understand the entire design and construction process in order that you spend your money wisely
Sydney's planning system is genuinely confusing — DA vs CDC, LEP vs DCP, LMR overlays that can override your Council's own rules. Get it wrong and you waste money and lose time.
Most people don't discover the "hidden" costs (Council levies, Sydney Water approvals, contingency, consultant fees) until they're already committed.
Our Guide serves those engaging an Architect or designer or going owner-builder/project home route
Part one of our eGuides - Inside the 67 pages you will learn to
Plan with confidence before you spend a cent
How to prepare a proper brief, set a realistic budget, and pull free planning data (zoning, height limits, FSR, heritage overlays) on any Sydney site before you even call an architect.
Understand your project approval pathway
A clear breakdown of Complying Development (CDC) vs Development Application (DA) — timeframes, guarantees, and which one actually applies to your site.
Understand implications of heritage and other building aspects to review prior to lodging for Authority approval
Know exactly who to hire (and why)
An architect vs draftsperson vs project builder comparison, plus a full checklist of consultants you will and may need — surveyor, structural engineer, geotechnical, arborist, town planner, and more — with typical fee structures for each.
A detailed breakdown on how Architect’s structure their fees and scope.
Avoid budget blowouts
What's really included in a "construction cost," where contingency should sit, and the high-risk cost items (excavation, asbestos, old services, joinery, kitchens/bathrooms) most people underestimate.
Realistic timelines
Why a build takes a year-plus from first meeting to first shovel. Understand why good project preparation and sound documentation is important.
Insider tips from a practising architect
Real, practical advice from a NSW registered Sydney architect — from design, planning through to what to check before selecting a builder and managing your construction expectations.
Educate yourself to avoid expensive mistakes