Working with a residential architect in Melbourne: What to expect

Once you've decided to embark upon a building project in Melbourne, the temptation can be to start by calling contractors to get estimates on the project. That's not the place to start, however. The best place to start any construction project is by finding a residential architect in Melbourne. A good residential architect should be able to provide you with a variety of services. Interview three at least to find out which ones offer the best combination of the following services. Should they not offer the following things, look for another residential Architect Melbourne residents! Zoning information services Before you can begin a new construction project, you'll need to to know whether the area in which you want to build is zoned for the kind of building you want to construct. You can't, for example, build a home in an area that is zoned for commercial buildings. A qualified architect in Melbourne will be able to tell you what the zoning for the area is as well as things like whether there are any requirements regarding the location of your building on the property. Preliminary design sketch Once you have a handle on the zoning information, you can begin to communicate to your architect your vision for the project. They will take that information and create a preliminary design for you to see. This is an invaluable tool to help you see what the architect is thinking and whether you are on the same page. Also, this preliminary sketch will help your architect determine a proposed budget for the project. Although this number will almost certainly fluctuate in either direction as the construction process progresses, a preliminary budget can help you to determine whether you need to scale back your design. To create the design sketch, an architect should ask you what your needs are for your home as well as a wish list of "extras," to be included should the budget allow. Included on this list should be your preferred number of bedrooms and bathrooms, for example. Once you have approved the preliminary design, it's time to move on to the final design plan. This will be much more detailed, including things like where the windows will be located, final room dimensions, and the flooring. What fees will a residential architect in Melbourne charge? This is an important question. Essentially, architects charge for their services in a few different ways. First, their fees can be based on a percentage of the total construction cost of the project. The more the project costs, the more the architect will charge. Alternatively, some architects will simply charge a lump sum for the entire project. This is a fixed amount and, unless certain circumstances arise, will be the price you are asked to pay. Finally, some residential architects charge an hourly rate, which means the longer the project takes you to complete the higher the final price tag will be. rnHowever you agree to pay the architect always be sure you get the price in writing before construction begins. It's a good idea to include a clause in the contract that states that the price of the job is not to surpass x-amount of dollars without your prior written consent. That way, for example, an architect and his team won't be tempted to work slowly so that their hourly rate continues to amass.