So, you’re ready to build your development – now what? Many clients think their first step is to engage an architect to design their project. However, there are multiple benefits to engaging a builder first – you’ll save money, and time, and enjoy a seamless, stress-free build.
With construction only, your house plans come from another designer or architect. While this approach is fine, there are significant benefits to engaging a builder from the start.
Working with a quality builder from the beginning of your build journey will help you stay within budget, ensure the designs are suitable, and provide valuable advice and recommendations along the way.
When you use a builder such as Costas Construction to manage your project, you’ll ensure:
- Expertise
- Faster Timelines
- Budget Maintenance
Expertise
Builders usually have experience with a wide range of projects and have overcome challenges like sloping sites, difficult-to-access blocks, environmental factors, and planning permissions. When planning a multi-unit development, every centimetre of your block of land should be optimised for liveability and end profit.
By engaging a builder early on, they can provide solutions based on real experiences that are factored into timelines and design. This will save you time and money, as you’ll be able to prevent possible delays and account for any additional costs early in the process.
Building designers and architects are design-focused. They concentrate on flow and aesthetics, but not always on practicality. Their knowledge of construction can be general, which is why a builder is so beneficial. A builder can manage the design in terms of buildability and cost efficiency while maintaining focus on aesthetics and flow.
Having a gorgeous design is nice, but if it significantly impacts cost or takes twice as long to build, it’s less than ideal.
Faster Timelines
Having one team oversee your entire project from start to finish means you’ll be able to accomplish more at a faster pace than if you work with one party at a time. It is to your advantage to have one company focused and accountable for delivering your development.
This approach reduces the need for back-and-forth during the project and the risk of design changes along the way. Your builder will assist from the outset, ensuring the final design is both architect and builder approved. They’ll also have a strong understanding of the project as a whole, allowing them to address issues as they arise without waiting for input from other parties.
Budget Maintenance
An all-too-common story is that of a developer who has engaged a standalone architect to design their plans, only to find that the builder’s quote to build comes out significantly higher than expected.
If the plans have been approved by the council, amending them to lower the build cost can waste tens of thousands of dollars and almost 12 months of time. Building estimates should be carried out and reviewed at numerous stages: at the concept stage, preliminary design stage, and construction drawing stage. This guarantees that your budget aligns with the actual build cost, and any unforeseen costs can be addressed before signing a building contract.
The Bottom Line
When you hire an experienced builder specialising in medium-density developments, you benefit from their knowledge and professional network, which has repeatedly achieved what you aim to do. With a quality team, the chance of budget overruns or administrative delays is significantly reduced. While there are always unknowns with any build, an experienced team aware of likely pitfalls and bottlenecks, can successfully avoid most issues.
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Need help with your next project? Chat to the experts at Costa Constructions and make your dream development a reality.