Property Assessment

If you’re looking to maximise the potential of your new or existing property, our property assessment package is a great place to start.

It’s best to allow approximately 2–3 hours for the first meeting, which involves a discussion of your requirements as well as consideration of any ideas you may already have for the project. For renovation and single house projects, the first meeting will usually also involve a measure-up.

The Property Assessment covers the following essential items:

  • Preliminary meeting to determine your brief and extent of works
  • Measure up your property, as well as any relevant measurements and notes on it’s surroundings
  • Prepare sketch plans, massing studies and quick perspective sketches to determine potential of the site with respect to the requirements of your initial brief.

It really helps to have any current information you may already have for your property on hand for this first meeting, such as the title diagram in your contract of sale (section 32).

Property Assessment Pricing

  • Renovation: $700 +GST
  • Single House: $1300 +GST
  • Multi-unit site: from $2000 +GST
  • Resort / planned community: P.O.A

Due to the variable nature of each project, services beyond the property assessment stage are quoted on a project-specific basis. Contact us for a personalised fee proposal.

Once completed, your property assessment will provide you with a visual summary of the potential of your property. For some – particularly smaller projects – this is enough of a starting point for a DIY adventure, but many are inspired to develop these ideas further. So when you’re ready, the next stage is to evolve & refine them into a schematic design.

Schematic Design

Map

When you engage us to prepare a Schematic Design, your brief is refined as necessary, based on the findings of your Property Assessment, and a preliminary sketch design is made.

A Schematic Design includes the following:

  • Plans, elevations and perspectives to accurately convey the scheme
  • Application of local planning scheme requirements and Building Code of Australia as required
  • Meetings with you as required
  • Pre-application meeting with your local council planning officer to discuss the proposal (if Town Planning Application is required)
  • Consultation with nominated specialist consultants*, as required: town planning consultant; structural engineer; traffic engineer etc.

There is also some discussion of structure, materials and finishes. After this, the design is refined further and you are provided with final sketch plans and elevations for your signed approval.

Town Planning Application

The schematic design is now annotated and laid out to meet your local council planning department’s requirements.

A written report is prepared to support the formal application, typically by the town-planning consultant.

Depending on a number of factors such as the size of the lot, location and extent of the works, this stage may not be required. Your architect will advise you on this and of the necessary requirements for your particular project.

Construction Documentation

This stage begins with a series of meetings to determine your particular requirements with respect to such items as sanitary fixtures, equipment, interior materials & colours and so forth.
Once these important details are determined, your project is fully documented to allow a contractor to price and build it. Co-ordination with specialist consultants* forms an integral part of this stage, and your architect will manage this process and advise you of progress.

Tendering

This relatively short stage (allow around 4 weeks for a single house) involves:

  • Preparation of tender documentation prior to inviting tenders
  • Selection of tenderers
  • Invitation of tenderers to submit a price to build your project
  • Post-tender negotiations with the successful contractor.

You may have a preferred builder for the project, and they may either be invited to tender, or negotiated with exclusively to obtain an agreed contract price.

Contract Administration

Once a builder has been selected, all contract documents are completed and signed to form a building contract between you and the builder.

During this stage your architect will:

  • Liaise with the builder to assess quality of work at key stages and ensure that contract and specifications are complied with
  • Keep you informed of progress
  • Approve, with you, any variations
  • Certify progress payments
  • Identify defects and administer their rectification
  • Decide when practical completion occurs for occupancy.

Further information on working with your architect is available at the ARBV website.
Click here to download a pdf directly from their site.

*Specialist consultants are engaged on behalf of you, the client, and take instructions from your Architect, acting as your agent. As such the consultant will invoice you directly for their fees. Studio G Architecture will provide suggestions of consultants we have successfully worked with before.

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