Sooo... you've had QDH design an amazing new home for your shiny new Brisbane home-to-be! Congratulations! We've loved working with you! Now it's time to find a builder to turn paper into that new frame around your life.

Throughout the design process we would have encouraged you to start talking to builders that seem to meet your criteria for your project. We have probably also already referred some great builders to you we have worked with in the past. But how do you who is the best Brisbane builder for you? Let's crack on with it then.

1. Find a builder who has completed projects similar to yours, and comes highly recommended.
Builders who have a few of your size project under their belts can often be a good choice because they know the challenges of your type and size of project. They will be able to fore-warn you of potential unexpected 'events' or expenses that can occur during a build of your type, and lead the way confidently during the build.

This is not to say that a hungry, ambitious young builder won't do a great job of your build. In fact, a builder that is keen to expand his portfolio of projects under his belt will often take even MORE care to get things 100% right for you, because great future projects similar to yours are at stake for him. Just make sure to talk to some of the previous clients he has worked with if possible and ask them about their experience with him (or her!). If you can talk to previous clients of his, ask them all about the builder's methods, communication and core principles by which he runs his business.

2. Make sure he is a good communicator, but also really listens to you when you speak.
Communication is the key to most successful and happy relationships. There is nothing worse than a 'know-it-all' builder that tells YOU how it is and doesn't listen to you, cuts you off, or tells YOU how it all is.

When talking to your potential builder, trust the 'vibe' that you get when communicating with him. Does he listen to your ideas? Even if your ideas are impractical? Does he take the time to explain why they are impractical, or does he make you feel silly for asking the question in the first place? If you have problems talking with the builder now, I can guarantee that it will get harder and more stressful throughout the build when tensions will be higher, and your money is at stake.

3. Is the builders quote detailed?
Any builder can come around and tell you it is going to cost you $300k to do your project. But can he show you in the breakdown of works in his quote to see where he is getting this figure from? Another builder might give you a quote for $450k, and you get the shock of your life!!! But this second builder can show you exactly what is costing what and how it all adds up to the $450k. Which one do you go for?

Obviously the cheaper price sounds good, and you may reason - "He must know what he is doing, he said he has been a builder for 25 years." This method of reasoning is going in blind, and should be avoided at all costs! That $300k price could turn into $500k very quickly when the variations and unexpected costs that were unaccounted for in the beginning start coming in.

Our advice: ask that builder to show you the breakdown of costs that enabled him to come up with such a 'great price.' And make sure the builders contract is thorough. A well-written and detailed building contract is a protection for both you and the builder.

Enjoy the process, and trust your gut.
There is no doubt that a good builder is hard to find. But we can point you in the right direction with referrals to some of the best builders in Brisbane. Most of us are pretty good at working out whether we are going to trust someone or not. A good builder will allow you to enjoy the process and will naturally earn your trust quickly throughout the preliminary quoting process. A poor builder with poor communication and a vague quote will not earn your trust so quickly.

So trust your gut, listen to recommendations and genuine client reviews and experiences and don't sign until you trust your builder and have a detailed quote and contract all laid out in front of you.

Make sure you get in touch with QDH for more great advice and work with us to develop your home design with you TODAY! 

Sam Davies,
Director

SOOOOO....
How long is a piece of string? Well that's one way to open up a can of worms! Lets start with a loaded question then shall we? All kidding aside, this is a very common question, and quite frankly, a very important one. Why? Because what you pay in design and drafting can be a significant cost in your final project. And let's be honest, spending thousands of $$$ on paper and lines before you even break ground on site is not everyone's  idea of fun!

The not so secret... secret
...the truth is that, the individual project scope of works and needs can vary significantly from project to project. You will be fighting an uphill battle to try and find a universal figure for the drafting on every project. The best way to find out how much the design and drafting on your project is going to cost, is to call up an architect, building designer or draftsman and get a quote. See our blog post: What is the difference between an Architect, a Draftsman, and a Building Designer?

Ok so we knew that would be the case. But anyway, how much does it cost?

The DOLLAR COST...
To cut to the nitty gritty, with no more explanation, our fees for most typical residential projects usually fall somewhere in the vicinity of $900-$3900 depending of course on the type of project and the required scope of works, and what options you choose to include in the plans. Read on for the REAL COST!

Expectations of cost can vary from person to person. Taking into consideration that the design and planning stage is arguably the most important part of the project, this should be carefully weighed up when choosing a building designer or draftsman, however it should not necessarily be the ONLY factor to consider when choosing a building design company.

The REAL COST...
The REAL COST is what the total project costs you design and build, including the design, drafting, engineering, certification, planning fees and of course the build cost. This REAL COST is highly dependant on the quality of the plans.

For instance, if there is too little detail shown on the plans, it may pass building approval and council approval simply because all of the basic planning details are there, however it may not show enough detail to lock in a smooth build when the builder starts your project. Mistakes and assumptions can be made without seeking approval from you (the client) and/or the building certifier when the necessary items are not specified and detailed to the required extent on the plans. If this happens, then the project halts, things need to be changed, and builder's variation fees invoices keep coming, and your bank balance keeps dropping! Not everyone's favourite idea! And the majority of which could have been avoided (and dollars saved!) if the plans had the right amount of detail. A few hundred more at the start could save you thousands down the track! Imagine if everyone knew that before starting their projects!

So to mitigate these potentially expensive (and to be honest, quite scary!) issues, we generally advise every person we come across, to not just choose the cheapest quote for your building design plans. Why? Because the amount of effort the designer or draftsman puts into the project, can often be directly correlated to his fees. ie: cheapest quote = often the 'skin-of-your-teeth' amount of detail.

There is certainly a dollar sign you can put next to the piece of mind knowing that your plans have enough detail for a smooth sailing certification, approval and building process. Our recommendation would be to go with a company that has either come highly recommended to you from a personal friend or a reputable builder. Internet reviews are great and can add weight to a great recommendation, however they should not be the sole factor in choosing a company.

Here comes the shameless plug...
So if you want to know how much your building design plans will cost from a highly reputable and experienced building design company, please give us a call or email with the specifics of your project, and we will provide a carefully worked out quote so that you know all things have been accounted for in the quote, with no hidden surprise fees, and all the necessary detail has been included in the quote for a 'smooth-as-butter' build. 

Kind regards,
Sam Davies
QDH, Brisbane

We get this question a lot...
A lot of people haven't even heard of the term - Building Designer. So what is the difference between an Architect, a Building Designer and a Draftsman? Let's keep it simple.

The simple answer is, not much. They all produce plans for council approval and construction. However there are 4 main areas in which they differ:

1. Tertiary Education
2. Licensing
3. Services provided
4. Cost

Architect:

• Education to be an architect usually requires a Bachelor of Architecture at University or equivalent.
• Must be registered with an Board of Architects in that state or territory.
• Provides plans and documentation from design concept through to plans for council approval and construction.
• Often up to 10 times more expensive than a Building Designer or more.

Building Designer:

• TAFE qualification, plus a certain amount of experience in a Building Design company.
• In QLD, Building Designers must be licensed to operate, holding a 'Building Design' class license with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission. This is the same authority in Queensland that licenses Builders & Licensed Contractors.
• Provides plans and documentation from design concept through to complete plans for council approval and construction. No different to what an Architect must provide for for the same approval.
• Much more cost-friendly option than an Architect for the effectively same result.

Draftsman / Draftsperson:

• No formal education required to be employed, however most have completed some form of educational training.
• Often works under under an Architect, Building Designer or Builder.
• In most cases, once a design concept has been finalised by an Architect, Building Designer or Builder, the project then passes to a draftsperson to complete the drafting of the construction plans, which is then checked and signed off on by the Architect, Building Designer or Builder.
• Draftsmen can work in many different industries, as 'drafting' basically just means the drawing of and documentation of plans for a project. Each industry has it's own draftsmen to produce plans, not just in the building industry. In the building industry, most are employed by companies that are licensed to produce construction documentation, and many often work externally as freelance 'drafties'.

So as you can see, Architects, Building Designers and Draftsmen do a lot of the same type of work as each other, but differ in a few very important key areas. Most people planning a building project will require either a Building Designer or an Architect.

So... which one is right for me?
So how do you choose between an Architect or a Building Designer? (We will try to be as impartial as possible for this next part.) The answer to that question is found in another question - How much money do you want to pour into the design and documentation part of your project?

Due to an Architect's higher fees, they generally have a lot more time available to put into the design portion of a project and still cover all their fees and still make a good profit. 

A good Building Designer on the other hand, will carefully calculate how much time they foresee spending in design work, town planning documentation, building approval and construction documentation. This results in a highly accurate quoted figure with no 'surprise' invoices, resulting in a very cost-effective project with THE SAME RESULT!

We have had MANY clients come to us completely exasperated and often quite a lot poorer because they have been stung by their Architect's seemingly endless stream of invoices. This results in a LOT of wasted money, and often a LOT of frustration for you and your family. If you are at this stage, thankfully, we can help you from here. Don't waste any more of your hard-earned cash, all-the-while thinking - "We've come this far, so we really have to follow through." The good news is that it can stop right here!

Get in touch with us today to get a free quote for your project, and let us take care of you from here.

Kind regards,
Sam Davies
QDH - Brisbane

 PRESS RELEASE
​
Queensland Designer Homes of Brisbane
Awarded Best Of Houzz 2017
 
Over 40 Million Monthly Unique Users Nominated Best Home Building,
Renovation and Design Professionals in Australia
 
Brisbane, Australia, January 18, 2017 – Queensland Designer Homes of Brisbane has won “Best Of Service” on Houzz®, the leading platform for home renovation and design. The young and vibrant company was chosen by the more than 40 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than one million active home building, renovation and design industry professionals.
 
The Best Of Houzz is awarded annually in three categories: Design, Service and Photography. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the more than 40 million monthly users on Houzz. Customer Service honours are based on several factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2016. Architecture and interior design photographers whose images were most popular are recognised with the Photography award. A “Best Of Houzz 2017” badge will appear on winners’ profiles, as a sign of their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.
 
“We’re so pleased to award Best of Houzz 2017 to this incredible group of talented and customer-focused professionals, including Queensland Designer Homes,” said Jason Chuck, Managing Director Houzz Asia-Pacific. “Each of these businesses was singled out for recognition by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts for helping to turn their home improvement dreams into reality.”
 
About Houzz
Houzz is the leading platform for home renovation and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a small room to building a custom home and everything in between, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community empowered by technology, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, source products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Moscow and Tokyo. Houzz and the Houzz logo are registered trademarks of Houzz Inc. worldwide. For more information, visit houzz.com.au.

So what is the deal with building a granny flat in Brisbane? What can you do and what can't you do?

Building laws (as at 02/11/17) regarding Granny Flats are pretty straight forward. Basically, this is the law from the Dwelling House Code in the Brisbane City Plan 2014:

- "Development comprises not more than one dwelling house and one secondary dwelling (granny flat) occupied by one household."
- "A maximum of 80m2 in gross floor area."
- "Located within 20m of the dwelling house."
- "Occupied by 1 or more members of the same household as the dwelling house."
-  "1 car parking space for the dwelling house; 1 car parking space for any secondary dwelling on the same site"

Household is defined in the Brisbane City Plan 2014 as:
"Means 1 or more individuals who-
(a) live in a dwelling with the intent of living together on a long-term basis; and
(b) make common provision for food and other essentials for living"

The dwelling house code further defines a "household" as comprising:
"(a) 1 person maintaining a household; or 
(b) 2 more more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption; or
(c) not more than 5 persons, not necessarily related by blood, marriage or adoption; or
(d) not more than 5 persons under the age of 18 and not necessarily related by blood, marriage or adoption, together with 1 or 2 adult persons who have care or control of them."

So who is a granny flat suited to? There are a few possible reasons for wanting to build a granny flat:
- Aging parents are needing extra care,
- Separate living space for a family member, 
- Extra space for a growing family,
- Renting out a dwelling room by room under one tenancy agreement

If you are thinking of building a granny flat to rent out to a separate tenant, think again. Granny flats are NOT multi-unit dwellings.  Multi-unit dwellings are very different in type and construction. Especially with regard to fire separation.  (See the Dual Occupancy Code in the Brisbane City Plan 2014)

A granny flat is generally designed to have one tenancy agreement between all members living in the main and secondary dwelling, one letterbox, one metered water & electricity supply etc. If a granny flat was being used in a Dual Occupancy situation and there was a fire, or similar emergency issue and someone was hurt, the owners could be liable for big dollars if their insurance refuses to cover the owners based on the definitions of a 'household' in the City Plan.

For any family, building a Granny Flat in Brisbane is a fantastic addition to your home. It creates a separate living area and creates more space and freedom within the family.

Let us help you design a Granny Flat that suits your family's requirements, or a Dual Occupancy dwelling that meets all the current regulations.

Sam
​QDH Director

Renovating your existing home is something most homeowners plan to do at some point in the future. Dreaming of what will go where, what your master bedroom with walk-in-robe & ensuite will look like, how you'd love to do the kids rooms, how great it will be to finally build that big deck. Planning your renovation is a very exciting adventure for your family.

But where do you start? And, how much work is actually involved? How much will it cost? Below, we have put together a few resources and great references for starting to plan your renovation from start to finish.

yourhome.gov.au - This government commisioned informative website starts from planning your renovation and seeing if what you want to do is actually feasible for your home, to working with your designer, to working with your builder and making it happen.

homeimprovementpages.com.au - You will need to find builder or contractor to carry out the work. hipages is a great place to start your search. The 'Browse Articles' section contains huge resources and vast amounts of information on every possible individual aspect of your renovation from air conditioning to sheds and water tanks.

Your local council website - By checking under the building and renovating section of your local council's website, you can see whether your proposed building work is possible in your area. Various local plans come into play with each individual area, and sometimes what is okay to do in Mackay, may not be possible or legal to do in Mt Isa. Find you local council using this interactive map here: http://www.qldcouncils.com.au/web/guest/find-your-council

Considering whether if it is worth your while looking into sustainable housing? The Environmental and Heritage Protection website provides a great starters guide and insight into sustainable housing and considers many of the possible ways that you can make your home more energy efficiency and eco-friendly. http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/sustainability/sustainable_housing.html

By doing your research before you begin renovating, you will save yourself a ton of headache, heartache and confusion. Remember, you can always let your building designer do the thinking and research for you too. That's what we're here for. To make planning your renovation as smooth and as stress-free as possible.

Sam
QDH Director

Maybe you just bought your dream home, only to find out the downstairs area was never approved! Or maybe you put that carport on the side of your house years ago, only to get a letter from council saying you need to get it approved, or pull it down!  This can be an overwhelming experience, especially if you don't know where to start. But never fear! In this blog post, we'll walk you through how to jump through all the right 'hoops' to get it approved.

The processes we will be talking about below are specifically aimed at Brisbane and Queensland based home owners. However the steps are mostly the same, wherever you are. Check with your local council.

Step 1: Get a knowledgeable person to have a look at it...
You may think that it looks like it would stand up to a cyclone, and that it's not overhanging the boundary so it should meet all regulations. Unfortunately, this isn't the way council sees things. No one expects you to know the building codes inside and out as a home owner. That's why it is important to have a knowledgeable person to come out and have a look. Someone that can look at it and tell you what regulations it does or does not meet.

Why is this a key step? Well, the facts are, a lot of unapproved building work can be prohibitively expensive to bring up to regulations outlined in the National Construction Code (NCC), the Timber Framing Code (AS1684), and your local council's requirements. 

By having someone there to walk around it with you, they will be able to give you a good idea of your options. This also will help you consider the possible costs that you might be looking at to bring it up to meet the current building regulations. This is something that we can help you with! Get in touch to arrange a site visit from us. Others that may be able to help could be a builder, engineer or a private certifier.

Decided that you want to go down the road of getting it approved? In Step 2, we will move on to the 'hoops' of getting it approved. We will also discuss the following consultants you will need:

• Building Designer
• Engineer
• Private Certifier

Just a note that this really is a bit of a specialised field, as only a handful of consultants will touch unapproved building works.


Step 2: Have a Building Designer draw up your plans
The first action to take in the commencing the process of getting you building work approved is to have a Building Designer (such as QDH) develop a full set of building design plans outlining the existing building before the work was done, as well as the proposed final plans (plans showing how the building works need to be in order to get your building approval). These will be submitted, (along with the engineering drawings), to your private certifier to get the final nod of approval.


​Step 3: Have an Engineer develop any engineering plans required
The second consultant to engage is a Structural Engineer. You will give the building design plans to him so that he can develop his drawings and conduct any necessary site inspections to examine the existing footings, slab or structural members, connections & tie-down details. 

He will most likely issue some plans along with his approval of the structural adequacy of the structure, or he will outline the changes that need to be made for the structure to be made structurally adequate for approval. See our 'Friends of QDH' page for some great consultants we work with here in Brisbane.


Step 4: Submit all of this to a Private Certifier
So you've got all your plans, now what? You will then have to submit all of these to a Private Certifier. At the end of the day, the Private Certifier is the one that signs off on your building approval, and issues your final approval, so be nice to him (or her)!

With an undertaking such as this, it is good for the Private Certifier to be involved from the start. They are the final authority on getting your work approved, so the more involved they are from the start, the better the chance we have of dotting all our structural 'i's', and crossing all our regulatory 't's'.


Step 5: Enjoy peace of mind...
By getting all unapproved building work approved, you will be able to rest easy knowing that you and your family are safe, no one will ask you to pull down parts of your house, your insurances will cover you in the event of a disaster, and when you come to sell your house, you will probably get more $ for it than you would have otherwise! That's a pretty good incentive if nothing else.

For more information or to ask a question specific to your project, feel free to flick us an email.

Sam,
​Director

What a disaster January 2011 brought to Brisbane residents. Not just then, but any of the lesser floods that followed. Especially devastated were those that owned homes in the flooded areas. As the unaffected members of Brisbane move on with they're lives,  you are still trying to recover from the emotional and physical damage it has left in it's wake.

You are now faced with the devastating damage, and the question: Do I repair? Or do I tear down and build a new home? Turn it into an investment property? Or just sell up all together. Whatever conclusion you come to, there is some things you need to know.

For all of the following suggestions, you can definitely make use of a Brisbane FloodWise Property report. Go to FloodWise Property Reports put in your address, and get your report. This will show you your block's relationship to the flood levels and minimum habitable floor levels for new work.

Repair:
If things are not damaged as much as you thought and your home is able to be repaired, that is fantastic. Now is a great time to consider:

• Raising your house. If possible, raising your timber home on stumps will give you added peace of mind in preparation for the possibility of another inundation. It may not be the prettiest solution, but it may save you having to deal with the turmoil of what you have just gone through.
• Complete renovation. Many Brisbane flood victims have used the opportunity to look at it in a 'glass half full' way. Many consider it a 'fast-tracked, forced renovation.' Now is the time to consider fully renovating to give your home a new, fresh look. Even to build that deck you have wanted for so long.

New Home:
Some homes are so damaged that there is no going back, and demolition is the only solution. Other homes may be repairable, but the cost would be similar to building a new home on the block.  Building a new home can be a very rewarding experience. You can design a home that can withstand future floods, and better yet, it's your own design.

Turn it into an investment property:
How can something bad, turn into something good? It may be that your block is particularly promising to return a bit of your cash outlay to you. How so? Well, if you're block is suited to it, why not build some units or apartments? 

Most Brisbane blocks can fit 2 or more units on the one block. This is certainly something to consider if the property that got flooded was an investment property anyway.

Sell up?
In the end, if all options have been considered and it seems the only option is to sell to try and recoup some of your losses, then this may be your solution. We encourage you though, to consider making the most of what you have. Although it may be difficult, try not to be overwhelmed with the thought of renovating or building a new home. Although these are not the easiest solution, it may be much more rewarding than leaving your block, with your head hung low in flooded out defeat.

Whatever you decide to do, there is no right or wrong decision. You must decide what is best for your circumstances and which will offer the most returns for your money. 

We can offer you assistance in the way of advice on council restrictions and requirements for building on flood-prone properties, and of course, all your design and drafting needs.

Sam,
QDH Director