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QDH BLOG

What's the difference between a DA & BA?

6/9/2021

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We get asked this question a lot, so it is one worth covering

Put simply, in Queensland:
a DA is a Development Approval - Occasionally required.
A local/state/federal authorities approval for a project that breaches one or more requirements of the city/state/federal plans. The project is individually assessed, and approved if no overwhelming objections are determined or received.

a BA is a Building Approval - Required on most building projects.
An approval issued for the construction of a project by a building certifier.

BUILDING APPROVALS:
In Queensland, the majority of building projects require a Building Approval (BA) prior to commencing construction. A Building Certifier is the person that issues this approval for construction. All required plans are submitted to him for assessment first, and if the project ticks all the boxes against the building code, local city plan and state authority legislation, he issues this approval, and then the builder can start building.

In some cases, where the proposed project does not immediately comply with one or more requirements (aka 'acceptable solutions') of the city plan, or state/federal authority legislation, the project is then required to  be submitted to that authority for further, individual assessment by that authority. This type of approval is called a Development Approval (DA). 

​A BA is assessed mostly against the NCC - the National Construction Code - which the DA is not assessed against. That's the Building Certifiers job.

Typical example requiring a BA:
Your designer has produced a great design that ticks all the city plan's boxes for property boundary setbacks, building heights, site cover, character codes and more.  You submit the building design plans, engineering plans and any other documents to a private Building Certifier (some councils have building certifiers in-house so you can submit directly to council for a BA. Not Brisbane) and he issues a BA so you can start construction immediately!

DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL:
A DA is required for judgement to be passed on whether a project will be acceptable to the local community and how much of an impact it will have on the local area. This is heavily assessed against compliance with the authorities plan (such as a local council city plan).

Just because your DA is approved, doesn't mean you automatically can start building. No. A project that has successfully had a DA issued for it, will then be required to obtain a Building Approval to actually commence construction also. 

A DA is assessed against the city plan and other planning authority requirements.


Typical example requiring a DA:
Your project design is amazing! The only thing is, it needs to be 10m above NGL for the design to work perfectly. In the majority of Brisbane, QLD - Brisbane City Council's City Plan 2014 allows for a maximum building height of 9.5m above natural ground level (NGL). This doesn't necessarily mean that you can't build it, you just have to submit the project plans to council with a development application to have it individually assesssed by council and for public comment. You submit the plans to council through a private town planner (in Brisbane at least. Some councils have their own town planners so you can submit directly to council), and 

The application is publicly listed so other home owners can have their say in the project too. So, is there a chance that the project won't be approved? Yes. But in most cases, a good designer would have been working with a town planner early on to produce a design that, even though it goes beyond the acceptable solutions of the city plan, has a high likelihood of the DA being approved by council.

WHEN DO YOU NEED BOTH?
Whenever a DA is required, you will also need a BA in order to construct the project.

Fun topic! Not particularly. But it is an important piece of knowledge to understand before starting your dream project. Happy designing!

​Sam, QDH.
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Maximum project count reached!

2/9/2021

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​Due to current workloads, unfortunately, we are not able to take on any new projects at this time.
We do apologise for any inconvenience.

​Please check back again soon - QDH team
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3 Tips to choosing the right builder for you!

26/7/2021

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How do you pick a good builder?
Read these 3 tips to nail it...


1. Recommendations are gold.
If someone you know had a great experience had a great experience with a builder, chances are you will too. Just check that your project sizes are similar. (A good carport builder, may not necessarily make a good mansion builder)

2. Don't simply go with the cheapest price.
Reno stress can be measured in $$. If a builders quote is cheapest by a lot, investigate why first. Is their quote detailed? Or just a one-page summary & a nice round figure? Have they made lots of 'PC sum' allowances? (estimations without specific pricing being available at the time to the builder). These can lead to significant variations (unforeseen costs) throughout the build.
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3. Pick a good listener.
A builder that listens carefully to you and what you want is showing they care about the family that will be living in the home they build, and that they want it to be just right for you. Ask yourself, do you feel they really understand your project requirements and needs in detail? Do they interrupt you constantly, make you feel dumb or leave you still feeling uncertain about whether your question was answered properly? Or are they considerate, kind and patient in explaining things to you? Are they easy to talk to and get along with? A good listener in a builder is worth more $$ that a cheap one. A worthy investment for a less stressful build.

BONUS TIP: Start looking early! It takes time to find the right builder for you, and the earlier you find a builder, often, the more smoothly your project will go from our hands to theirs. We work with many client's builders even from before the concept stage commences. Its never to early to start talking to builders.

Sam - QDH

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We're back in full swing!

12/5/2021

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Yep, that's right!
Just a quick block post to let you know that we have been working hard to get through our latest heavy workload and we are getting closer to the end of it.

We are now considering taking on new projects of an estimated build value of $300k or more.

If you have any questions, or you are unsure of your estimated project value, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us to have a chat about your project.
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Oh no! Workload capacity reached!

22/3/2021

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Wow!
We have been completely been blown away by the support for our small business. During the past year, QDH has been involved in some of the best projects we have ever had the privilege of working on with some of the nicest clients we have ever worked with! We would like to take the opportunity to thank all that we have worked with and are currently working with for your incredible projects.

In order to continue to offer the same level of service we are award winners for, we sadly have had to cut back on the amount of projects that we can practically have running at any one time.  This has meant that since February 2021, we have not been able to take on any new projects, and are continuously reassessing our project capacity weekly to see if we can begin accepting new projects once again. We really look forward to when we can help you with your next  project!

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we apologise for any disappointment if you were planning on joining our project queue in the immediate future.  We will let you know when we are taking new projects again with another blog post and website and Instagram announcement when our capacity frees up.

Sam
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Brisbane Builders! Become a 'Design & Construct' company without the costly design office

20/1/2021

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​Start offering the 'Design & Construct' service to your clients today. The benefits of this are HUGE!

We work with you to keep your clients in your system, giving them less points of contact (you & us) for all aspects of the stressful pre-construction design and planning process. This takes massive stresses off your client, and the relationship you get to build with your client - pre-contract - is invaluable in taking your client through to contract. The benefits to both you and your client are spectacular!

We are currently adding a limited number of Brisbane builders to our valued builder client portfolio.

Insider Tip:
This also gets you a leg in as one of QDH's preferred builders for referrals for our private clients.


​Call us today to get more info and to see how we can take your business to the next level.
​Sam - 0424 536 287.
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ACT NOW! Last chance to get the $25k grant

19/10/2020

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The $25k HomeBuilder grant deadline is looming. To be eligible, you must have a building contract signed before Dec 31st 2020. We have been receiving tons of phone calls & emails with people wanting to get the grant, but we have been warning them that it is becoming more and more difficult to squeeze everything in before the deadline to qualify. 

Design meetings, measure ups, time for us to design and draft, making changes, submitting for DA if necessary, finalising the working plans, engineering, builders quoting & contracts, building certification... the list goes on. Usually this process takes 3-6 months.

So if you are sitting on the fence and leaning towards getting something started, now's the time to jump in! Give me a call today (0424 536 287) to get the ball rolling. If you need recommendations for builders, we can help you with that to help the process rocket along smoothly too, as it is always best if your builder is involved from the start.

Come November, we won't be taking on new projects with the grant in mind. We just can't guarantee your timeframes. 

Talk to you soon!

Sam Davies
Director, QDH
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QDH is smashing it on Instagram!

22/7/2020

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Hi all,
QUICK SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATE!
Just a quick update to make sure you are following us on Instagram. In just a few quick months, QDH has grown from 0 followers to almost 1200 at the time of writing this! 

We post at least 3 times per week with new projects, inspirational quotes, photos of finished projects, and so much more! 

Stay in the loop! Join the QDH community and follow us @qlddesignerhomes on Insta, and tag us in your photos if we have been involved in your project!
https://www.instagram.com/qlddesignerhomes/?hl=en

Sam Davies,
Director, QDH
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QDH & COVID-19

6/5/2020

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​We are pleased to let you know that QDH is still very much open for business! 
The health and safety of our clients is most important to us, without compromising your design experience. This is why QDH is embracing technology to ensure your experience is seamless and possibly even better than before.

Design Meetings:
We are embracing more options for design meetings by heavily utilizing email, phone and videoconferencing (Zoom) as a recommended design meeting conduit. Utilizing video conferencing with Zoom is extremely helpful with huge benefits, enabling us to communicate design concepts very clearly and collaborate using these new technologies. We can also screen-share our 3D model with you from our powerful office workstation so you can see changes to your design made in real time!

Site Visits & Measure Ups:
We will be limiting site visits to an absolute minimum where possible. Where unavoidable, for your safety, we are implementing some simple hygiene procedures for site visits and consultations in  accordance with QLD Government recommendations. These are simply: - no handshakes, 1.5m social distancing and having design meetings outdoors where practical. We may also check with you prior to your consultation to assess that it is safe to proceed with the site visit and that no one in your household is sick. For measure ups that require internal access for prolonged periods of time, we may wear a mask, gloves and eye protection for your family’s safety and peace of mind depending on the current local Covid situation.

Conclusion:

Your safety is our priority. Despite the new challenges at hand, we will do all we can to ensure you have a safe, smooth and enjoyable home design experience, possibly even better than before! 😊

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Kind regards,
Sam Davies
0424 536 287
​sam@qdhomes.com.au

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Top 3 things to look for when choosing a builder

4/4/2019

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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
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    Sam Davies

    Hi there & welcome! Part of my focus as Managing Director of Queensland Designer Homes, is to provide you with some helpful articles that will assist you in getting you more than you wished for! Got a comment? We'd love to hear from you. Sam.

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