​Matt & Kat(rina) bought their first home 2 years ago, having just scraped together enough cash for a deposit on their 3 bedroom Queenslander. Their 2-year old daughter Emma was growing fast and they are now trying for their second child.
 
Despite being grateful for getting into the market in such a difficult housing supply crisis, it is starting to become painfully obvious that the house is going to quickly become cramped with a 2nd little tacker running around. The house is probably large enough, but the use of space is remarkably inefficient. They feel like they are ‘living on top of each other’, and toys & ‘junk’ seem to accumulate on every available horizontal surface!
 
Matt says he could ‘live with it’, but Kat knows that the currently layout is just not going to work with the changes coming down the pipeline with the kids. Matt & Kat decided it was time to renovate.
 
In this article, we’ll explore some of the best value renovations for first home buyers and young families, and follow Matt & Kat’s journey to a comfortable, haven of a home to raise their children in.

​For a young family, home is a place where memories are children grow and memories are created. Apart from the sentimental, it is also the launching pad for life. Getting ready in the morning for each day of life in the big wide world, resting after accomplishing the days’ events, and entertaining close family and friends should be easy, not full of ‘friction points’ – a term we use frequently in our home design office. Our aim is to eliminate as many of the ‘friction points’ in a home as possible, starting with the biggest ones first.
 
A ‘friction point’ is easy to identify. It is a moment in time where you feel frustrated or annoyed while trying to perform some activity, because the activity is made more difficult by something about the home. (Example: 1 bathroom + family of four, all trying to get ready to go out at the same time. Elbow bumping = friction point.) Notice how you feel about it, and write it down.

For a young family, having an open plan Living, Kitchen & Dining area can solve a major problem of ‘disconnection’ between these crucially socially-connected rooms. It can also solve safety issues such as when mum or dad is in the Kitchen, and a child is the Living room. In an open plan design, the parent can cook dinner while also watching the child in the Living room.
 
The most common renovation is to remove the unnecessary walls between spaces. However, this needs careful design and structural considerations before just ‘knocking out the wall’.
 
Matt & Kat reached out to the home building design specialists, Queensland Designer Homes, knowing they needed a holistic approach to the design of their open plan living space. QDH listened to their needs, and offered tailored solutions to the friction points they expressed, and designed a set of custom renovation plans to address all the friction points in the home, starting with removing two walls that separated the Kitchen from the Living and the Dining spaces. Kat was excited about the extra light and visibility from the kitchen, and Matt loved the idea of being able to chat with Kat while enjoying a beverage on the couch after a long hard day of work.
 
Why this works: It reconnects the main social living spaces and makes connecting with the other people in your home not only a possibility, but a likely outcome. Which, in an age of disconnection, should be prioritized as the first value renovation to a family home.

For Matt & Kat, who both love to cook, the tired old kitchen just wasn’t cutting the mustard anymore. It was badly laid out, had limited storage, and was awkward for two people to work in and the doors were actually falling off the hinges.
 
Having removed the two walls separating the Kitchen from the rest of the home, this opened up new possibilities for a better Kitchen layout. Matt & Kat decided on a ‘galley’ kitchen design with an island bench and breakfast bar. Working with QDH, the layout of the kitchen was designed to maximise functionality down to the millimetre.
 
A Kitchen renovation is often the most expensive renovation of a single room in the home, however its value in the reduction of stress related to everyday and socialising activities can be in-valuable.
 
Why this works: The Kitchen is the hub of the home, and for a family, the Kitchen is more than just a food preparation space, it is a social space. For people who love cooking, a functional Kitchen can increase the pleasure of cooking, whereas a non-functional kitchen can increase stress and tension.

Matt works from home 1 day a week, and needs a productive space. Working on the lounge with the laptop is not only causing him to have a bad back, to even sit down, he needs to move at least 5 toys off the couch to sit down to work! He would rather work at the dining table, but that is covered with MORE stuff than the lounge so the lounge is the path of least resistance. He wishes they had as much storage in their previous 4 bedroom house which they rented for a few years before they bought this one.
 
There is a section of the hallway that the building designers identified that, with the changes being made to the kitchen would not only suit not only a full length hallway cupboard, but was also a great spot to install a cozy Study Nook. So not only do Kat & Matt now have an amazing size cupboard to store all of the toys, but now Matt has a dedicated space for him and his laptop to reside on his WFH days.
 
Why this works: Improving storage in the home could even be as important, if not more important to some, than a renovated kitchen.

Kat loves to have the ‘girls’ over at least once a week to chit-chat and to catch up. Their kids absolutely LOVE one another. This is great and all, but the ‘kid-noise’ level seems to go from a manageable 50% to an ear-crunching 500% when the kids all get together. This results in the girls having to either raise their voices above the cacophony of ‘Ella’s’ and ‘Ariel’s’ or plonk the kids down in front of the TV to watch their favourite Ella or Ariel animated movie.
 
Kat brings up this conundrum in the design consultation with QDH, and the solution, it seems, is to get the kids to play more outside in an entertaining area and/or backyard, thereby relegating inside chaos to a kid-safe outdoor space. In Kat & Matt’s case, the lower-cost immediate-fix option is to add some kid-safe play equipment to the backyard consisting of:

1. a trampoline (full enclosed with a net of course),
2. a sandpit next to a simple plastic durable outdoor cubby house with a door and a window, and
3. a swing-set with a slide on the side.

 
One of Matt’s must-have renovations was a decent sized deck where he could cook up a storm with his meat smoker BBQ. After a chat with QDH, it became clear that the Deck would make a great north-facing outdoor living area where Matt & Kat could watch the kids play in the yard.
 
Why this works: Outdoor spaces are crucial to connect to indoor spaces. They provide a place where mum & dad can survey the kids playing in the yard, but still be connected to the social zones inside the home, especially with the new glass bifold doors connecting the dining directly to the deck when open.

A second bathroom is, in some cases - depending on the number of family members sharing the bathroom - a more urgent and immediately important renovation than the kitchen or outdoor areas.
 
Currently, Matt & Kat only have the 1 child and 3 bedrooms. So, once the other renovations are complete, the second baby would have been born, and they can take their time to one day do the extension for the new bedroom, ensuite and robe. The house will be sufficient for a few years, and once the kids need separate bedrooms, then it would be the right time to build that extension.
 
Why this works: Adding a fourth bedroom not only adds significant value to the home, but expands the internal floor area and creates a true retreat space for mum and dad as the kids grow. Adding a master bedroom instead of just another standard bedroom provides the opportunity to add a second full bathroom (ensuite) to separate mum and dad’s bathroom, from the ‘kids’ bathroom, further adding to the ability to control the cleanliness of at least one bathroom in the home for some escape from chaos.

​They cut it close, but a few weeks after the first four renovations where completed, Kat & Matt welcomed a beautiful little boy into the world and their renovated family home. For now, the home refresh now provides enough space, plenty of storage, and connected social zones that they feel they can comfortably live like this for a very long time, with minimal remaining ‘friction points’.
 
Each home and family is unique, and of course this needs to be taken into account with each project. For young families like the fictional Steven’s family, renovations can be life changing.
 
When focusing on practical, high value return renovations and improvements such as:

1. Open-plan Living,
2. A renovated kitchen,
3. Smart storage solutions,
4. Safe & connected outdoor spaces; and a
5. Bedroom extension...

...first home buyers and all home renovators in fact will likely improve their homes value proportionate to their investment, increase their daily home environment, and reduce many friction points of the home.

​At Queensland Designer Homes, we specialise in helping families get the most out of their homes, and particularly the most bang-for-buck renovations. Whatever your renovations are, large or small, we can help bring your vision to life, or even give you a vision if you are not sure what is best for your home.
 
Book in a free design consultation on our Contact page today. Talk to you soon!
 
 
- Sam, QDH.

What are the pro’s and con’s of a raise and build under?
Pro’s:

• Design transformation - Where you are building underneath the footprint of the existing (now raised) home, a new building storey underneath can be built, making a once single storey home into a two-storey home.
• No roofing cost – There is no roofing cost, as no extra roof is being added, unless an extension is also added,
• No additional site cover is added - This works really well on small lots (under 450m2) where there is a maximum site cover percentage that you cannot exceed (most often, 50%),
• Character homes - Where character homes are protected (particularly lightweight weatherboard style homes), most council’s will not allow a character home to be demolished or moved, but may allow a home to be raised and built under. This is great if you love the character of your home, and are happy with the location of it, but really need extra space.
• Get better views – The higher you are, the better the views. You might have a great view, if the upper level of the home was higher than it is now. What views could you have?
• Government incentives - There may be government incentives in some areas to assist with the cost of raising the home. In some cases, there may even be no direct cost to the home owner (such as in some flood-prone areas). Check with your council to see if there are any incentives or funding available to apply for.

Con’s

• Cost of the raise itself - The cost of the raise itself does not net you any more finished internal space in itself - You can’t call it dead money, but we would more realistically call it a necessary gateway expense to open up the possibilities to build under the home, which possibility wouldn’t exist without raising the home high enough to enable this option.
• Additional time – Renovations are disruptive to your everyday routine. It is just the nature of the beast. A raise can add more time to a renovation project.
• Staging the build can be complex – Although a raise and build under can be ‘staged’ in terms of building one section first, then waiting a few years for more funds, then doing the rest, if you are wanting to live in the home during the ‘waiting’ period, there will some significant compromises to your lifestyle, and services available in the home during that time. If you would like to know more about this point, please get in touch, as it can be highly project specific. The design itself may dictate whether you can actually stage the raise and build under or not. That’s where we can help.

There are many pro’s and con’s to a raise and build under, but there is one thing that can make the decision for you, and that’s …money.


How much does a raise and build under renovation cost?
You’re not going to like this, but how long is a piece of string? Renovations are all different to each other and every project has its own parameters that significantly sway the project build cost.

Factors that may influence the total build cost can include:

• Suitability of the home to be raised,
• Type and quality of the soil on the site,
• Whether the site flat or sloping,
• How much retaining work might be needed,
• Building height restrictions,
• Town planning constraints – particularly around character homes,
• Whether the ground floor is on a concrete slab or floor frame, and more.

What we can tell you, is that if you are looking for the cheapest renovation option, then this type of project is NOT for you. During the recent building price hikes, we have seen the cost of a raise and build under increase by an average of 40-50% between 2020-2024. If you’re budget is under $500,000k then we would encourage you to look at other options like an extension, or even a knock-down build new in some cases.

In our experience, most raise and build under projects don’t see a builder quote that is less than $750,000, and we frequently see projects come in at over $1m (usually only where extensions are also added). The numbers here may shock you, but be assured, they also shock us, and likely even the builders that are quoting the project. The recent material and labour cost increases have had a significant impact on project build cost. The good news is that we do this every day, and can guide you to a great renovation outcome by knowing from the start the target build budget we are working with for your project.


Should I just knock down and build a new home?
This is an excellent question that used to have a different answer.

In Brisbane prior to 2020, the answer was often ‘No’, as it was often a better cost outcome to raise and build under than to build the equivalent new two-storey home. However, as building costs have increased, particularly labour costs, this has pushed the price of a raise and build under renovation into new home territory.

To answer this question fully however, we need to ask you 3 questions:
1) Is the current existing home under any character, demolition or heritage controls?
If YES - it is likely you cannot demolish the home or even move the existing home to another site. So, if you would like to renovate, then a raise and build under becomes one of your only major renovation options.
If NO - the knock-down, build new option remains on the table.  

2) Will it cost more to knock-down and build a new home, or will it cost more to do a raise and build under? 
This often depends whether the new home is being built by a project builder (such as the high-volume project builders we all see frequent advertising about), or whether the home will be custom designed and built by a custom home builder. Tip: Usually, the custom home will cost more to build.  

The only way to answer this with full confidence, is to have plans designed and drafted for both options. Builders can then provide quotes for both options, and you can make the final call based on budget if that is the highest constraint for the project (which is most often the case).

3) Time & Inconvenience. Which option offers the least disruption to your life?
There is no doubt that, whether it is a new home or a renovation you are doing, there will be some kind of disruption to your normal life routine. Some families and lifestyles may be positioned to handle that disruption better than others. Factoring in the time-frame of the build can be a very helpful gauge on this also. Particularly in considering additional external costs such as renting somewhere else for the duration of the build.  

Generally, new home builds are quicker to build than a full-scale raise and build under. This might mean you can get into your finished home quicker.


Do I need a building approval for a raise and build under renovation?
Yes. We can’t think of any scenario where a building and/or development approval would not be required. This usually involves the design and drafting of building design plans, engineering plans, and engaging the services of qualified professionals to ensure the project gets the approval stamp, and the build goes smoothly.


What is the first step to starting a raise and build under renovation?
This first step in the process is to engage the right people. In the case of a renovation, you will want to first speak to a Building Designer (or architect) that is experienced and even specialises in raise and build under projects.

In any project, the best way to get things done (with the least stress) is to engage the right people with the right skills. This ensures that you are guided and supported by experienced professionals all along the journey that have a broad understanding of the entirety of the project itself, your desired outcomes, and can provide the right help at the right time.
​
 
Summary
Deciding whether a raise and build under is right for you can depend on many factors, but there is one factor that never changes - You need the right people on your project team.

We specialise in the design and drafting of successful raise and build under projects. Especially within Queensland, and particularly Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and every project and client is unique and special to us.

If you are considering a raise and build under for you and your home, please have a look through our Project Gallery for project examples first, then please make an enquiry with us for a FREE 15min design consultation over the phone or videoconference to discuss your project and answer all your questions.

Stay and Renovate, Move, or Build a New Home?
​
Deciding whether to stay and renovate your current home, move to a different one, or build a new house can be quite a difficult decision that involves a wide variety of factors.

As a building designer that specialises in working with families to come to a conclusion on this exact question, and then designing a home with them, I often encounter clients grappling with this difficult (and sometimes stressful!) choice.

This article aims to provide a comprehensive general guide to help you make an informed decision that best suits your needs and circumstances.

Evaluating Your Current Home
Before making any decisions, it’s crucial to evaluate your current home. Consider the following.

Current Home Condition: First of all, assessing the current home’s condition is crucially important. This will help you decide if the current home is worth saving, or whether to restore it might require significant cost-input. Have a builder (and engineer ideally) assess the foundation, roof, plumbing, electrical systems, and overall condition of your home. If your home requires extensive repairs, renovating might become a costly endeavor.

Location: Evaluate the neighborhood, proximity to work, schools, amenities, and overall quality of life. If you love your location, staying and renovating (or knocking down and building new) might be more appealing.

Space and Layout: Consider if your current home meets your space requirements. If you at this junction, it probable doesn’t meet your current needs. Sometimes, the layout can be reconfigured to better suit your needs without over capitalising on the home for your area.

Emotional Attachment or Character/Heritage restrictions: Emotional ties to your home and neighborhood play a significant role in helping you decide. If you have strong sentimental attachments, renovating might be preferable. If there are specific character controls (such as Brisbane City’s Traditional Building Character Overlay, or pre-1946/1911 character controls, Heritage listing or neighbourhood plans) might dictate what you can do to the home itself.
 

Renovating Your Current Home
Renovating can be an excellent way to breathe new life into your home. Here are some advantages and considerations:

Advantages:
Cost-Effective: Renovations can often be more affordable than building a new house or moving, especially if the changes are more aesthetic than structural.

Customization: You have the opportunity to design your space to fit your exact needs and preferences, increasing the home’s value in the process.

Familiarity: You stay in a familiar neighborhood with established relationships and routines.

Avoiding Moving Hassles: Renovations eliminate the stress and expense associated with moving.

Considerations:
Budget Management: Renovation costs can escalate quickly if unexpected issues arise or the home renovations required are so extensive that there is little left of the original home. It is crucial to have a well-defined budget and contingency part of the budget also.

Temporary Relocation: Depending on the extent of the renovation, you might need temporary accommodation, having to rent a nearby apartment or house, which, in today’s competitive rental market, can add to the cost and inconvenience.

Regulatory Approvals: Major renovations might require town planning approvals and building approvals depending on project scope, which can be time and money-consuming.
 
Moving to a Different House
Moving to a different house offers a fresh start and the possibility of finding a home that better fits your needs. Here are some pros and cons:

Advantages:
Immediate Solution: Moving allows you to quickly address your space and lifestyle requirements without undertaking the renovation process.

Modern Amenities: If the home is a newer home than your current home, it may offer modern amenities, energy efficiency, and advanced technology that might be difficult to integrate into an older home.

New Neighborhood: Moving can place you in a better location, closer to work, schools, or other desired people and places.

Considerations:
Financial Costs: Moving involves costs such as realtor fees, closing costs, and the expense of physically moving your belongings.

Emotional Impact: Leaving a familiar environment and community can be emotionally challenging.

Market Conditions: The current state of the real estate market, whether it favours buyers or sellers, supply etc) can impact the feasibility of selling your current home and finding a suitable new one within your budget.
 

Building a New House
Building a new house is an exciting yet complex endeavor that offers complete control over the design and features. Here are some aspects to consider:

Advantages:
Personal Customization: You can design a home that perfectly suits your lifestyle, preferences, and needs in a style that suits your family. You can quite literally design the home of your dreams.

Energy Efficiency & Modern Materials: New homes can be built with the latest energy-efficient technologies and more modern building materials, potentially reducing long-term utility bills and giving the home a more pleasant thermal outcome year-round.

Low Maintenance: A new home typically requires less maintenance and comes with warranties on various parts of the build, usually including a 10 year builders warranty (in Australia).

Considerations:
Higher Initial Costs: Building a new home can be more expensive upfront compared to minor renovations or buying an existing home.

Time-Consuming: The process of designing and constructing a new home is time-consuming and requires patience and thorough planning, and many decisions. Our tried and true design process focuses on personally guiding you through this sometimes daunting process step-by-step until we hand you over to your chosen builder.

Land Acquisition: Finding and purchasing a suitable plot of land can be challenging and expensive.
 

Making the Decision
To make an informed decision, consider the following steps:
List Your Priorities: Identify what matters most to you and your family, such as space, location, budget, and lifestyle.

Financial Analysis: Conduct a detailed financial analysis comparing the costs of renovating, moving, and building new. Factor in both short-term and long-term expenses. We can help with this analysis in a no-obligation general design consultation.

Consider the Future: Think about your long-term plans. How will each option impact your family’s needs in the coming years?

Assess the Market: Evaluate the current real estate market conditions. It might influence the decision to sell, buy, or build.

Consult Professionals: Seek advice from building designers, builders, real estate agents, and financial advisors. They can provide valuable insights and help you understand the feasibility of each option, and help you evaluate both the short-term and long-term feasibility of each decision for your own family.
 

Conclusion
Deciding whether to stay and renovate, move, or build a new home is a multifaceted decision that requires careful consideration of various factors. Each option has its unique benefits and challenges. By evaluating your current situation, prioritizing your needs, and seeking professional advice, you can make a decision that aligns with your financial position, lifestyle preferences, and long-term goals.

Whether you choose to renovate your existing home, move to a new one, or embark on the journey of building a custom house, the ultimate goal is to create a living space that brings you comfort, satisfaction, and joy for years to come.

How can we help you?
Making the right decision can be daunting, but speaking with professionals in their fields can take the guess-work out of it for you, and make the decision much clearer. We have these conversations more often than you would think with our clients, and have standard and personalised questions that we ask in our design consultations that can help guide your decision.

Get in touch with us today for a FREE 15min phone or Teams/Zoom consultation, or if you’re in South-east Queensland we can visit you at your home for a no-obligation design consultation.

Disclaimer: This blog article is written general in nature and does not consider your personal circumstances. Before making any decisions, professional advice that considers your own personal circumstances should be sought.

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.

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

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 - a Draftsman usually works for an appropriately licensed Building Designer OR licensed Architect to 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:

• Provides plans for council approval and construction.
• Usually concentrates mostly on the design aspect of a project. Usually employs draftspeople for production of final plans for approval and construction.
• 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.
• Often up to 10 times more expensive than a Building Designer or more.

Building Designer:

• Provides plans for council approval and construction.
• Usually produces final plans for approval and construction themselves or employs draftspeople to assist with this as well.
• 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.
• TAFE qualification, plus a certain amount of experience in a Building Design company depending on the state or territory.
• Much more cost-friendly option than an Architect for the effectively same result.

Draftsman / Draftsperson:

• Often works under under an Architect, Building Designer or Builder.
• No formal education required, however most have completed some form of educational training.
• In many cases, once a design concept has been finalised by an Architect, Building Designer, the project then passes to a draftsperson for completion of the final plans for approval and construction as overseen by the Architect or Building Designer.
• Draftsmen can work in many different industries, as 'drafting' basically just means the drawing of the 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. To have a set of plans approved by council for 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 spend the design and documentation part of your project?

Due to an Architect's generally higher fees, they usually make a good profit while producing the same final result - a set of building plans for your project that you can submit to council for approval and construction. Obviously, many architects services differ from each other so we would encourage you to contact architects in your area to get a quote and weigh up their offerings against the building designers in your area too.

A good Building Designer on the other hand, will carefully calculate exactly 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 over the years, completely exasperated with empty pockets because they have been stung by their Architect's seemingly endless stream of invoices. This resulted in a LOT of wasted money, and often a LOT of frustration for their 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 with our architect." The good news is that it can stop right here! (Sorry, I realise that is not so impartial...)

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

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

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. Get in touch with us to access our exclusive network of 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