Consultations + design process
To kick off your project, determine whether you will go ahead with the purchase of a property, explore the potential of a property, upgrade your rental investment, flip a property, or enquire about design feasibilities. simply book an Initial Consultation or Pre-Purchase Consultation with us.
Our dual qualifications in Property Development and Architecture uniquely position us to provide comprehensive Initial Consultations and Pre-Purchase Design Advice services, combining expert knowledge and practical experience.
Fees: $650 prepaid for a 1 to 2 hour discussion at your development site or a property you consider purchasing.
To make an appointment: Please complete a below ‘Book an Initial Consultation’ form below. Thank you!
Please refer to Terms and Conditions and FAQs below.
Pre-Purchase Design Advice
Elevating purchaser confidence through vision and awareness. Please book a Pre-Purchase Design Advice consultation* if you would like to get an overview of the potential constraints and opportunities of a site you are considering purchasing.
Why Pre-Purchase Design Advice Matters:
Confidence: Our consultations provide buyers with the confidence to envision a property's potential and constraints and give them a greater awareness of some of the main risks before committing.
Visualising Potential: We help buyers see beyond the current state of a property, unlocking its hidden potential.
More informed decisions: By offering design insights upfront, we streamline the decision-making process, empowering buyers to make informed choices.
During our Pre-Purchase Design Advice meeting we talk about big picture items such as:
o Your goals and long-term aspirations for the property
o Potential site constraints and opportunities arising from the site, planning framework, title constraints, context, and available property information
o Whether your aspirations and budget appear aligned
o Potential short-term improvements, hidden costs, and constraints
o The likely development process, including approvals, timeframes, consultants, and construction considerations.
Initial Consultation
Please book an Initial Consultation to kick off your Architectural Design Process with us. This Consultation is intended to look at the big picture and collaboratively develop an achievable project brief, which will form the foundation for our fee proposal to you.
We will discuss:
o Your goals
o Potential site constraints and opportunities
o Approvals pathways to realise your goals
o Budget and construction costs: is your initial budget realistic for your aspirations and objectives (see FAQ below on initial construction budget); alternatives and temporary solutions if your budget does not align with your vision for your site
o Our involvement throughout the process, from site analysis through to project completion
o Typical consultant fees, authority costs, project deliverables, and procurement pathways
o Builders and and key considerations when selecting a builder
o Sustainable design opportunities, materials, and performance considerations (life-cycle considerations)
o Indicative project timeframes and next steps.
You can download ‘Our Architectural Design Process’ after completing the Initial Consultation booking form to learn more about our design and procurement process.
Additional Services, including the provision of reports, conceptual design services, design feasibility studies, and detailed research, are available for additional fees, which will be agreed on a case-by-case basis.
Our Architectural Design Process
What happens after your Initial Consultation?
DOWNLOAD your journey from Concept to Completion explained in detail after you have submitted your booking form for the Initial Consultation. You will receive a link with your enquiry.
Contents:
o Kicking off your project
o Concept Design - Exploration of options in sketch form
o Design Development - Finalising the design
o Design Development - Approvals (DA or CDC Part 1)
o Design Development - Your other consultants
o Construction Documentation Stage 1 - Approvals (CC or CDC Part 2)
o Construction Documentation Stage 2 - Tender Documentation
o Construction Documentation - Finalising Selections
o Contractor Selection
o Your Building Contract
o Contract Administration + Post Construction
You will receive your download link with your booking.
Please also refer to our Blog page ‘Less is more - studio203 in the new Your Home Book’ to find out more about how we engage with materiality.
Initial Consultation - General Advice
You can also book an Initial Consultation* if the advice you require is of a more general nature. This consultation will provide you with tailored guidance, helping you make informed decisions and effectively plan your property improvements.
Scenarios for General Advice:
o Understand the opportunities and constraints of a site or property you already own
o Refine your scope and develop a realistic brief for a future project
o Explore temporary or staged solutions to improve functionality before moving in, renovating, or renting out a property.
o Learn more about the development process, including approval pathways, consultants involved, fees, contracts, sustainability opportunities, and long-term energy savings
o To obtain a fee proposal from us for early, analytical project phases only, such as Design Feasibility or Masterplan Studies, to explore the development potential, possibilities and constraints
o To obtain a fee proposal for specific services, such as concept design, interior design, or targeted project phases only
o To obtain a fee proposal from us for minor alterations or improvements to optimise functionality.
Additional Services, including the provision of reports, conceptual design services, design feasibility studies, and detailed research, are available for additional fees, which will be agreed on a case-by-case basis.
Terms and Conditions
The Initial Consultation and Pre-Purchase Consultation provide verbal design advice only. Pre-Purchase Consultations are available within the Sydney metropolitan area only.
Additional charges apply for travel time for distances: Sydney >5km from the office, ACT >10km from Civic, and Braidwood >10km from the town centre.
Initial, Pre-Purchase and General Advice Consultations and Additional Services are pre-paid services. You will receive an invoice with your booking confirmation.
Additional Services, including but not limited to written reports, written advice, conceptual design services, design feasibility studies, and detailed research, are available for an additional fee and are subject to separate fee proposals.
Limitations of Advice: Initial, Pre-Purchase and General Advice Consultations provide general preliminary advice only and do not include specialist consultant services or advice, including but not limited to: building inspection services, structural or specialist engineering advice, sustainable design advice, legal advice, heritage and specialist townplanning advice, advice from Council or other authorities. Where appropriate, we may recommend engaging specialist consultants to investigate specific aspects of your project or a property you intend to purchase.
Studio203’s preliminary pre-purchase design advice does not include assessment of speculative planning risks, including and not limited to: non-gazetted or proposed planning legislation, documents that are not readily publicly accessible, lodged Complying Development Certificates relating to other properties, potential future impacts such as overshadowing or loss of views resulting from neighbouring development. For detailed planning due diligence or speculative planning risk assessments, we recommend engaging an independent town planner.
The Initial and Pre-Purchase Consultations do NOT replace the need to obtain independent building and pest inspections by suitably qualified persons.
Studio203 does not provide cost advice. We may provide a general indication of whether your project brief and budget appear aligned with your aspirations. Detailed cost advice should always be obtained from a professional cost consultant (quantity surveyor) or builder. Please note that reliable cost forecasting requires sufficiently detailed project documentation, including drawings and supporting information, from the early stages of a project onward.
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Project budget and construction costs: some indicative figures on architecturally designed custom houses can be obtained from https://www.bmtqs.com.au/construction-cost-table
Use ‘high-level finish’ here for a rate that reflects a standard level of finish and quality of construction in Sydney and Canberra.
These figures are construction costs only and do not include fees for consultants and authorities. Construction costs can vary significantly and depend on factors such as location, access, site constraints, type of building, size and complexity, construction methods, materials used, availability and cost of skilled labor in your area, remediation and restoration requirements, energy rating, acoustic, flood and fire-rating measures, the required timeframe, etc. Detailed cost advice should always be obtained from a professional cost consultant (a quantity surveyor) or a builder.
Notably, alterations and additions, as well as small builds, typically attract higher construction costs and fees per square metre than larger or new custom houses at the same level of ‘finish’, a term often misinterpreted (refer our Blog Post ‘Less is more’ https://www.studio203.com.au/blog/less-is-more). Living on the property during construction will also typically add to construction costs and tends to prolong the build.
Cost forecasts are influenced by inflation and many other factors: when a builder or cost consultant provides a customer with an estimate or cost forecast at today's date, it's important to recognise that the costs for the same project could rise by the time you're ready to build and sign a contract. Additionally, the perceived increase in costs may also stem from the additional detail available to the cost consultant/ builder towards the end of the planning phase compared to the project's initial stages. Cost forecasts during an early project phase serve only as an approximation of costs, as opposed to the quotes received from builders at the end of a fully documented project, which are reflections of current market prices. Fully documented projects will include all specialist consultants and authority input, as well as all construction drawings, schedules and specifications.
For more information on Quantity Surveryors we recommend reading ‘Quantity Surveyors: Do I Need One for My Building Project?’ by Homebuilding & Renovating UK. In Australia, the AIQS (The Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors) is the peak body for built environment cost professionals in Australia.
So, when budgeting for your dream project, keep in mind the golden rule: 'You get what you pay for.' Investing in well-researched project documentation now, prioritising quality construction (often mistaken as ‘finishes’), and selecting the right builder for the project and chosen contract will lead to fewer headaches later and better long-term outcomes.