Working with us

Our Design Process

The typical procedure for designing a new home is as follows:-

The Preliminary Design Phase

The design process starts with our Design and Contract Coordinator, Steven Boyd. He will take an initial brief from you and match your brief to one of our highly regarded architects. This architect is someone whose work we stand by and who we can confidently recommend as being skilled in designing the style of home you are looking for.  The concept design is developed and refined over a series of meetings until we have developed a design that will suit your needs, the land and your budget.

Keeping track of costs

During the entire designing process, Steven will do a full Bill of Quantites so that as the design of the home evolves, you are kept up to date with the cost. As changes are made (ie architectural changes or selection changes) the B of Q is updated so that you are aware, at all times, the impact the changes have made to the bottom line figure. This ensures that these changes don't result in a home that ultimately falls outside of your budget by alerting you of any new costs right at the start. We will suggest where compromises can be made without compromising on the quality of your home.

The client is given the latest, most up-to-date copy of the B of Q throughout this entire process.

We are an open book company and we are more than happy for you to see where your every dollar is going.

Contracts

If you are happy with the preliminary design and price then we proceed to contract stage. There are two different types of contracts that you can use:

• Cost Plus contract, or
• Fixed Cost contract.

We are happy to discuss the two different options so you can make an informed decision about which contract best suits your needs.

Approvals

Steven Boyd has over 20 years experience in the construction industry. During this time he has continuously kept abreast with the latest approval processes.

Currently the approval procedures can be extremely complex especially when dealing with redevelopment and heritage listed sites.

Because Steven is involved in the design process from day one, not only does he keep track of costs, he guides the design of the home so that approvals can be obtained in the most timely, efficient manner.

What many people don't realize is that the government regulations regarding the approvals dictate what can and cannot be built on your block of land. Since the government is limiting what you can or cannot have, it is vital you have someone helping you during this phase who knows how to legally “push the boundaries” to achieve the ultimate result for the client.

Interior Design

Once the plans are in for approval, we have the client use that time to meet with the interior designer and make their selections. We will match your design requirements with other members of our team for kitchen design, bathroom design, interior design and landscape design. We brief each design professional on the look you want to achieve so that all aspects of design and finishes retain the integrity of your vision throughout all elements of your new home.

Construction

Once the necessary approvals have been granted, the interior design fully finalized and the final costs have been accepted by you, we are ready to begin the construction of your new home. It is at this stage that the concept is turned into reality. Each stage of construction is supervised and built in accordance with Building Regulations, Standards and of course, Better Building Services own high quality standards.