A Funny Question We Get Asked

We wanted to share with you a question that we get asked every now and then from homeowners and we wanted to help guide people when approaching a Designer to carry out some work for them.

It’s not the homeowner’s fault that they ask this question, sadly the way the industry has educated people is the culprit, but here it…

“How much is it to get my drawings or plans drawn up?”

Unfortunately, this question does not make any sense, as there has been a huge misrepresentation to homeowners, that they feel the value is in the drawings, for example, some companies will advertise that they can draw your plans for your home or renovation for a square meterage rate.
To be honest, I have no idea how they can do this?

So, what should be your initial questions when approaching a Designer for your project? To put it simply, you need to focus on how your Designer communicates.
Communication is the key to any successful relationship. For example, it’s your Designers responsibility to wrap a building around your lifestyle. How you want to live in your home.

So the initial questions you need to be asking are ones such as How do you communicate your Designs? Do you use 3D computer modelling software? Will I be able to see a walk through of the design? When you do the space planning, do you use actual furniture? Will the furniture be laid out in every room, so I get a true sense of the space? How will the building respond to true North and the surrounding built environment? Will I have overlooking sightlines from neighbours?

These may seem like a lot of different questions, but your goal when you are looking to employ any Designer is that you need to understand how that professional is actually going to work and communicate with you, and how their design process will add value to your investment.

So focus less on the words “drawings and documents”, they are important and add extreme value of course, but they come later.
There is no point in having the world’s best drawings, but living in a home here in Australia in the southern hemisphere that faces due South will never work with our lifestyle.

The primary focus should always be, How will my Designer communicate with me? Can I communicate with them? How will they show their documentation in an early design phase? Will it give me a thorough and accurate understanding of the building?
How long will the design process take?

It may seem overwhelming at first, but these questions will make a difference to your experience! So if you are approaching a Designer, and only asking them about the costs, you are not going to get the best result.

We are passionate about design here at GreenCoast Design, and as industry professionals, it’s our role to educate homeowners that good design will make a difference in their lives and the way they live in their homes.

Remember again, the key point is that as a homeowner you need to understand how the design is going to be communicated to you and be confident that you will get a great result and move through a design process that makes sense, adds value and most importantly stays on budget.

We hope this helps you as you start your design journey.

See you later,

Aaron

greencoast building design
greencoast