Thinking of buying a new home? 3 great reasons to get a Pre-purchase Design Review
Image: Fitzroy House spatial diagram. Designed while Associate at Chamberlain Architecture & Interiors
Buying a new house is such a big decision, whether it’s your first home or your forever home. Deciding which home to go for and how much to bid can be a daunting prospect, all the more so if you have a possible renovation or rebuild in mind.
Maybe you’re looking for fixer upper with an eye to the long term, maybe a beautiful heritage frontage to extend into a dream home. Maybe you’re despairing of the available listings and thinking ‘how hard would it really be to renovate?’
One of the most valuable items to tick off your pre-purchase checklist is an architect’s advice on liveability and design potential. Here are 3 great reasons why:
Forewarned is forearmed. Get clarity on the regulatory constraints and approvals process.
So often the risks of rigid planning overlays, restrictive title covenants or neighbourhood constraints go unseen until after the hammer drops. Yet, a simple review process can bring these constraints to light before you’ve signed on the dotted line.
It is invaluable to know whether or not you will need a planning permit and what any title encumbrances might mean for the site.
Beyond those basics, an architect can also advise on general height and setback limitations, whether significant trees may require approval to remove, and how a heritage overlay or listing may limit your options.
Clarify your vision.
Explore design potential before you’re committed.
You’ll find out whether the property can accommodate your design brief, or whether you should keep looking for one that’s better suited. An architect can highlight the design opportunities inherent in the site and, with a little information on your needs and wants, can advise you on what spatial requirements will come into play.
An architect can advise on natural light, passive solar design, orientation, access, and potential for views - all critical to how the home may feel to live in.
You can even test feasibility of a renovation or new house in sketch form, to explore how your brief might shape up on site.
Factor in the likely renovation costs before you bid.
If you’re thinking about buying with a view to renovating or rebuilding, it’s best to be armed with a rough idea of what your build budget should be, to help you set your price limit.
With an estimate of required floor area, based on your brief, an architect can help you understand the ballpark cost to achieve the home and lifestyle you’re looking for, with the property you’re considering.
Looking beyond the real estate speak and the online chatter about property values, our Pre-purchase Design Review process is designed to provide these insights.
Tailored to suit your brief and your key questions, our process is simple, timely and effective. We can answer key questions like:
What is possible and feasible for a renovation of the property I’m considering?
How much would it cost to renovate?
Could the renovation be staged?
Would it be better to demolish and build a new home fresh?
How much would it cost to build a new house on the property?
Which property is the better choice from an architect’s perspective?
What are the big Planning or building regulatory constraints we need to be prepared for?
Can the property live up to my vision?
Find out more about our Pre-purchase Design Advice service and how simple it is to action here.
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