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Budget: Setting good expectations

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Every build has a cost; How do you design with budget in mind? Establishing a range of accuracy If this is your first build or you haven't built for a while, how are you supposed to know how much to budget?  What influences budget?  How do you make decisions through the design that affect budget? While we can't cover every aspect of cost in one post we will walk through some ideas and examples that will shape our thinking around design, building cost and budget: Starting with a review of industry standard methods and working our way to design principles that will help you make better decisions. You'll develop a framework that will aid in identifying elements that add to construction cost and therefore should be considered when thinking about budget. Our belief is that good design plays an important role in budget and that you shouldn't have to go through the process blind not understanding the factors that contribute to building cost. Common ways of creating a budget Ac
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The Path: Streamlined House Design

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Ten Steps to a Streamlined House Design Let's be upfront about it, house design is a complex and time consuming process. E ven the idea of starting can be overwhelming.  But despite the many decisions in front of you, house design can be made manageable - with the right guidance! We have compiled what we think are the 10 best strategies to a streamlined design process. 1) Understand your lot: Your building site may be the single largest external influencer on your homes design. Start by getting to know both the physical and legal features of your lot. By understanding the limitations, decision making becomes simplified.  I suggest reading our post  You have Dirt...  to get a deeper look at site analysis. 2) Know your budget:  How do you determine your budget? I believe it's a two step process that involves your banker, your builder and your house plans...twice.  Start by seeing your mortgage broker to determine your borrowing potential. Factors including: your down payment, you
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Timeline and Process - Construction Documents in Hand!

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The obvious goal is to start building, but there are a few more steps.  You need a Builder, and a Budget and a Building Permit.   Builder We encourage builder engagement as early as possible to make the transition from design to construction smooth.  On the other hand, maybe you're still considering the options and want a couple of builders to look at the documents before moving forward. Both paths are acceptable and have their own benefits.  In both cases the next step is to provide your builder with the Construction Documents. With them they will start the  tendering  process and begin assembling the required papers for permits. Budgeting Any of the ballpark pricing up to this point will now be developed into a working budget. In practice, every consultant, trade and supplier will now review the drawings and will submit quotes back to your builder.  Is there more to it than that? Yep!   Because your house is made up of many parts, assembled by many people involving many decisions
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