The house was delivered back to the client on time and on budget with only a 1.5% variation to the cost of the work as signed at the time of contract.

It is always helpful when the brief is clear, the selections are made early and the documentation is complete. All of these factors contributed positively to a rewarding project with a happy client and a well considered home that was on time and on budget.

If you are considering the merits of involving an architect to manage your project on your behalf, as opposed to dealing directly with the builder yourself, here are some key questions you should consider:

• Do I have the time to visit the site daily and answer questions quickly as to not delay the works?
• Can I successfully interpret the drawings and specifications produced to instruct the builder accurately?
• Do I have the capacity to contribute positively if a question of design is raised, or am I happy to accept the builders assertions as this is ‘the way we have always done it’?
• Do I know what I am looking at when assessing if the home has been built in accordance with all relevant codes and standards?
• Do I know what things cost, and how long things should take to build?
• Have we renovated before, and am I able to question the builder if something does not quite seem right?

Having a Hobbs Jamieson Architecture manage this process for you will mean all of the above can be adequately managed and potentially save you money when considering your overall project cost.

We have just reached practical completion of a renovation project in Neutral Bay on the Lower North Shore of Sydney. The residential project involved renovating the original home and adding a small first floor addition.

The owners had a simple brief to keep the original character of the house whilst improving the flow and zoning through the dwelling.