E124. Mistakes people make building their first home

Building your first home should be exciting…but it’s also where the most expensive mistakes happen.

In this episode of the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast, Amelia and Frank unpack the real-world errors they see first home builders make again and again, and why they can cost far more than you expect. From choosing looks over functionality to underestimating hidden costs, this episode pulls back the curtain on the decisions that quietly blow budgets and create long-term regret.

You’ll hear why “fixed price” doesn’t always mean fixed, how missing early planning costs can derail your build before it even starts, and the surprising ways site orientation, storage, and layout choices impact your comfort and energy bills for years to come. Frank also shares honest insights from decades in the industry, including why generic plans and cheap shortcuts often end up being the most expensive decisions of all.

If you’re planning your first home, or even thinking about it, this episode will help you avoid the traps most people don’t realise until it’s too late. It’s practical, straight-talking advice designed to save you stress, money, and sleepless nights.

Before you lock in your plans or sign a contract, make sure you hear this conversation. Your future self (and your bank account) will thank you.

And be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. 

About us
Prime Design is a building design company locally owned and operated in Tasmania since 2004.  Our goal is to share as much valuable information as possible about the process of building design, extensions, and more. We will talk about a different topic each week. To suggest a topic you would like us to talk about contact us at info@primedesigntas.com.au

Disclaimer
The information provided on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, individual circumstances, or remedy. We strongly suggest you consult a qualified professional before taking any action based on the information provided in this podcast. The views, opinions, and information provided in this podcast are those of the hosts do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organisation, employer, or company. All content provided on this podcast is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this podcast and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, or damages arising from its use. We reserve the right to change content or delete any information provided on this podcast at any time without prior notice.

Transcript

E124. Mistakes people make building their first home 

[INTRO] (0:08 - 0:42)

Hello and welcome to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast, focused on providing valuable information for anyone looking to undertake a new build or extension project. We'll share our tips, tricks and stories from a building designer's perspective. 

[Amelia]

Hello and welcome to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast. I'm your host Amelia and once again we're joined by Frank Geskus.

[Frank] (0:42 - 0:42)

Hey Amelia.

[Amelia] (0:43 - 0:45)

Oh look it's been Fish and Chip Friday.

[Frank] (0:45 - 0:57)

Yes we had a special treat with the whole team and they've been working really, really hard. It's been a very fast-paced start to the year so we shouted with Fish and Chips and we had a good laugh with that and it was good fun.

[Amelia] (0:57 - 0:59)

It was very good.

[Frank] (0:59 - 1:00)

And now we've all got food comas.

[Amelia] (1:00 - 1:01)

We do.

[Frank] (1:01 - 1:11)

As a boss. I got to make a mental note

[Amelia]

Wasn't the best choice? Well every time you have a good meal getting back to work can be a bit tough.

[Amelia] (1:12 - 1:16)

But on the upside there's some leftover dimmies. 

[Frank] (1:19 - 1:20)

Oh yuck. And potato cakes I noticed.

[Amelia] (1:21 - 1:32)

Potato cakes yeah. 

[Frank]

No thank you. 

[Amelia]

There's breakfast.

[Frank]

Oh I'd rather have cold pizza. 

[Amelia]

Actually yeah cold pizza is awesome.

[Frank] (1:32 - 1:34)

I love it. Yes not very often.

[Amelia] (1:34 - 1:35)

Not very often no.

[Frank] (1:36 - 2:10)

All right so we're going to talk about why first home mistakes are common and costly. And I've just been seeing a few things go on even though there's not as many first home buyers as there used to be. You know builders to build their first home.

But we're seeing certain things and people get fixated on. So we're just going to go through a few things and just want to point out how if these aren't considered could be considered mistakes and it may affect you going forward. First thing is prioritizing a look rather than functionality of the house.

[Amelia] (2:10 - 2:23)

I think that's a really big one. And maybe even people that are not even just doing their first home. Maybe people are doing their second home have this as well because they're like oh I can do this and this will look cool and that will look cool and that looks awesome.

[Frank] (2:23 - 2:25)

And we're talking about inside and outside.

[Amelia] (2:26 - 2:26)

Yes.

[Frank] (2:26 - 2:51)

You know and how that affects everything you do with your house. And we'll just talk about insides first. So when you're considering interior finishes.

The layouts that's really important so it functions well. You're looking at trends. Be careful of some of these trends and things you see on Insta and all sorts of lovely websites and there's some beautiful images.

But you really need to investigate the cost of the product and how much it costs to install.

[Amelia] (2:52 - 3:03)

And I think some of the building and renovation shows you know The Block, House Rules all of that. I think I don't know people get heaps of ideas from that and it looks amazing.

[Frank] (3:04 - 3:53)

Wonderful ideas. And you can do some of these really, really well. But also remember there are alternatives or very close to it as well that's still going to give you an amazing effect.

So this is where it's very important to talk to people. It's not just buying the product. What does it cost to install?

I've had you know we do this all day every day where I've investigated certain things and really cool specific items. You find out oh it's not bad how much it costs to buy that. Then you talk to builders or floor layers, tilers you know all the specialized trades and go yeah they're about four times the cost to install.

And I look at them says why? And they run off a list. Oh right now I understand.

You don't understand when you see this stuff you go buy it and you go holy crap it's cost me four times as much as I thought.

[Amelia] (3:54 - 3:54)

Exactly.

[Frank] (3:55 - 4:22)

This is where you're going to have to really listen to your builder. The other thing is not designing your living space as well in conjunction with where your sleeping space is. Not putting in say if you've got bedrooms next to living spaces.

Just putting in wall insulation. Simple thing. Takes out of that noise. Separate you know separation between the rooms where you can just a bit of sound insulation. And you don't have to get sound bats. Just use normal bats.

[Amelia] (4:23 - 4:29)

Hopefully your designer will be able to guide you a little bit with those things because that's what they do day in and day out.

[Frank] (4:29 - 4:43)

Yeah little things like that. Heating and cooling issues. There's a combination of that of common sense. As a designer should always be designing passive solar you know. Just the sun is free heat. Beautiful light. Just common sense designing.

[Amelia] (4:43 - 4:44)

Yes.

[Frank] (4:44 - 4:51)

Unfortunately I saw one today with one of the guys and the client insisted a certain thing and the garage is facing due north.

[Amelia] (4:51 - 4:52)

Why would you do that?

[Frank] (4:53 - 4:59)

And I questioned him on that. What's the guys? This is the client. This is the plan. This was the crossover. This is what they wanted to do.

Couldn't convince them otherwise.

[Amelia] (5:00 - 5:00)

Really?

[Frank] (5:01 - 5:12)

And in Tasmania cold climate it has been very difficult to get it through the minimum six star as opposed to the seven star on the mainland. We're still on six star. So it's caused a lot of other issues.

[Amelia] (5:12 - 5:12)

Okay.

[Frank] (5:13 - 5:23)

And I think you're going to find you end up having a dark house. I've lived in a dark house which was a hundred years old. I'll never do it again.

Beautiful character but no. Sunlight rules.

[Amelia] (5:24 - 5:24)

I agree.

[Frank] (5:25 - 5:39)

And managing that sunlight with passive solar control. Anyway that's a topic for another time. So think of your lifestyle needs not just for now but maybe a little bit in the future as well.

You don't have to over decorate shit too.

[Amelia] (5:40 - 5:40)

Exactly.

[Frank] (5:40 - 6:13)

Straight away. You know like if you're on a budget you need to focus on the space that you need first and then look at how you can style that and look at your finishes. You've got to be able to fit it within your budget.

If you're borrowing five hundred thousand dollars you don't need to spend five hundred thousand dollars. Peg it back ten, twenty percent. You know as we've spoken in previous podcasts about contingency.

You want to have some money up your sleeve for unknowns and if you can upgrade things during the process that's not going to break the budget go for it. But you've got to allow for you know window coverings. Maybe a driveway.

[Amelia] (6:15 - 6:16)

Landscaping.

[Frank] (6:16 - 6:18)

Well landscaping or even just a fence.

[Amelia] (6:18 - 6:19)

Yeah that's a good point.

[Frank] (6:20 - 6:30)

And remember the cost of a house. Anything that you have outside that house. Deck. Concrete. Pergola. Whatever. That's on top of your build cost. Treat them as totally separate.

[Amelia] (6:31 - 6:31)

Yes.

[Frank] (6:32 - 6:50)

So base build cost. Then you're putting on the accessories on the outside. So we're now going to talk about where people have underestimated costs.

We're going to start with. This is our end. The pointy end where you start is underestimating how much it costs to get a house designed all the way to permits.

[Amelia] (6:50 - 6:57)

Yeah that's a really good point because quite often you've got to fork that out of your own back pocket and that's not something that the bank usually funds.

[Frank] (6:58 - 7:01)

Well that early because how do they fund something when they don't know how much it's going to cost.

[Amelia] (7:01 - 7:01)

That's right.

[Frank] (7:02 - 7:43)

So just quickly I'm just going to give you some numbers. Their estimates. Ranges. And this this is very site specific. Location specific. But this is just in here in Tasmania. So from a design for a house. And this is going to be subject to size. Complexity. Style. But allow yourself between four to six thousand for a normal house. Nothing too big. You have structural engineering. Could be anywhere between one and a half to three thousand dollars. Again depends.

Could be on a slope. Whatever. Soil test will cost you anywhere between seven hundred to eleven hundred dollars.

And I can guarantee you can find a cheaper one. Don't do it. Cheap soil tests cost you money.

[Amelia] (7:43 - 7:44)

Yeah. Get the good guys.

[Frank] (7:45 - 8:58)

We've had this on a podcast before. Surveys. Same thing.

Don't pay peanuts for just a bunch of heights on there. Pay for a decent quality detail survey that tells you everything that's on site including the inverts of the sewer and stormwater. If the designer doesn't know how do you know how to fall all your sewerage or your stormwater to the connection point.

The quality stuff is worth every cent. You know for a vacant site it's only about a thousand or twelve hundred dollars. Some people will do it much cheaper.

Don't go the cheap. Go the quality. All right.

Planning permits. If you need a planning permit someone's got to put it together. Put a planning permit together and response to the planning scheme.

You can allow somewhere between seven hundred to twelve hundred dollars on a basic setup depending on which municipality you are. The council will charge you anything between seven hundred to two thousand dollars depending which council you go to. On the mainland I have no idea.

And depending how much of an argument you have with your council. The designer should be designed to try and reduce the amount of discretionary items you need to address. That means you're non-compliant.

Just please be aware sometimes you buy a block of land and you're already non-compliant just for looking at trying to put a house on there. Because the overlays.

[Amelia] (8:59 - 8:59)

Yeah that’s true. 

[Frank] (9:00 - 10:28)

So please don't blame the designer. It's some of the council or the planning commissions decide to put dumb ass overlays so they cost you money. So you need a permit regardless whether you want to or not.

[Amelia]

Yes. 

[Frank]

You need to get a thermal assessment. Again you pay peanuts you get a crap job.

Find a quality one anywhere between four hundred to six hundred fifty dollars. If you want a really really good one to really understand your energy usage you can pay up to about twelve hundred dollars. Could be well worthwhile.

It's very good to get a more efficient design to understand how it's going to cost you to run your house. Then for you that's all ready to go. You're ready to go to your building surveyor.

In Tassie you're looking anywhere between three to four and a half thousand dollars for the building surveyor to do the assessment. And with or you have three to four inspections in there. Some separate it out and they invoice it when they do it.

Then you've got the council once it is submitted. It could in Tasmania you've got two ways of doing it. One is called Notifiable Works and it's just a small fee for the council to put it on the records and whatnot.

Another one's permit which is a cat four type of arrangement. And then it goes through the building department and the permit authority within the council. And there again probably another nine hundred bucks for the sake of a piece of paper.

Plumbing department that is completely separate out of that building. And it doesn't matter what project you do you need a plumbing permit. And you can be anywhere between you know a thousand or two thousand dollars.

[Amelia] (10:28 - 10:29)

Yeah that adds up.

[Frank] (10:30 - 10:39)

Yeah so you could be anywhere subject to some of these. Anywhere between fifteen to twenty thousand dollars you've got to fork out.

[Amelia] (10:39 - 10:44)

And obviously it's dependent on whatever reports you're required for your specific site.

[Frank] (10:44 - 11:16)

You might need extra reports. 

[Amelia]

Yeah that's right. 

[Frank]

You could be in floodplain. You could be in bushfire. Bushfire could be anywhere between eight hundred to two thousand dollars. You may. Yeah there’s some crazy stuff we've had to get reports on. So your stormwater. You may not have a stormwater connection so the stormwater stays on site. You know so you get that design. Well there's another couple of grand. Oh you don't have a sewer connection.

Need to put a wastewater system on. Oh jeez. There's another two to three thousand dollars worth of design work.

Oh how much is that going to cost to build? Oh between twenty, thirty to forty five thousand.

[Amelia] (11:16 - 11:20)

Yeah it adds up. This stuff adds up fast.

[Frank] (11:20 - 11:57)

So if you're going for a budget friendly house you've got to find one where you don't have the weird ass overlays that's going to cost you money. It's a simple build. You can get through no permit required and saves you money at the end of the day.

And it goes through a lot faster. And then you want to go with a quality builder. Again don't skimp on the cheapest price.

Don't go the cheapest price. Find out if a builder is quality because people underestimate this. This is the thing that really drives me mental. Get three prices. Knock yourself out. That's good. But more importantly get the reputation of that builder and talk to their previous customers. They’ll soon tell you if they're any good.

[Amelia] (11:57 - 12:11)

And I guess you know when it does go wrong it usually goes horrifically wrong and it's not a small thing usually to try and either fix things or you know get out of a contract or you know becomes quite a big deal then.

[Frank] (12:11 - 12:18)

And also one that is up front with all the costs. Contracts since the COVID disaster for builders.

[Amelia] (12:18 - 12:18)

Yes.

[Frank] (12:19 - 12:35)

They did not have what is called a rise and fall clause in the contract. So for anyone's sake they've given you a price. By the time they start on site four months down the track they've had an increase of concrete of say five dollars you know cubic meter.

They have to pass that cost on.

[Amelia] (12:35 - 12:38)

And that's only fair you know they're not trying to rip anyone off.

[Frank] (12:38 - 13:02)

So this idea of a fixed price contract yes but it has a rise and fall and this is why you have a contingency. Do not build to your maximum borrowing capacity. Peg it back.

Give yourself that percentage up your sleeve. So then hey the kitchen you ordered we can't get those tiles anymore. They were 90 or 120 dollars a square meter.

So go choose another one equivalent and the only one you found equivalent is now 170 dollars.

[Amelia] (13:02 - 13:02)

Yes.

[Frank] (13:03 - 13:04)

And more expensive to install.

[Amelia] (13:04 - 13:05)

Yes.

[Frank] (13:05 - 13:08)

So where's the money coming from? You.

[Amelia] (13:08 - 13:09)

Exactly.

[Frank] (13:09 - 13:22)

You need to allow this. The unknown. So the contingency.

Listen to our previous podcast about contingencies. This is very, very important because the stress involved when you don't have any more money is insane. It's horrible.

[Amelia] (13:22 - 13:23)

Yeah it would be awful.

[Frank] (13:25 - 13:44)

Another mistake. It is not allowing for future needs. Now we've discussed this.

[Amelia]

We have. 

[Frank]

A few times. So you might start with young kids or no kids and growing into the house if you're fortunate enough to do that. You might be aging. If you're you know on the cusp of my age.

[Amelia] (13:44 - 13:45)

Retirement?

[Frank] (13:45 - 13:56)

Yeah. No I'm not retiring. I'm mid-50s. Come on. Mid-50s and you're getting a house. How long are you going to be in that house?

Because you getting to this age where well how long am I going to be in this? Am I going to be in my last house?

[Amelia] (13:56 - 13:57)

Mmm Hmm.

[Frank] (13:57 - 14:29)

So then allow for these things like Liveable Housing Australia standards. Plywood in the shower so you can bolt off 

[Amelia]

a handrail. 

[Frank]

Yeah handrail. Bars. Grab bars. Shower screen can be removed. All this type of stuff. Doorways are 920 wide. Good space between benches. Hallways. Widths. All that type of stuff. Yeah. Thresholds on the doors. You can go in and out.

Hey you might break your leg. You're on crutches or you blow Achilles and you're on a knee walker. Try and get that up your step on your front door.

[Amelia] (14:30 - 14:30)

Yes.

[Frank] (14:30 - 14:57)

I know my wife did this. It was terrible. So designing your house for these types of things.

Aging in place. You want to stay in your house as long as possible. When you're in your 50s you need to really think of this.

So another one is a lack of flexibility in your room layouts. Now if you're on a super tight budget. I get it. It's very hard to do this. But we spoke about this before with your experience. You know with your parents. Whether they had a room off the living area.

[Amelia] (14:57 - 15:12)

Yeah they had. I was actually off the dining. Yeah it ended up it was the playroom when we were growing up.

And then my brother decided he wanted his own room. And so it ended up being a bedroom. And then now it's the grandchildren's room. So it's back to a playroom again.

[Speaker 1] (15:13 - 15:31)

Yeah it's pretty cool though isn't it? 

[Amelia]

It is pretty cool. 

[Frank]

Oh Ilike to call that flexible space.

[Amelia]

Yeah. 

[Frank]

You know it's all flexible. Another interesting one if you've got a garage built with the house and it's built exactly the same as the house and it's fully insulated.

You can get that converted into a habitable space. Get rid of the roller door panel lift whatever it is. We've done a number of those and it becomes part of the house.

[Amelia] (15:31 - 15:32)

It's a good idea.

[Frank] (15:32 - 15:53)

You're allowing for that extra space. Another one is if you can't afford your you know four bedroom three living area you know type house. Then you design a house that is built part of that and it can be extended.

Hallways are designed such a way you can go straight through. You can take walls out the front of the house to make a bigger living area. You can put a double garage out of the way.

All sorts of stuff.

[Amelia] (15:54 - 15:54)

Yes.

[Frank] (15:54 - 16:05)

Not enough people think of that because you can start small and you extend later. I also believe that is the same for your outdoor living space. Decks, pergolas, all that Heaps of people add this stuff on later.

[Amelia] (16:05 - 16:07)

Oh yeah exactly. 

[Frank] (16:07 - 16:22)

Nothing wrong with that. It's great but just we did that with a house it was a number of years ago. They couldn't afford the pergola and patio and all the rest of it. They came to us about last year and we got it all sorted for them…bang!.

It was as per the plan exactly what we concepts they got it built. Thanks for coming.

[Amelia] (16:22 - 16:25)

So it was all organized when they did the initial plans?

[Frank] (16:25 - 16:28)

That's right. Had the space there. Didn't change their mind.

Happy days.

[Amelia] (16:28 - 16:29)

Awesome.

[Frank] (16:29 - 16:33)

Yep simple and then it didn't cost them a lot from our point of view because it was easy.

[Amelia] (16:34 - 16:36)

Yeah it was kind of already sorted.

[Frank] (16:36 - 16:38)

It was already sorted. Even the bushfire.

[Amelia] (16:38 - 16:39)

Yeah that's good.

[Frank] (16:39 - 16:45)

Yeah we designed it for the bushfire. You need to plan for your storage if you're a hoarder you know what I mean. You need to have space.

[Amelia] (16:45 - 16:48)

I think storage is important anyway though.

[Frank] (16:48 - 17:03)

Oh very much so. One thing I don't get is if you can afford to make your standard garage a little bit bigger and I look at our standard garages and I think on the mainland they're a little bit smaller but here we like to go six by six as an absolute minimum and if you've a dual cab ute you definitely need it.

[Amelia] (17:04 - 17:04)

Oh yeah.

[Frank] (17:04 - 17:13)

But for the sake of 6.6 by 6 you can put a whole row of 600 deep cupboards all racking at the end.

[Amelia] (17:14 - 17:14)

Yeah.

[Frank] (17:14 - 17:16)

And a whole back wall of a garage is a lot of storage.

[Amelia] (17:17 - 17:17)

That's yeah.

[Frank] (17:18 - 17:20)

I'm surprised so few people think of that.

[Amelia] (17:20 - 17:21)

Yeah it's a good idea.

[Frank] (17:22 - 17:30)

You know good living space all that type of stuff. Quality cupboards in each of the bedrooms. Ignoring professional advice.

[Amelia] (17:31 - 17:41)

Yes. How many people do that? I think weren't you just telling us about somebody that decided they wanted something built that was not orientated very nicely at all?

[Frank] (17:41 - 18:25)

Yeah I just said that before. It was orientated wrong and we told them. They didn't listen to us.

Now it's causing problems with the energy assessment you know to get compliance. It costs more money. The house is beautiful. Don't get me wrong. It's a great looking house and the layout's great but the way it sits on the site. No.

[Amelia]

Yeah okay.

[Frank]

And you can't convince people and look we have that problem. Like in Tassie we're very fortunate we've got you can look anywhere and there's some beautiful views.

There's a place called the Central Highlands centre part of Tassie and you can look on to Quamby Bluff. You know you're out of town. There's town outside Launceston called Westbury and all these lovely towns along the Bass Highway and look at the back side of or the northern side of the Central Highlands Quamby Bluff and it's beautiful.

[Amelia] (18:26 - 18:27)

Yeah it is nice.

[Frank] (18:27 - 18:28)

It's due south.

[Amelia] (18:28 - 18:30)

Yes it's in the wrong direction.

[Frank] (18:31 - 19:20)

So to design that you're looking south for the view but you're not gathering in your sunlight, your warmth, freebie warmth. So then to design these spaces to work you've got to try and get northerly in with southern view then you've got heat loss through that glass and stuff too. 

[Amelia]

Yes.

[Frank]

Can be done. Makes it more tricky but if you don't listen to advice of designers sometimes it can cost you a lot of money. Same with not listening to engineers, bushfire assessors.

The engineers they listen to their geotech for their advice to give you the best design you know. Also this has been coming up a bit people who you know cut out my job like designer or even architect where they get plans online and they're all certified and all that and I've seen these and they're rubbish. They're absolutely shite.

[Amelia] (19:21 - 19:27)

Well it must be tricky because if they're generic they're not generic. They're not suited to a specific site.

[Frank] (19:27 - 19:36)

They're not. Someone's still got to do a site plan and stuff and guess who does that? They haven't.

These come with stamped license. They're licensed in Tasmania.

[Amelia] (19:37 - 19:37)

Really?

[Frank] (19:38 - 19:59)

Yeah seriously or in areas where you need a license but they don't have the site specific drainage plans, site plans, everything you need for that. So someone still has to do it you know. So you think you're getting value for money you're not because for a builder if you've got a rubbish set of plans well it's going to be hard to build.

More chance of mistakes but also he's not going to price it accurately.

[Amelia] (20:00 - 20:01)

Yeah that's a really good point.

[Frank] (20:01 - 20:42)

So you've got a bargain but you're going to pay for it some way. The other one is buying and I'm sorry some of you kit home providers not happy with you because I've seen one recently where you promise a house for x amount of dollars and all it is a pile of sticks cut to length and all these other bits supplied with it and it still had to be put together by a builder and the costs haven't even come close to what they're claiming because it's a bit false because the actual lock up stage of the house yep okay but you've still got to pay for the labour. You've still got to fit the thing out and I've been talking to a builder friend of mine who got brought into one and he said it's a horror show.

[Amelia] (20:43 - 20:43)

Really?

[Frank] (20:43 - 21:04)

Absolute horror show because they don't have the money. Do it properly local builder and a good quality builder researcher happy days. 

Choosing aesthetics over structural functional advice. I find we can convince most people to listen to structural advice. People think things can just be cantilevered and hang out there and they can.

[Amelia] (21:05 - 21:06)

They look amazing.

[Frank] (21:06 - 21:08)

They look amazing but they're amazingly expensive.

[Amelia] (21:09 - 21:10)

Yeah they cost a bomb.

[Frank] (21:11 - 21:49)

You know you know roofs hanging out here and all that. Love doing it but if you're on a tight budget it's not going to work. Complex is money.

 [Amelia]
Yes. 

[Frank]

Simple. So you need with your design engaging with them early then working with pricing we've spoke about this on other podcasts budget costings design preliminary engineering get budget costings either by a quantity surveyor or a builder that you're actually working with and you pay him to give you a price.

Just what I said there you pay him to give you a price he shouldn't have to do it for free. For a builder to provide an extensive price it takes hours.

[Amelia] (21:50 - 21:54)

Oh it would especially like if they're going to price all the interiors and all the windows.

[Frank] (21:55 - 21:58)

Even if the budget says they could be spending seven or eight hours doing it.

[Amelia] (21:59 - 21:59)

Yes.

[Frank] (21:59 - 22:05)

Now Amelia in your job which you work for me. Yes. Would you work for me for free for seven or eight hours.

[Amelia] (22:05 - 22:07)

I think most people know the answer to that question.

[Frank] (22:07 - 22:15)

Yeah well and this goes for anyone in your job. 

[Amelia]

Yeah. 

[Frank]

So then why do you expect a builder to help you out give you a budget costing and not pay him for it.

[Amelia] (22:15 - 22:19)

Especially if you're a tyre kicker. 

[Frank]

Well. 

[Amelia]

And there'd be a few of those out there.

[Frank] (22:19 - 22:32)

Yeah true but say if you're genuine and you're going to I want to use this builder should he do this out of the goodness out of his heart when you come to the end of the project oh it doesn't work it's not meeting the budget look I'm gonna have to do something I'm gonna go buy something. So he's wasted all this time.

[Amelia] (22:32 - 22:33)

Yeah.

[Frank] (22:33 - 22:38)

Treat him like a professional. 

[Amelia]

Yes. 

[Frank]

And the builders have to act like a professional as well correspondingly.

[Amelia] (22:38 - 22:44)

And we've talked about it before we really like it when we have builders that come in and work close with us early on.

[Frank] (22:44 - 22:45)

Works great.

[Amelia] (22:45 - 22:49)

Especially you know we can make sure that that budget is on track for the client.

[Frank] (22:49 - 22:50)

Yes.

[Amelia] (22:50 - 22:50)

Works wonders.

[Frank] (22:51 - 23:08)

Oh it's the best. All right so just to recap some of the bigger mistakes is not really working on your function you're looking at the form and the beauty side of things and 

[Amelia]

the prettiness. 

[Frank]

The prettiness and I love prettiness don't get me wrong but if you're on a budget you really have to think what's important.

[Amelia] (23:09 - 23:11)

You have to prioritize and what's going to be functional.

[Frank] (23:11 - 23:16)

Underestimating the costs like I said you've got 500 grand to spend absolute max.

[Amelia] (23:17 - 23:17)

Budget 450.

[Frank] (23:18 - 24:10)

Budget 450. Peg it back a bit leave some up your sleeve. Ignoring your future needs you know storage space. Outdoor space. Doesn't mean you don't you don't have to do it now but at least if you've planned for it you know it. It's easy.

Skipping professional advice. Oh this is a you know it just costs you. We're not dumbasses and all the people we use as consultants are not dumbasses and we're not telling you porky pies with this stuff either.

We generally want people to build their house or modify their house whatever it may be and give them good advice and if they don't take it well at your peril. 

[Amelia]

Yeah. 

[Frank]

Yeah so the things that can be avoided one of the classic professional advice I've given people is don't try and do all your own planning and building permits and TasWater permits and all that type of stuff.

[Amelia] (24:11 - 24:12)

Yeah leave it to.

[Frank] (24:12 - 24:13)

Leave it to us.

[Amelia] (24:13 - 24:13)

Yeah.

[Frank] (24:13 - 24:14)

We'll do it for you.

[Amelia] (24:14 - 24:14)

Yeah.

[Frank] (24:15 - 24:19)

And it gets done in a timely manner. So yeah there's a few little uh tips there.

[Amelia] (24:20 - 24:24)

Yeah hopefully that helps for anyone looking to do a new build or first home.

[Frank] (24:25 - 24:28)

And to be fair you can apply this to reno's.

[Amelia] (24:28 - 24:29)

Yeah that's very true.

[Frank] (24:30 - 24:30)

Extensions, you know.

[Amelia] (24:30 - 24:30)

Yeah. That’s very true

[Frank] (24:30 - 24:33)

Yeah you know what’s even more applicable?

[Amelia] (24:34 - 24:34)

What's that?

[Frank] (24:35 - 24:36)

Commercial buildings.

[Amelia] (24:36 - 24:37)

Oh is it really?

[Frank] (24:37 - 24:38)

Oh even more so.

[Amelia] (24:38 - 24:40)

That's a whole different kettle of fish.

[Frank] (24:40 - 24:48)

Totally. We don't talk about commercial but we do a lot of commercial work and the reason I say that because majority of commercial work is custom.

[Amelia] (24:48 - 24:49)

Yeah that's true.

[Frank] (24:49 - 25:00)

Very custom and a very different set of rules. So if you're a small business owner and whatnot and you're into that space or you need rented space or you bought space this stuff is applies exactly the same.

[Amelia] (25:00 - 25:02)

Yes and the rules are often a lot stricter.

[Frank] (25:03 - 25:05)

Very much so. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[Amelia] (25:05 - 25:10)

So we might wrap it up there folks. Thanks for listening to the Building Design,  Prime Time Podcast.

[Frank] (25:10 - 25:11)

Catch ya’s later.

[OUTRO] (25:15 - 25:23)

You're listening to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast.