COMMON QUESTIONS
Q: WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU NEED FROM ME TO BEGIN MY PROJECT?
A: Once we have received your initial deposit, this will initiate our research into your projects site. Typically, every project will require a Detailed Site Survey, Existing House Plans (if available) and any relevant reports. Our Admin team will be in touch to help organise this information and arrange quotes on your behalf as part of our Pre-Design Stage. Please note, the cost of any required Consultants and Reports are not included as part of this proposal.
Q: HOW MANY CHANGES CAN I MAKE TO THE DESIGN?
A: We allow for two revision points throughout the design process. Within the Concept Revision Point, there are two (2) rounds of changes available and within the Detail Revision Point, there is one (1) round of changes available, if needed. We find that this is generally more than enough for our clients to reach an outcome that they love.
The Concept Revision Point is your opportunity to revise the form, layout and overall design of the project (room placement, heights, shape and sizes of rooms and spaces, exterior form, and roof design).
The Detail Revision Point is a chance to review the finer project details (e.g. cabinetry layouts, finishes & design features etc.)
Any other changes to the plans outside of these revisions points will incur an additional cost & will be quoted at an hourly rate (please see fee schedule for more information).
Q: WHAT IS REQUIRED TO PROGRESS TO THE NEXT STAGE OF THE PROJECT?
A: Once all revisions have been made and you are happy to move onto the next stage of your project, we will require your approval as well as the progress payment to be up to date. Once this is received, we can move onto the next stage.
Q: WHAT OTHER CONSULTANTS WILL I NEED FOR MY PROJECT?
A: It comes as a surprise for a lot of people when completing their first building project the amount of paperwork that is required to receive your project’s building approval through Council/Certification. Most projects at a minimum will need a Land Surveyor, a Structural Engineer / Soil Test, an Energy Assessor and a private Certifier in addition to your required design plans. But there may be more depending on the details of your site and design scope. On rare occasions, the Certifier / Council may also request additional Consultants to be involved in the project before they will grant approval.
Q: WILL LUCA STUDIO WORK TO MY BUDGET AND PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE?
A: As designers, we specialise in designing, documenting and bringing all of the elements together required to achieve Building Approval and have you ready for handover to your builder. As much as we always aim during this process to work as closely as we can to your budget, we are not Estimators, Quantity Surveyors or Builders and are therefore not experts when it comes to knowing up-to-date construction costs (as these are constantly varying). We do recommend getting your project costed by one of these professionals during the Estimation/Builder Review stage & can arrange a quote for an estimator if required.
Q: HOW LONG WILL MY PROJECT TAKE TO COMPLETE?
A: A: It depends on a lot of changing factors, but on average a typical project takes around 4-6 months to prepare everything required for Council Approval. Some of the things that could delay this further are client variations and external consultant timeframes. However please be aware that the council approval process is on top of this and can vary greatly between projects and states.
Q: I CAN’T CONTINUE MY PROJECT, CAN I CANCEL HALFWAY THROUGH A STAGE?
A: We understand that circumstances can change. If you need to discontinue the project, let us know as soon as you are able to and we will let you know what percentage of work has been done in that stage. You will only be invoiced for the work done to date.
Q: CAN I ADD TO THE SCOPE OF MY PROJECT AFTER THE DESIGN PROCESS HAS STARTED?
A: Yes, of course. Let us know what you’d like to add and we can organise a quote for the additional work.
Q: I LOVED MY EXPERIENCE WITH LUCA STUDIO, WHERE DO I LEAVE A REVIEW?
A: Thank you so much, we really appreciate it! Simply follow the link below to leave a review on our google page.