Lodging an application for your home renovation?
Not such a challenge if you did it for a living…
Many people worry about the authority approval process when it comes time to renovate and extend their home, whether it is council Development Application (DA) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC) pathway.
If this is you, you are not alone.
In many instances, the client is left with the renovation plans drawn up by an appointed person and told to lodge them with the authority because “You are the home owner and it will be easier if the authority needs to inspect your house or have a chat with you”.
As the authority requests more information, or worse, a revised drawing, the client is left in the dark to talk to planners or certifying authorities in a language they do not understand and terminology they are not familiar with. It is no wonder that many feel overwhelmed and helpless.
In fairness, how is the client to know what information the authority requires let alone a plan that meets the planning instruments. The process in dealing with authority approvals in some circumstances can be challenging, and left to your own devices can be intimidating.
At Rossmark, we often hear from a new client, “… we have come to a dead end” and “… spent thousands of dollars” on documentation and plans only to find out that they need to make substantial changes to their plans, and worse still, revised plans will incur additional fees.
Had the architect, building designer or draftsperson acted on the client’s behalf, they may find that with a little discussion with the authority and understanding of the planning instrument, that a solution (or two!) may be right there in front of them. Authority approval is part of the course of your home project and should be a natural and integral step for the design team to pursue on the clients behalf and implement in the design from day 1.
Rossmark’s consideration for authority approvals starts at the consultation phase. We spend time understanding the constraints that exist in relation to your home and building site. Our information and insight of your project deepens as we develop your customised design solutions, so when you say “Lets proceed!”, we have a deep understanding of how we will approach authority approval process as we act on your behalf.
This is not to stay that changes to the design are avoided but the design team should know the planning instrument in which they are designing to and have a “game plan”. With Rossmark’s process, you are not kept in the dark, for we endeavour to keep you fully informed of the instruments, restraints and reasons that develop into the final plan.