Project

How to plan and renovate during COVID – 19?

Respect and Adapt.

Strangely, it is not any different to designing a home.
Our world and society have been challenged to survive, despite the nature and consequence of the situation at hand.

There has been a lot of negative press around being locked down. ‘We’re stuck at home, our jobs are not stable, we’re running out of toilet paper!’

We’re not trying to be ignorant to government rules, but trying to find the silver lining. For one, families have more time to spend together. At Rossmark, we certainly have been making the most of this opportunity and we are enjoying it, mostly. What have you been thankful for during this time?

Even though your home may be cramped, frustrating, and not working well, especially those with kids at home. On the flip side, families have now the ability to gain a real insight and understand the importance of a functional space in which they live. It might look like shifting the furniture around to make or separate spaces to make do, to keep sane in the meantime.

What if you need to shift a wall, add a room, reconfigure the layout; Well, that’s renovation! With the uncertainty that has come with government restrictions, can it still work?

 

If you require our services and are considering renovations in the future, Rossmark has also adapted to the current situation. We have been conducting our Initial site consultation service online.

To ensure this meeting is healthy and productive, we empower our clients to complete a to-do list that at home whilst we complete our research regarding authority constraints and requirements from our office.

This makes for a different (in approach) but informative and comprehensive meeting where you can understand options, authority limitations as well as building and project costs.

From this point, we move to the Design phase where we customise your design solution, and in our online Feedback meetings, we will interact and mark-up any comments and amendments to the proposal, provide a revision and an estimate summary ensuring you understand the building and project costs before investing in authority approval documentation and plans.

 

Having restrictions is not a bad thing, it is, in fact, a good thing. Council and government have restrictions put in place for developmental planning because they are looking out for each household as well as the suburb street frontage presentation. We have restrictions so that people are safe, each household has its fair share of amenities, like sunlight, views, privacy, etc.

 

What does it mean for design?

So with yet another restriction put on us, we press on. We respect and adapt to it.

If you have not looked into planning your renovation, this downtime is a great opportunity to explore options. During the design, we consider every aspect from the budget, to materials, to development pathways, even considering the timeline of the build. In this time of uncertainty, some clients find it best for their family’s budget and needs to stage their renovation, putting certain renovations as a priority and other parts for later. For Rossmark, it is about finding the perfect balance for you, especially during this season.

If you have been in contact with us but you’re unsure about how COVID-19 is affecting our company and your project with us. Let us assure you that we are monitoring our suppliers, maintaining contact and managing our time with authority approvals.  We are still preparing your design, preparing documentation for relevant authority approvals, leading up to your build.  The challenge of keeping to schedule is very apparent and all it means is to be organised and keep ahead of schedule and be prepared for delays.

 

What does it mean for clients?

If you are about to build but unsure whether it is safe to proceed, we have altered the way we work, we keep our job sites clean and implement safe practices. We are restricting the number of tradesmen on site at any time and our Site supervisor is managing it closely. All our subcontractors and suppliers understand our policy.

To maximise the efficiency of work and the number of people permitted on site, without compromising the timeline of the project too much. Additionally, whilst we are working in close proximity to your family, we have access to short term affordable rental accommodation to ensure your family is safe and your sanity is in check.

Our office building and management systems comply with the government’s restrictions and we are operating as normal, with a twist. With restrictions lifting, we are able to return to face-to-face meetings, while still adhering to social distancing rules. Should Covid-19 circumstances change again, we have our system in place and are ready to adapt.