By Robert Harwood
I have to confess, I’m often puzzled by people who start out on their project thinking that the first person they need to contact is a builder. Sure, you should speak to a builder if you’re going to fix a roof, build a wardrobe or re-lay a timber floor. But if you’re wanting to extend or reconfigure your existing house to better suit the way you want to live, or build a new home, that’s another project entirely. The way I see it, approaching a builder first is a clear case of putting the cart before the horse.
Why?
Well, essentially, builders are specialists in building from the plans and documents that you should provide to them. Architects are specialists in the key upfront decisions that will define your project, such as: