Confused where to start your renovation planning? Not sure whether you require a proper plan on paper? Don’t worry. As always James has got the answer for you.

Planning is an essential part of the renovation project that needs to shared amongst every contractor, subcontractor working in the project and might also be required for some legal procedures.

So, there is no way you can miss out on planning. Now getting to the real question of ‘how to get you renovation plan drafted?’

Well, You can do it yourself depending on the type of work you and your budget. Or hire other tradespersons to do it which is the common practice.

Do I need to put out a plan for a home renovation?

No matter how big or small your project, you must have a renovation plan set down on paper!

I can almost hear some of you saying “But I’m only doing some small internal modifications/renovating a bathroom/removing a doorway, why would I need a plan for the renovation?”

The answer is: You must put out a plan for the successful building experience. The more planning you do up-front, including getting your ideas on paper, the easier the next stags will be.

Plus, I GUARANTEE that you will save yourself money by being organized. Subcontractors, tradesman, and suppliers will want to work with you if you are organized. If you’re not, you will quite literally pay the price in terms of money and time.

Unfortunately, if the people you are looking to work with on your project get the slightest hint that you are unorganised, they will factor this into their pricing to compensate for the extra running around and organising that they will need to do.

Do I need development approval?

To best determine if approval is required, you should contact your local council and ask to speak with a duty planner to discuss the work you are proposing to do. They will have guidelines and information you can use to assess this. Most professionals, including builders, building consultants, draftsman, and architects, should be able to point you in the right direction, but I always recommend doing your research as well.

Generally speaking, projects that would not require approval are non-structural internal modifications that are classed as “making good an original item or internal area of your property.”

For example a new internal coat of paint and lining, some bathroom refurbishments, kitchen replacements, new furnishings such as doors, handles, skirting, architraves, cornices, carpets and floorboards.

NOTE: some dwellings may be heritage sites, and even replacing or removing internal fixtures may require council approval. I recommend you do your homework if you think you fall into this category.

Don’t freak out! Renovation Planning is not complicated or costly.

You don’t have to spend thousands if you are only doing small jobs; sometimes a simple sketch that can be replicated and distributed is enough to get you started. Plus, there are various programs I use that can help you with drafting. I will touch on those later.

On the flip side, if you are doing major work, you should be expecting to spend thousands and even tens of thousands depending on the scale of the project and the detail involved. Planning is one of the 5 major stages of any construction project without which you can move further.

So we come back to the original question: Do I draw something myself, or engage a draftsman/an architect/a builder/building consultant?

How to draw your own renovation plans?

I would only recommend this if the work is minor and does not require approval by the council, or the relevant authorities, and you have the idea and confidence to write down exactly what you want to do.

There are two way to do it yourself. First is taking a formal approach and using industry famous tools to design your own renovation plan. While that is not easy, you have plenty of tutorials to learn. All you need is time and basic knowledge on planning.

The second method is doing it by yourself with just a pencil, paper and measuring tape. A minimal representation of the ideas in mind which the contractors can develop on. these are ideal for basic renovation projects only.

Draw your own renovation floor plans with an online software package

Now if you do want to have a crack at getting your own ideas onto a renovation plan, I recommend trying  Edrawsoft which in an online programme that has some great packages and tutorials for beginners, they have a FREE TRIAL that can be downloaded to play with, and if you want to purchase the program its around $149. It’s a pretty simple drop and drag-style of program, so once you watch a few tutorials and draw your first few plans it will be pretty straight forward.

There is a tonne of different software packages out there that you could use if you want complete control over what you do. Some of them are great – but others are, well… crap! Here are my top picks.

EDRAW

• The easiest online platform to use when you have no experience at all. It features drag and drop icons that can be used in your bathroom layout.
• Includes free and paid versions.
• Check out: edrawsoft.com/template-simple-bathroom-design.
• If you want to see how it all works have a peek at this tutorial: edrawsoft.com/floor-plan-tutorial

SMART DRAW

• Similar to Edraw but a little harder to navigate around the program.
• Includes a 7day free trial, then paid only. Check out: smartdraw.com
• Here are some samples: smartdraw.com/bathroom-plan/examples

SKETCH UP

• A very powerful 3D modelling program.
• Can come in handy to draw details if 3D visualisation is needed.
• Note: This program has a big learning curve and will take a lot of study to go through the video tutorials and learn. Certainly not recommended for the beginner.
• There are free and paid versions. Check out: sketchup.com

Draw your own plans by sketching out a scale diagram on the paper, and then scanning and saving

If you feel that a hand-drawn sketch with notes and instructions will suffice for your basic project, then that’s fine. Make sure you can save, copy, and distribute your plan and instructions to your various contractors and suppliers. A formal document that can be referenced is required when you enter into a contract with them.

This option is the most ‘hands-on’! Depending on how you’re going to use it, you can be as precise or as rough as need be.

If you’re going to be doing most of the work yourself then you’ll want to be as bang on with measurements as possible. On the other hand, if you’ll be using a project manager/builder to do it for you – then a rough sketch is ok.

Its important to be accurate with all your measurements, so your bathroom floor plans match what you plan on building on site. For example, lengths and heights of walls, where vanities and basins will be positioned, taps, cabinets, light fittings, towel rails, toilets etc all need to be carefully positioned and marked down on plan.

Keep in mind, the reason you’re scanning and saving your bathroom floor plans is so they can be emailed and reprinted. Don’t just make one copy!

I would also recommend having the various people you hire sign a copy of your plan along with a contract, but we can touch more on this when we get to the CONTRACTS section of the site. For now, we will stick to getting your renovation plans onto paper.

Engaging a draftsman, architect, builder, or building consultant to draw a renovation plan

To start with, let’s break the different options down and discuss the differences between them. The following are broad descriptions of each title, and every one of them may actually have differing skills and accreditations depending on each individual’s qualifications and business structures.

A draftsman (or draftsperson) is someone who makes detailed technical plans or drawings.

An architect is a person trained and licensed to plan, design, and oversee the construction of buildings. The practising architecture provides services relating to the design and construction of buildings. They also work on spaces surrounding the building that is principally used for human occupancy.

A builder is a person who constructs something by putting parts or materials together over a period of time. His job is to plan, supervise, build, coordinate, repair, and warrant all works performed to clients.

A building consultant can be a builder, an architect, surveyor, engineer, project manager, or interior designer, among others. The job of a building consultant is to give advice or to undertake tasks that are related to the building industry, including the design and supervision of various building components.

When looking to engage any of the above, you need to consider a few of the following: the size of your project, your budget, and your knowledge of the building process.

Alternate methods

There are also sites that offer off-the-shelf plans, such as www.houseplans.com and www.dreamhomesource.com. Both are American websites, but there are various Australian sites as well.

I would only look at using these services to get ideas if you’re building a new home. Even then, I would engage someone in your local area to tailor the plans to your specific ideas. That way they can assist you in drafting full construction drawings, which are more detailed and costly than just concept plans.

IMPORTANT TIPS TO REMEMBER WHEN DRAFTING YOUR RENOVATION PLANS WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE 3 OPTIONS

You’ll need to make sure you include the following in your bathroom floor plans, especially if you’re doing it yourself:

• Plumbing layout for all services to be shown including heights of taps, mixers and spouts.
• Electrical layout to be shown for all light points including LED strip lighting, downlights, pendant fittings, exhaust fans, light switching points, power points, heated towel racks and under floor heating including thermostat locations.
• Tiling layout to be considered, will there be a step down in the shower, if so mark it on the plan. Will there be any feature walls? If so mark them on the plan as well. Is there a particular pattern you would like the tiles laid, i.e. brick pattern, diagonal? Where should cut tiles be placed, at the doorway, bath or other location? Thinking about the set out of tiles is important.

Cost involved in renovation plans and sketches

If you have a healthy budget then an architect would be my recommendation. Keep in mind that depending on how much of the project you want them to manage; from the small stuff, like producing the drawings and documents, to the larger, like managing the entire process from concept to completion. You could be looking at anywhere from $15,000 to $100,000 for the construction of a new home.

For an average residential renovation project that costs around $500,000, you could be looking at an average of about $30,000–40,000. This is for the architect to take your renovation plans from concept stage through to the construction-certification stage. Meaning: ready to being onsite with all approvals. This excludes any external consultant fees, such as surveyors, engineers, and council fees.

NOTE: Some architects also work on a percentage of the overall estimated building cost.

For the same example above, if you were to use one of the other options like a draftsman, builder, or building consultant, you could save yourself some money. Because their average prices range from $10,000–25,000 for a similar service. The draftsman is the most economical and building consultants being the most expensive.

You can save even more if you know a little about building and the various steps along the way. Be prepared to study and do your homework regarding the approval’s process in that case.

Other costs involved in planning

There are also other factors that need to be taken into account when calculating planning costs.  A big one is the specifications and selection of finishes. The degree to which you need your chosen professional to assist you will also factor in the cost of their offered services.

The above examples on renovation plan-drafting and associated costs are based on my experiences only, so the costs for these services will vary from state to state and, of course, country. I suggest doing your homework and contacting a few of each type of professional that I have listed above. You will get an idea of the costs and services they offer before deciding which is the right fit.

No matter which path you chose to go down with your renovation plans, expect there to be a few revisions once you figure out your initial concept, as it’s rare that you will nail it the first time around.

Budget is another thing that needs to be taken into consideration when drafting your renovation plans. You must design something around what you are willing or able to spend. I recommend having an estimate performed on the concepts before your plans are finalized so that you will know if it’s within your budget.

This step, along with the selection’s process, will be required to help finalize your design and all that it encompasses prior to starting on site. Remember that the more planning, homework, and research you do upfront in the pre-commencement stage, the better the building experience you will have.

Until next time, Happy Renovating!

James Mason.

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