With HAUS.by.NINA you do not need to enter straight away into a full-blown contract for the design &/or drafting services. We encourage you to do small steps, one at the time.
During Covid isolation, this service is available as an online-only service. Communications can be sent via email, meetings can be conducted via skype or facetime.
This review is your risk-free and low commitment way to start your project. The Needs & Options Review is part of our process to create a written report as the outline and foundation for your project. We offer this service as a first step before design work and drawing begins.
We invite you to do your homework and soul searching with us and offer our guidance to find out how you would like to live and why. We advise if your current property can be renovated to achieve your dream and how it all can go together with the applicable Building Regulations and your budget in mind.
You only pay a small fixed fee and don’t have to enter straight away into a full-blown contract for the complete design and/or drafting service. We will also deduct this initial small fixed fee from your following invoice if you choose to progress into the next stage with us.
A Needs & Options Review gets ideas out of peoples’ heads and into one actionable document. This process aligns minds, focuses visions and gets everyone talking the same language. It determines the possible building envelope and sets the rules as per building regulations. This gives a clear direction when developing the concept into an approvable drawing set.
Your document will clarify:
Your brief in detail
- Assessment of the current usability problems of your house
- Summary of your ideas and plans for your renovation
- Statement of your allocated budget and timeline
- Assessment of your plans and ideas for practicality and feasibility
Potential issues there may be with the site, project brief or council controls.
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Assessment of plans and ideas for practicality and feasibility
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Assessment of plans and ideas to suit Building Regulations
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Summary of building regulations and possible building envelope, ie. side setbacks, building heights, allowable area and landscaped area etc.
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Information on cost estimates for your project.
Advice on feasibility to bypass Council (DA) via a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) and the associated requirements.
Overview of documents and services required to start with and for submission for approval.
- Information required to progress into the design and/or drawing stage.
- Checklist of documents required for submission of your application to Council or PCA (Private Certifying Authority).
- Consultants and Engineers that might need to be engaged.
A detailed quote from HAUS.by.NINA to work with you through the next stages, with a full set of Drawings as required for the submission for DA or CDC.
Initial sketch plan layouts, reflecting your brief and building regulations.
̽(Optional Extra, additional fees apply)
The Needs & Options Review Process
1. Initial Meeting with Nina
This is an information gathering session, where we will talk about what you would like to achieve and why, your house and your site, your budget and your timeline for the project.
During Covid isolation, this meeting can now be conducted online via Skype or Facetime.
2. Follow up Meeting with Nina
3. Building your dreams
Happy Clients
“We chose to work with Nina because we immediately sensed that we could trust her. This was key in our decision making, as we are working parents with no experience in building. Nina has taken the bare bones of what we needed and designed a family home that is perfect for our growing needs. By finding innovative solutions to our space, Nina has achieved what we thought was impossible and we are able to extend our home on ground level which was our preference. Going through the design process with Nina has been enlightening as she has the perfect balance of bringing new ideas to the forefront without overwhelming us. Through her empathetic approach, Nina has guided us to project into the future and be firm about how we envision our family home within our budget. Above all, Nina has shown integrity and flexibility and provided us with a truly personalised and innovative service. We will be pleased when our renovation is finished, but we will miss Nina’s calm presence in our lives. Thanks Nina!”
Laura & Daniel McKell, Caringbah South
“From day one with Nina, we gained a sense of being on the right track with our project. Haus by Nina was on our side, helping with every step of the journey. No problem was either too big or too small not to be handled by Nina with expertise, promptness and personal care. We could not recommend HAUS.by.NINA highly enough!”
Mike & Regina, Loftus
“We were recommended Nina from HAUS.by.NINA by our builder and we are so happy that we got the opportunity to work with her. From our first meeting, she quickly understood our needs as a family and the desired outcome from our renovation. It was very important to us to work with the existing bones of the house and be smart with space and I feel that this was a great strength of Nina’s. She also had great insights into the approval process and was always on time, considerate and efficient for our meetings. Whilst our final plans included everything on our wish list, it also included additional suggestions that I had not thought about, which will ultimately make our home highly liveable. I would be happy to work with Nina again, and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a designer.”
Mindy Fraser, Caringbah South
“Nina has joined our team at Imagescape Design Studio for several health care and aged care projects as a contractor. She is always pleasant to work with and she has demonstrated excellent 3D drafting skills. Her feedback and input always addresses the client’s interests. Nina also has a practical and methodical manner of keeping the entire team up-to-date with her progress. We recommend Nina to everyone who requires additional support for their teams.”
Christine Kelly, Principal (Imagescape Design Studio)
“Nina has been fantastic. She has taken our Living/Kitchen/Dining Extension from concept to building consent with helpful advice on building regulations. Her design & drafting work, professionalism and communication are excellent. Highly recommend.”