While some people thoroughly do their homework and come to us with a perfectly good budget for their project, about 95% come to us with an under-cooked budget. And it’s not because they’re trying to be cheap (we’re not throwing any shade at you here). People just don’t know what good design costs, so how can you be expected to set a realistic budget and brief before talking to an architect?

We’re really empathetic about this and take budget education with our clients super seriously. We believe a great first conversation is about your aspirations for your project, PLUS a reality check about the B-word.

This reality check can feel pretty disappointing – like we just came along and squashed your dreams. But like exercising when you’d rather be eating cheese, it is for your own good. That’s why we’re proud of something almost no other architect would admit to: we’re getting really good at disappointing our clients when it comes to budget.

1. We will bring it up. Every. Goddam. Meeting. (Sorry, not sorry)

Money is a bit like religion and politics. Try asking your neighbour what they spent on their renovation and wait for the crickets. No-one wants to talk honestly about what they spent on their home – it’s uncomfortable because they feel showy, embarrassed or afraid of being judged.

However… when you walk in the door to work with us, money will be one of the first things we ask about. We won’t pin you down to a hard number: to start with, we talk about your ‘comfy’ budget and your ‘nervous’ budget. (And there’s a potential outcome for each of those, by the way!

At each step of the design process, we test your project outcomes against ‘comfy’ and ‘nervous’. That means as you add the sunken lounge, concrete roof garden or Japanese built-in bath, we will update your budget, talk openly about it and help you decide if the gain is worth the cost.

While some people might squirm about the ‘hard conversations’, we will be upfront. Every. Meeting.

4. We make you ultimately responsible for the decisions

We see ourselves as your coach: sitting comfortably on the sidelines while you take the hit. No, wait, there’s no perfect analogy here (sorry).

What we’re trying to say is this: while we are your design experts, a role we take seriously is arming you with practical information so you can weigh up your financial options (because paying for the build is something you have to live with).

Our goal is to coach you through each really big decision by giving you the most information we can as early as we can, so that you can make the right decision.

We also give you an updated Opinions of Probable Cost at every design iteration, and introduce you to a panel of builders for preliminary pricing months before you are ready to start building.

And when we inevitably need to pull back some areas to get to the budget figure you’re happy with? We provide you with a Shopping List of cost savings and recommendations weighed up against your values.

This gives you all the information you need to get the outcome that is just right for you.

Spending decisions are all about values…

There are people who will buy a luxury car but think $3,000 is too much for a bath. There are also people who will spend $9,000 on a painting but think $800 is too much for a kitchen tap.

Our process is about understanding your values, allowing us to coach you through the hard decisions a design process inevitably brings. So when you have people around to your new home, you can confidently (and proudly) say what you spent, why you spent it and the joy that investment has made in your life.

Ready to be disappointed?

Get in touch 😉