In this episode, we are sharing all of our cost saving tips and tricks for each phase of the building journey from planning through to design and construction. Listen on to learn about all the important money saving hacks to keep in mind through each building phase in order to ensure a successful build experience without blowing your budget!

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

1. Listen to good advice, especially in the planning stages. It would be wise to consult a planning lawyer prior to designing, in order to understand the process of getting approval from council. A quantity surveyor is also a good source of an objective assessment of building costs prior to committing to a design.

2. Rationalise and simplify your building design in terms of form and materials. Utilise off the shelf strategies and modular designs to bring down building costs.

3. Invest in good quality drawings and documentation for the Development Application and construction phase.

4. During construction, consider choosing quality tradesmen for jobs to be done once and done well, especially with interior finishes.

5. You can choose to DIY managing the tradesmen as well as considering a staggered approach in order to manage cashflow to suit your situation after the external house has been built and locked up.

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

WEBSITE: https://www.buildipedia.au/podcast

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ballast-point-pl/mycompany/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ballastpointprojects

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ballastpointprojects/

CREDITS

INTRO: Rita Mastrantone

INTRO & OUTRO MUSIC: Coby Wilk

If you LOVED the episode, please make sure you share this on your Instagram stories and tag us @ballaspointprojects.

Thanks for listening & talk soon!

Mat & Jeannie

In this episode, we are discussing the effects of price escalation in building costs due to an inflationary environment and what this means for our listeners looking to build in a post-COVID market with widespread material and labour shortages. Listen in to learn more about lump sum vs cost plus contracts, price variations in the build phase and many more important points to consider prior to embarking on your construction journey in this unprecedented time period.

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

1. A fixed price contract (or a lump sum contract) is a fixed scope of work for a fixed fee with margins undisclosed to the client. A cost plus contract (or an open book contract) includes building costs plus a nominated margin that is disclosed to the client. In the current environment, banks will only consider funding lump sum contracts.

2. If building works were to deviate from the contract, we adhere to a strict criteria in our practice to ensure that price variations are charged fairly to maintain integrity and trust with our clients.

3. A quantity surveyor is an important source of impartial advice on your proposed building design, which can help accurately price your project and prevent unnecessary price blowouts prior to commencing construction.

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

WEBSITE: https://www.buildipedia.au/podcast

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ballast-point-pl/mycompany/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ballastpointprojects

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ballastpointprojects/

CREDITS

INTRO: Rita Mastrantone

INTRO & OUTRO MUSIC: Coby Wilk

If you LOVED the episode, please make sure you share this on your Instagram stories and tag us @ballaspointprojects.

Thanks for listening & talk soon!

Mat & Jeannie

In this episode, we are really lucky to be joined by Matt Hayson, a leading property sales agent and director of Cobden Hayson here in Balmain. Matt has almost 3 decades of local real estate experience and was the top performing sales agent on the Balmain peninsula in 2021. Listen in as we get the rare opportunity to pick his brains about what you need to know in order to successfully buy your first property!

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

1. Keep your WHY, key property criteria, time horizon and financial capacity front of mind at all times when looking for potential properties to purchase.

2. Get to know the local agents in the area and develop a strong relationship to tap into their knowledge and expertise on the local area.

3. In order to present an effective offer, you need to have a reliable solicitor ready, have your finances approved and be willing to sign a contract quickly.

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

WEBSITE: https://www.buildipedia.au/podcast

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ballast-point-pl/mycompany/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ballastpointprojects

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ballastpointprojects/

CREDITS

INTRO: Rita Mastrantone

INTRO & OUTRO MUSIC: Coby Wilk

If you LOVED the episode, please make sure you share this on your Instagram stories and tag us @ballaspointprojects.

Thanks for listening & talk soon!

Mat & Jeannie

In our first episode, we would like to introduce our co-host Mat Wilk! Mat is the director of Ballast Point Architects + Builders here in Balmain, Sydney. Having had more than 20 years of experience in the industry, Mat is a licensed builder who’s worked with some of the country’s most outstanding architects, such as Ian Moore, Rosevear Stevension and Peter Stutchbury. Mat founded Ballast Point in 2015, and it’s become an integrated building design and construction company known for some outstanding projects and their commitment to clients.

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

WEBSITE: https://www.buildipedia.au/podcast

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ballast-point-pl/mycompany/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ballastpointprojects

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ballastpointprojects/

CREDITS

INTRO: Rita Mastrantone

INTRO & OUTRO MUSIC: Coby Wilk

If you LOVED the episode, please make sure you share this on your Instagram stories and tag us @ballaspointprojects.

Thanks for listening & talk soon!

Mat & Jeannie