The missing piece when defining your budget (what most experts won’t tell you)
Setting your new build or renovation budget can be a daunting process; often an intersection of what you can afford and what you think you should be spending. But what if there was more than just the actual built cost that should be factored in?
Often when building or renovating homes there is a focus on setting the budget based on the value of the land, the location and the cost per square meter build rate based on the proposed area of the home.
A lot of our clients will ask us whether they are over-capitalising by investing in their dream home or renovation. Or they may ask whether they are accommodating the right quantity of rooms and including a desirable list of features for future resale. While both are valid questions, we often overlook our own needs with this line of thinking - or perhaps even override our initial instincts for what we want and instead look to follow the latest trends or advice from peers and real estate agents.
The aspects that are not considered in this more value based point of view when putting together the budget for your dream or forever home are the more heart-centred elements for you and your loved ones.
Our Warehouse Lane project; designed to maximise a narrow site while providing a comfortable 3x2 home close to the CBD.
What do I mean by heart-based?
At it’s most simplest level, a home is a shelter over our heads. A place to store our possessions, a place to engage in our daily life tasks but arguably most importantly it is a place to create memories with our loved ones. Have you ever stopped to wonder how do spaces make you feel and can the design of our surroundings contribute to our overall sense of wellbeing? How much is that worth to you, or perhaps this is not a consideration you have stopped to think about? How do we quantify the parts of a design that are seemingly immeasurable - but yet may provide more value than we can anticipate?
How can this be experienced in real life?
Have you ever walked into a space and felt a sense of calm or wonder or awe? Perhaps while visiting well known buildings and spaces (libraries, museums and places of worship) or maybe something lesser known and more humble has caught you by surprise. Or maybe you’ve experienced the opposite, a space that makes you feel uncomfortable, uneasy or unsafe. What contributes to these feelings and experiences, and how can good design contribute to a successful and supportive home environment?
I recently read an article written about the observations of clients who had lived in homes designed by the well known architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and it really struck a chord for me, as it summarised my own lived experiences of being in well designed spaces. The article refers to neuroscientific research and how the aforementioned client felt that this may explain his own experiences:
“Neuroscientists have observed that living with a sense of awareness of beauty brings reduction of stress…Possibly even longevity…I like to attribute that to this sense of beauty that I’ve lived in all my life.”
What I’ve observed in my own experience is that a well designed home can create a sense of calm as well as awe. It could be through watching seasonal changes of nearby trees through a well positioned highlight window, the way that natural light tracks through your home, a cosy spot in the sun on a cold winters day or the comforting balance of materials and colours within your spaces.
How can I help you?
My process begins with a deep dive into learning about you and your lifestyle so that I can sift through and refine all the elements that will make up the brief before I even start to map out the design. Through this process I strive to combine the functional brief of your home (your required spaces, features and wish list) with the advantages presented by the site (views, access, levels and solar orientation) and infuse this with the elements that create the kind of awe-inspiring spaces that bring joy into your daily life. The outcome; a sanctuary in which you can live in a supported way and that exceeds your expectations.
If you are interested in having a chat with me to see if my approach resonates with you, please reach out via my Project Enquiry Form and we can book a time to discuss your needs further.
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