Mel Design Build offers a flexible service allowing us to manage as much or as little of your home extension project as required. The client pays as they go with a fee charged at each stage, this gives our client freedom and the guarantee they will be looked after. We have all the necessary reputable professional contacts in place, which will save you valuable time and money during the home extension process. Let us do the running around for you. Your success is our success.

Working in the Eastern suburbs of Camberwell, Canterbury, Surrey Hills, Hawthorn, Richmond, Kew, up through North Carlton to Northcote,down through South Yarra, Glen Iris to Brighton. Out to Mitcham and Vermont where Mel Design Build is based. Covering all surrounding suburbs.

STEPS OF YOUR PROJECT WE CAN MANAGE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. Initial Phone Conversation
We discuss your home extension requirements, dreams and ideas.From this conversation, a site meeting is booked in.

2. On-site Meeting
This is a very informed meeting that will make everything very clear to you. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience; we will discuss your brief, design layout ideas and offer building advice. We will also offer an estimate of potential costs for your project and discuss any planning overlays applicable to your project.Allow 2 hours for this meeting. There is an initial fee of $330.00 for this visit.

3. Concept Design
This is the exciting stage where you have made the decision to move forward! Mel Design Build will coordinate the following steps in order to provide you with a professional concept design plan.

• Take measurements of your existing home in order to draw up the existing home layout exactly.
• Mel Design Build will draft up a concept design including the floor layout and elevations (North, South, West, & East).
• Liaise with council (If necessary) to gauge their initial response to the concept design.
• Meet with you to present the concept design. Allow 2 hours for this meeting.
• Make one set of minor amendments to the Concept Design if required.
• Should you require further assistance in visualising your design; a 3D coloured perspective can be offered. This will incur and extra fee.

4. Project Design Brief
A detailed Specification Document is prepared for your project. This outlines internal and external details of your proposed renovation. For example; we might list the type of floorboards (including width, type of wood, how they are to be laid etc. Or we might list the exact details of the type of weatherboards to be attached to the exterior as being pre-primed square edged.This is attached to the concept design and presented to potential builders in the tendering process.

5. Tendering
Mel Design Build will manage the tendering process for your project. We will send your Concept Design and Specification Document to ‘tried & tested’ reputable builder/s so they can provide a quote.

We manage your entire tendering process. Mel Design Build will check each quote as it is received, answer any additional questions the builders’ may have, cross reference each quote back to your Specification Document, recommend a quote to accept, negotiate your payment terms, and then facilitate meetings between yourself and your chosen builder.

Builders we engage, are chosen because of the following characteristics: proven project management skills, quality workmanship, they employ pleasant trades on site, offer great customer service in every facet of their company, are fair on their pricing, and above all are accommodating with our clients.

“Our experience in negotiating with builders and up to date understanding of building costs, helps ensure you receive a quality end result for a fair price.”

6. Planning Permit
Mel Design Build can organise planning permit applications (if required) and manage this whole process. This may involve commissioning drawings specifically required by the relevant Council showing issues such as overshadowing, overlooking, height, and site coverage details. Soil testing is organised. Certificate of title is obtained.

7. Building Permit
Once the planning permit has been received, we will prepare working drawings for the building permit. A Structural Engineering report is organised.

8. Contract Signing & Building Permit
This stage involves the preparation of contract documents for you and your chosen builder to sign. Contract documents include the following: Working Drawings, Structural Engineering, Soil Engineering, Project Specifications and H.I.A contract. All necessary documents are then sent to the building surveyor in order to obtain your building permit.

9. Construction
Once a builder has been engaged, we will facilitate a meeting (just prior to the commencement of building) to discuss your entire project. Mel Design Build will then hand you over to the project manager from your chosen building company. Your project managers job is to liaise with you on a regular basis as to the progress of your project.

Mel Design Build will visit your project two to three times during construction and then again once you have settled into your renovated home. “This is the best part of the process for us…. your home renovation has been completed…. you are happy with the end result and just wanting to tell everyone about your positive experience. It is a great feeling for us!”

OTHER SERVICES:

INTERIOR DESIGN
Having a good Interior Designer can make your life so much easier when renovating your home. Helping you finalise all the fixtures & fittings, furnishings and colours. An interior decorator will save you so much time and is able to help you make the correct decision and make sure your home is finished beautifully.

PRE PURCHASE ADVICE
Know what a renovation costs before you buy with an onsite consultation. Design ideas and budgetary costs are shared with you at this meeting.
This meeting will help you make an informed decision before you buy that next home. Allow 2 hours for this meeting.

RENOVATING TO SELL
Home improvements can certainly increase the sale price and also increase buyer interest. This might be achieved by an extension, new entertainment area, carport off the existing garage to give more covered area, interior decorating, painting, carpets, landscaping, bathroom, kitchen.
Allow 2 hours for the meeting.

REMAPPING
This is where plans are supplied by the client for me to look over and check the design. Years of expertise working with plans I recognise at the design stage how a home can maximise its space and correct the flow of the home.

KNOCK DOWN and BUILD NEW
We run through all the design ideas and solutions to renovate your home to suit your families needs. We then compare the benefits of renovating or building a new home.
Designing a new home allows us to look at the location of your property in relation to the North and its solar passive aspects. A brief is taken and a new home design is created to suit your family needs.

LANDSCAPING
Mel Design Build can provide a landscape package for you that will enhance your home renovations. We will organise the meeting between yourself and the landscape company, make sure the communication is clear between you both during the concept design brief and when the new works start. The client is recommended to go direct to the landscape company to keep costs down.