Questions to ask before calling Action Plans

Using the time before calling Action Plans is vital – so we have put together a guide of what you should consider to ensure our time together is valuable, purposeful and successful!

Brief

Having a plan before calling Action Plans may sound counterproductive, however setting intentions, goals and a having a clear brief in mind will mean a smoother renovation in the long term. This is especially in need when you have multiple decisions and decision makers involved.

For example: “I would like to renovate our Kitchen”

For us and for you, this can mean so many things. We suggest asking yourself these questions:

– Why are you renovating the kitchen?
– Is it in the wrong location?
– Is it closed off from the rest of the house?
– Do you need more bench space?

There are endless questions you can ask, however finding the true sore points of the current layout and plan are vital and help shape the outcome of your ideal kitchen. While working with Action Plans, we will provide you with design ideas and options however it is good to know what your ideal end outcome is for your space. After asking yourself these questions you may phrase it differently, here is an example;

I would like to renovate my kitchen as it is small & pokey, I can’t see the backyard, and I need more space for the kids to be able to eat breakfast within the same area.

Now when working on your design we can start to picture the location, seating space and layout to better suit what you need for your specific family.

The dreaded B word, Budget.

Even though your budget and pricing will be fine-tuned with your builder after our design, it is still good to have a clear understanding of what you would like to spend overall. Bill Derrin, the Director here at Action Plans, has a long history as a builder and can guide you on a rough costing – however if you have no idea what your budget looks like, then we may be misguided and not designing what is both on the wish list and what is possible.

Timing

While we know everyone would love their pool in by Christmas – we always aim to be realistic and up front. Timing is something that is specific for each project, so it is good to plan out enough time to develop the design as well as Council approval or Complying Development approval. As an example, timing with Action Plans can be approximately 3 months and going through Council Approval usually takes 3 months so it is at least 6 months before you can start building.

Mood boards & Inspiration

Now for the fun part! Creating a mood board. One of the first things we ask clients to send us, is a link to their mood board – if you are just starting, we suggest collecting images and ideas from Pinterest so you are ready! This helps our designers visualise what you are looking to achieve in your renovation. Like both the brief and the budget, having a visual mood board, helps make sure we are all on the same page and working towards your dream home!