Do you choose your builder first, or your architect? And what is the difference between an architect, an architectural designer and a draftsperson?

Episode 04 follows Chapter 4 of Babe, Let’s Build a House: Choosing the Right Team. I cover who to start talking to at the very beginning of your new home build, before the design process starts.

In this episode:

• How group home builders work: land banking, design and build packages, baseline specifications and square metre rates

• Why the salesperson is not your designer, and the house that fell off the back boundary

• Contract labour, the LBP scheme, and a good question to ask: do you employ your own builders?

• Small builder teams: close knit, flexible, keen to learn, and why I love working with them

• Why I don’t recommend tendering, and the value of bringing your builder into the first design meeting

• Architects, architectural designers and draftspeople: training, registration, design LBPs, and how each works

• Why a 15 minute chat helps you find the right fit for the way you make decisions

The book has quick reference summaries for each option, plus a full written explanation: www.smartlivingspaces.nz/book