What should you bring to your first meeting? And how do you make sure it’s worth your time and money?

Episode 05 follows Chapter 5 of Babe, Let’s Build a House: How to Prepare for the First Meeting. Once you’ve chosen who to talk to, this is how to go in prepared, so the meeting becomes either a valuable first step or a robust feasibility study of your project.

In this episode:

• Aspirations and budget: why it’s an ongoing conversation, and why being honest about your project budget helps

• Defining your aspirations by how you live, not a list of rooms

• Pinterest boards: write what you like in each image, because what we see and what you see are often different

• Building performance: power bills, overheating, air quality and acoustics, and why the Building Code won’t magically take care of it

• Information to supply beforehand: covenants, geotech reports, property files and planning rules

• The five key topics your first meeting should cover: project versus build budget (GST and contingency), fees, time frames, process and other consultants

• Why deciding not to go further isn’t a disaster

The book has a checklist of what to ask yourself before your first meeting: www.smartlivingspaces.nz/book