The first is that owners can consult a registered architect to design the home extension. Typically the owner would then obtain quotes from various builders to carry out the construction.

The other method is to use a company which both designs and builds.

There is a trend toward this method as the total cost to the owner is invariably cheaper and some design-construct companies, as they are known, have developed a sound reputation through their specialised knowledge and the quality of their design and craftsmanship.

Unlike architects, design-construct companies make no money on the design itself; their goal is to achieve the completed home extension within the client's budget. A consequence of this is that their designs will be inevitably build-able, otherwise their reputation would surely suffer.

What about design quality? Architects may argue that ?you get what you pay for? and that design-construct companies use designers who are little more than salespeople with an ability to sketch. This may be true in some cases; however professional design-construct companies employ qualified and highly proficient architectural designers who, through a combination of experience and training, are able to produce home extension designs as good or superior to those from a consulting architect.

The ultimate case to utilise a design-construct company is one of accountability. There is no buck passing. No confusion about how much the design will actually cost to build. No disconnect between what the designer intended and what the builder thought should be constructed. The responsibility for your home extension lies with one company only.

Planning your home extension starts with finding a company you can trust.