Building design blog
Everything you need to know before you build, extend, or knock it down and start fresh
Building projects come with a lot of moving parts. The articles here cover everything from planning permits to design decisions, so that by the time you're ready to move forward, you already know what to expect.
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Musings on energy: The real cost of power (and the best way to save it)
There is a hell of a lot of information and discussion out there right now about electricity and energy—how we generate it, where it comes from, and where we are heading. This isn’t just an Australian conversation; it’s a global one.
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The "Just-In-Time" trap. Why your dream reno costs more than a website click
If you've ever compared a volume builder's advertised price to a custom design quote and wondered what you're missing, this one's for you. Rhys breaks down the real pre-build costs most people don't see coming, and what a realistic budget looks like for a major renovation in today's market.
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How much does a granny flat cost in Melbourne?
Granny flat prices in Melbourne range from $80,000 to well over $250,000, and the gap between those numbers comes down to far more than size alone. Construction type, site conditions, and the permits process all move the number significantly, and most suppliers would rather you didn't understand exactly how before picking up the phone.
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Building Designer vs Architect. What's the difference and which one do you need?
The terms get used interchangeably, the fees are very different, and most homeowners starting a project in Melbourne have no clear picture of what they're actually choosing between. For the majority of residential work, an extension, a renovation, a new house, the answer is more straightforward than the industry tends to make it sound.
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Small block and narrow lot design solutions for Melbourne homeowners
Narrow frontages, tight coverage limits, awkward orientations, Melbourne's western suburbs have plenty of all three. But most small block frustration comes down to looking at designs that were never intended for sites like yours. What's possible on a compact lot is often more than people expect once the right questions are being asked of the right block.
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SIP panels in Australia
Structural Insulated Panels have been used in residential construction in North America and Europe for decades. In Australia they are still relatively uncommon in mainstream housing, which means most people encounter them for the first time mid-research on a backyard studio, granny flat, or small separate building. We use SIP construction for our Boxed Buildings range at RDBD, so this comes from the design side of the process rather than from a panel supplier.
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The rise of modular homes in Australia
The Australian modular homes market has spent years promising disruption and mostly underdelivering. That's changed, and the reasons have less to do with technology than with how badly conventional construction has struggled since COVID. But the category still spans everything from genuinely high-performance SIP-built structures to cheap flat-pack sheds being marketed as accommodation. Knowing the difference before you spend anything is what separates a good decision from an expensive one.
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Does a granny flat add value to your property?
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that 'yes' depends on your block, your suburb, your buyer pool, and whether the structure was built properly. For a decision that typically involves $100,000–$200,000, the longer answer is the one worth understanding.
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How to read house plans
Most people see a set of house plans for the first time when they are already committed to a project. Suddenly there is a document with unfamiliar symbols, multiple drawing types, and dimensions written in ways that take a moment to decode. None of it is complicated once you understand what each drawing is trying to show you.
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How long does it take to build a house in Melbourne?
The construction phase is the part you picture, but it is not where most of the time goes. A new home in Melbourne involves design, council approvals, and building permits before a single slab goes down, and those earlier stages are where timelines vary most and where the real surprises tend to live.