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A red-brick Federation home with a tiled roof and veranda beside a blue weatherboard cottage, two classic Australian house styles

Popular Architectural Styles in Australian Homes

You can picture the house you love, but naming its style is how you brief it,…

Smiling woman in a white shirt giving two thumbs up in front of a brightly coloured geometric wall

CDC or DA: Which Approval Does Your Renovation Need?

A CDC is the fast approval pathway. A DA goes through council. Which one applies is…

Working out a project budget: budget report with charts, laptop and glasses on a desk

Why Do Building Projects Go Over Budget?

Most budget blowouts trace back to a decision made before the build, not a problem…

Choosing a block of land: subdivision plan held up against a sloping rural site, with one lot marked in green

Should You Get an Architect to Check a Block Before You Buy?

A listing tells you the price, not what you can build. Zoning, easements, bushfire,…

Sydney architect Ruth Newman holding rolled plans in a garden, discussing when to engage an architect

When to Engage an Architect

The right time to engage an architect isn't when you're ready to draw. It's when…

Three-stage residential renovation by Ruth Newman Architect showing completed deck with glass balustrade and outdoor seating, custom timber and tile fireplace with built-in shelving, and structural steel construction phase with scaffolding

What happens when you don’t engage your architect during construction (and what changes when you do)

You signed off the drawings and the builder's on site, so the hard part feels over.…