Who should you be talking to?Print

​​​​​Architect/Architectural designer
Engaging a designer at this stage can help guide your vision and improve the chances of achieving the desired outcome. It’s important to select a professional and experienced architect or architectural designer, as this will be the person who transforms your ideas and vision into a reality. In addition, acquiring a designer’s expertise at this early stage will help you decide if your plan is achievable in terms of budget and scope. You can read more on Engaging A Design Team in Section 3 of this guide. 
Council
You do not need to contact the council at this stage, but it does offer 15 minutes of free advice​ if you wish to discuss consent requirements, timeframes and costs at a high level. This might assist in making informed decisions from the beginning and avoiding unnecessary changes and delays in the future.

The Housing​ section of the Auckland Design Manual also offers design guidance for people undertaking new housing projects, and highlights relevant issues to consider in future stages.
Bank
Talking to your bank manager will be useful to get an overall idea of how much they can lend, the conditions of loans, and the typical timings for disbursements. 
Real estate agent and valuer
The real estate market changes rapidly and in ways that are not always obvious. Talk to a real estate agent to understand present trends, land value in your preferred locations, and characteristics that help with resale. This will help with estimating the maximum capital value that should be invested in the project. Property valuers are also an important source of information. Registered valuers are members of a professional institute, can offer a more objective and wider view of the market, and may be better informed on future market trends. It is important to remember though that real estate agents and valuers are not design professionals, and advice on this subject should be sought from people who are.​
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