LC Designer Homes is a boutique residential design and build company, delivering unique bespoke new homes on the North Shore. Established in 2009 as Leonard Construction, the company is led by husband-and-wife team, Adam, a third-generation carpenter, and Michelle, an architectural designer.
Talking to new clients on a weekly basis, it’s clear there are questions everyone wants the answers to. Here’s our top three and the answers to help.
Can I change my downstairs to a granny flat or a rental space?
Many families are wanting to reap some reward from their large family homes when children start to move out, whilst also thinking about the future where potential older family members might move in. Using the ‘downstairs’ which often already has large spaces and plumbing, seems the logical step.
Auckland's unitary Plan zones the majority of the North Shore as mixed housing suburban, which doesn't allow minor dwellings. Instead it permits a second or third dwelling which is a much larger project, including new services, own metering, extensive fire and acoustic rating etc... all of which can start to make the project cost prohibitive.
I am building a new home, How are you different to a group home?
Everything we do for our clients is unique. No stock plans, no stock fixtures, specific architectural features, stand-out kitchens; everything is optional and down to personal taste and preference! This means we have to get to know our clients really well and what they want out of their home early on for both design and functionality. Hence, allowing clients to have their input and influence from the start and spending more time making decisions and being more involved, resulting in each home being special. We are a small team and enjoy that very personal journey each client goes through.
How much will it cost, can you give me a ball park?
We can, in the same way that you would struggle to give us a ball park for our weekly grocery shopping. It’s crystal ball gazing and not useful as a place to make decisions from as there are so many unknowns. If you want a good basis to move forward with your home, invest some time in putting together a brief so we can put together a concept. Once we have a clearer picture of what we could be building, we can start to look at what it might cost. Changing the unknowns into knowns into knows is the only way of truly understanding costs.
These are our top three, if you have others, get in touch and we will do our honest best to answer them in a useful way so you can start creating your dream home.
