Verbal Advice Consultation : Architect in Brisbane

If you are unsure of where to start, our verbal advice consultation will help you to interactively explore and understand the opportunities and challenges of your house or land (also useful prior to purchase), giving you a real sense of direction. It is also your gateway to take advantage of our comprehensive and complete architectural services of design through to building application, construction drawings and managing the builders work Complete the form below and we'll contact you immediately to discuss your options.

We all want to get the best out of our property. Regardless of whether you are looking to renovate or build you want to be sure that you are getting the full potential out of your property.

Well thanks to our detailed Verbal Advice Service there is now an affordable way to explore the real potential of your home before you start on the design work. In fact, this service is actually the perfect first step before you even buy a property.

At Dion Seminara Architecture we know that it’s important to fully understand the opportunities and challenges with a property before you start investing large sums of money in having detailed designs created.

Our Verbal Advice Service offers you the opportunity to sit down with one of Brisbane’s most experienced architects and explore the possibilities for your property. It’s your chance to get expert advice and design solutions that will ensure that you are not embarking on a project that is unachievable, or economically unsound.

If you are making a long term commitment to your property and project, then you will no doubt want to consider our Lifestyle Assessment service. A unique service to ensure you plan for the future.

After coming to the conclusion that we needed an outdoor entertainment area, we contacted Dion and others to discuss our options. All the other people offered to come to our house to provide a free quote and consultation. Dion was the only one that charged for this service. After initially baulking at the price, we reluctantly decided to proceed with his seeming larger consultation fee. We were quite nervous in paying this amount because we did not know what value Dion would provide. Even on the day that Dion was to arrive, we still had doubts whether this was the right thing to do - but we decided to have an open mind. Dion not only arrived on time but he actually talked to us and wanted to get a feel for what we did in the different parts of the house. Yes his brief was that we needed an outdoor entertainment area, but within 20 minutes of Dion's consultation, he was challenging us on that notion. His challenging questions and realistic answers shed new light on what we thought we wanted. Dion really listened to our needs and presented ideas that went to the heart of what we wanted. His ideas were fantastic and the consultation fee was, in our eyes, a small price compared to the value that he provided. If you have any doubts on the value of this fee for service, don't. You will be amazed on what he delivers. By the way, the other people who supplied the free quotes spent as little time as they could with us and did not provide any ideas on the solution that we actually wanted.

Unlike some companies, our Verbal Advice Service takes the time to fully explore your property’s full potential. It is your insurance against making financially unsound decisions.

Design mistakes are costly, both in terms of money and emotion. Having someone design your home, who hasn’t taken the time to look at the viability of what you’re proposing is a disaster waiting to happen.

We are members of the Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) which ensures that we uphold the RAIA 'code of conduct'. But there is more to what we offer than simply being a registered Architect and professional designers.

We bring more than 20 years experience in the field of renovation and new home design; which is your guarantee that you’re getting the best possible advice.

In the ideal world you will fully understand the potential of a proposed property before you even purchase it, which is why more and more people are taking advantage of our Verbal Advice Service as a pre-purchase property assessment.

If you’re about to purchase a property then I would strongly recommend that you take advantage of this service to ensure that you’re buying a home that will meet your long term goals.

Regardless of whether you are building a new home, renovating an existing one, or simply looking at purchasing a property, this is one service that you can’t afford to do without.

Our Verbal Advice Service is affordable and guaranteed to give you the best overall result for your property. Don’t risk taking on the project that is not financial viable. Simply take a moment to complete the form below and we will contact you immediately to arrange a booking for your Verbal Advice Service.

This service is a verbal advice consultation only and plans or drawings are not provided at this stage. For overseas or interstate clients, as an alternative to our verbal advice, we recommend our Feasibility Analysis - Space Allocation + Association service. Our immediate upgrade service following our advice is our Architect’s Design Package including Sketch Design and Detailed Design and Measured Drawings if you are renovating. View specific details of these in the section relevant to your project: Residential or Commercial (architectural services listings).

Our Sketch Design will see the discussed ideas converted into one large scale concept plan/s, a section and a number of three-dimensional sketches.

Diagram of architecture services from Brisbane architects

At Dion Seminara Architecture we aim to enhance your life through practical, well thought out designs that take into account your current and future needs. We understand that your project is about more than simply the building itself. It is about looking at all aspects, both inside and out, to ensure that your home compliments and adds to your lifestyle in a very positive way. We help you achieve this by integrating the three parts of your living environment:

BUILDING ARCHITECTURE + INTERIORS + LANDSCAPE = DESIGN ENHANCING LIFE

Some people believe that services supplied by architects are expensive and not accessible to everyone. And whilst this may be true for some architects, at Dion Seminara Architecture, we provide flexibility in the services we offer, by breaking our services down into a simple 4 Step process.

This process enables you, the client, to choose how much, or how little assistance you require, depending on your experience level and budget. You have the choice of engaging us for a single service, or multiple services depending on your needs, thus allowing you to still achieve the benefits of our holistic approach to building projects.

It is this 4 Step process that sets Dion Seminara Architecture apart from the rest.


We understand that not everyone has the budget to enable them to have an architect manage their entire project. And that you may only need advice. Perhaps you simply want guidance on your new home or renovation project, as well as some ideas on what your budgets will allow you to achieve. For this reason we offer our Architectural Advice Service. Here’s an overview of what you will get as part of this consultation: I will personally come to your home to meet with yourself and any other decision makers, to explore every possible option for your project. This is your chance to discuss your wildest dreams with me adding advice as we go based on my extensive building experience. Along the way I will give you an idea of potential building costs, to ensure that your plans are staying within your budget. I will also give you advice on approval processes and likely timelines. You will have an excellent understanding of how long your project is likely to take, and exactly what is required. This is one step that you will absolutely love. This is your opportunity to discuss your project in-depth at your property with me personally. You can ask me anything you like, I am only too happy to answer your questions as we go. Of course I will be offering my advice on how you can achieve your dreams without breaking the bank. This is one consultation that you simply cannot afford to miss.	Once we have completed Step 1, we move onto the 'Concept' phase of the process. This is where you truly begin to see your dreams come together. If you are renovating, we start off by completing a measured drawing of your home and organising a surveyor to do a survey of the levels of your block. This ensures that we have correct elevations and dimensions of your existing home before we add your new renovation. From there we create a sketch or 'concept' design of your home based on our earlier discussions, to show exactly what it will look like after your renovation, or in the case of a new home, you will now get to see it for the first time. We will also confirm with you our opinion as to the build cost of your project and what approval you will need, and clearly outline a complete timeline for your project, including the building works. All of this will be included a written report. Once we have completed your sketch design, we discuss any potential revisions to ensure that you are 100% happy with your proposed renovations. Any required alterations and design refinements are then made in our final detailed design. At this point we will also arrange for an independent estimate of costs. Cost estimators make their living through understanding the current cost of materials and any forecast increases in prices, as well as having an accurate understanding of labour costs. By taking this extra step, we can ensure that your design is staying within your budget, avoiding any nasty surprises further down the track.	Now that the design and cost estimations are complete, it's time to sort out the paperwork. We start off by producing building application drawings. Detailed construction drawings and specifications are created so the builder knows exactly what they are building and where it is to be built. We then coordinate all consultants and submit your paperwork for approval to ensure you get all relevant permits and permissions. We will take care of all of this for you, so you don't need to worry about a thing. Of course your interior design is just as important as the building design. We will also work with you to create the ultimate colour scheme, as well as giving advice on flooring, fittings and fixtures. Storage needs will also be considered, including the complete design of your kitchen, bathrooms, ensuites, laundries, media rooms, entertainment units, studies, robes and/or wine cellars. If you also require advice on any interior decorating items, like furnishings, you will be delighted to know that we work in association with decorating firms to ensure a perfectly seamless and united outcome. Your home will look completely integrated and uniquely stunning. But your living environment does not end with the building itself. Our plans include landscape design, covering everything from gatehouses and pool design, to fence designs and zoning. If you're really serious about creating the ultimate home, you simply must have a consultation with Leesa Seminara from Leesa Seminara Garden Design. Leesa is one of the best in the business at creating beautiful subtropical paradises, and I am not just saying that because she is my wife.	This is the stage where we really begin to make your life easy. Finding, negotiating and liaising with builders can be stressful, but our Architectural Building Contract Management service takes care of all of this for you. We start by sourcing a number of suitably qualified builders. Through our vast experience, we have learnt which builders are best suited to varying styles of renovations or new homes. You're guaranteed that any builders we source will be of the highest standards. Each builder is then invited to tender on your project. From there we will negotiate with them on your behalf, ensuring that you receive the best possible price and completion time. We do not receive any kickbacks or payments from builders. Our goal is to simply get you the best possible deal, without sacrificing quality. We will provide a detailed tender review and negotiate your contract for you, to ensure you not only have a quality builder, but one that is competitively priced. We will then personally oversee the work done on your project, through regular onsite inspections, to ensure that all work is completed to the highest standards. If any challenges arise, we will immediately relay this back to you, in plain English, and then deal with the issue on your behalf. By taking on the position of project manager overseeing your builder, we can guarantee that your renovations or new home will satisfy your every desire. A turnkey outcome, from concept to completion, tailored to suit your needs is what Steps 1 to 4 can offer you. We look forward to working with you on your upcoming project.