Cheap decisions, expensive consequences

Bob's tip: $5 on Australia

Today: when to cut corners, and when not to

Draftsman, building designer or architect?

Architects who forget the build cost

Moving a window to cut the build cost

Non-standard windows: $100,000 extra

Ceiling heights and the hidden extras

Cantilevers, steel and fire separation

Is the cheapest consultant a good idea?

How Bob chooses a town planner

Over-engineered structural designs

What to look for besides price

Saving on finishes without losing value

Less stonework, same sale price

When down-specing hurts the sale price

Rentals versus owner-occupiers

The cheapest builder

Why variations cost you

Due diligence and consultant fees

Seven architects, fees 2.5 times apart

The cheap survey that cost more

Marketing and staging

Running our own Google ads

Doing the work yourself

What is your time worth?

Cutting corners on feasibilities

Costs new developers leave out

When you cannot let a site go

Saving money on education

The $10,000 walk-away

Build for profit, not for cheap

Free masterclass on 21 November

Everyone wants to save money on a development, but there is a big difference between being smart with your money and penny pinching. Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton work through where property developers can sensibly save, and where cutting corners ends up costing far more.

Bob covers choosing between a building designer and an architect, the non-standard windows that added over $100,000 to one duplex, why the cheapest consultant is rarely the cheapest in the end, how over-engineered structural plans inflate costs, where you can trim finishes without touching the sale price, builders and variations, the cheap survey that had to be redone, staging and marketing, doing jobs yourself, and the costs people leave out of a feasibility.

The takeaway: the goal is not the cheapest development, it is the most profitable one. Sometimes that means spending less and sometimes it means spending more. The skill is knowing the difference.

Free Profit with Property Development Masterclass, Saturday 21 November 2026, 9am to 1pm AEDT, live on Zoom: https://www.propertymastermind.com.au/events/profit-with-property-development-masterclass/

Hosted by Bob Andersen and Hilary Saxton of Property Mastermind.

Want to sky-rocket your property development career? Bob Andersen & Hilary Saxton are here to add value to your property journey, whether it be through high-quality education, guidance, and accountability. Stay tuned for weekly episodes!

<p>Want to sky-rocket your property development career? Bob Andersen &amp; Hilary Saxton are here to add value to your property journey, whether it be through high-quality education, guidance, and accountability. Stay tuned for weekly episodes!</p>

Property Mastermind - All Things Property Development

Property Mastermind Podcast with Bob Andersen & Hilary Saxton

Cheap Decisions, Expensive Consequences: Cutting Corners in Property Development | EP 275