FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
After searching the web, I finally discovered my ideal house plan on the buy-a-plan.co.za website, however, I need a few small changes. Can this be done and what will it cost me?
Buy-A-Plan provides a wide range of well-designed architectural house plans at an affordable price range.
We constantly add new designs to our inventory to provide the best options for you to consider. After browsing the many options provided on the website and identifying a plan that adheres to your needs, but you require a few changes. You can send us a message via the chat option on the website with your requested changes. The buy-a-plan.co.za architect will reply to your message and if it’s minor changes, it will be done at no additional cost to you when you order the plan. We have made it easy for you to adapt the plans and make more changes. How you might ask? We made the digital format of the plans available to you to order additional with your council set. This will allow you to approach any architect or draftsman in your area and they will be able to open the plans and make the requested changes for you. This way you will save a lot of money because the basic design and complete set of drawings are complete.
buy-a-plan.co.za will provide you with our SACAP registration number should you choose to only order the plan in hard copy format. buy-a-plan.co.za will endorse only these building plans. The site plan can be done as a separate add-on service as well as any additional changes requested and done by the buy-a-plan.co.za architectural team. Additional changes done by parties outside of Buy a Plan will not be certified by our architect. You could choose to use a draughtsman in your area for the additional changes and site plan as well as the approval process at the local authority.
Will buy-a-plan.co.za design and detail my personalized house plan according to my specific wants and needs from the very beginning?
No. buy-a-plan.co.za is an online platform that offers well pre-designed house plans from its available options of designs, however, we will accommodate small changes as described above.
What should i do after receiving my Buy-A-Plan building plans?
After receiving your online order and payment, Buy-A-Plan will send the hard copies of your building plans within 5 days via a courier to the physical address provided in the checkout payment process. All that is left for you to do is to complete your own details in the spaces provided on the building plans and submit the plans to your local authority with the completed site plan. We provide the site plan as an added service to you. However, this can be done by yourself or by a draughtman. You will then need to submit the plans to the local authority. Please note that there will most likely be a scrutiny fee payable to the local authority on submitting the plans.
What else will I receive on ordering my house plans via the Buy-A-Plan website?
This set will include your ready to be approved house building plans as well as the additional copies of plans you have ordered. If you choose to add the site plan to your order, this will be included with your package as well as other additional information requested from the platform such as the electrical plan and or the bill of quantities. As a special gift to out clients will add a meeting agenda template for you to use with your site meetings as well as a typical building contract to be used for your building project. Furthermore, we will also add an additional monthly payment schedule to use during the construction of your house plan which you can use to track payments to the contractor.
We have given our builder the plans, but he requires more information like: beam designs, the roof plan, the electrical plan, the plumbing layout and the foundation details. This has not been included in the package?
The Buy-A-Plan house plans offered on the platform adheres to the requirements set out by the South African National Building regulations for the purpose of gaining approval by any local authority in South Africa.
In response to your question:
Beam and column designs are to be completed by a qualified structural engineer.
The roof plan is not a prerequisite for approval by the local authority. There are many roof companies that supply roof structure plan with an engineer sign-off certificate with it.
Electrical plans are not a requirement to receive approval for your building plan and many home owners have different wants and needs when it comes to the electrical layout design. The most efficient alternative is to sit with the electrician and discuss the lighting layout and mark up the design on the plan.
The sewer layout is indicated on the building plans as required by the National Building Regulations. We can’t provide a foundation plan as the soil requirements are different dependant on location. If you’re concerned about the soil condition it would be best to contact a structural engineer to advise you.
HOW DO I BUY A BUILDING PLAN FROM THE WEBSITE?
See our blog post: https://buy-a-plan.co.za/2021/09/how-to-buy-a-plan/
I’m concerned to use the online payment method – is my banking details safe?
Buy-A-Plan makes use of a reputable online payment gateway, PayStack. PayStack is a leading online payment processing solution for individuals, NPOs and businesses of all sizes in South Africa.
PayStack is a comprehensive and secure e-commerce system available, incorporating SSL encryption and tamper-proof digital objects to assist in the prevention of hacking and impersonation. A secure firewall security system and an offline encrypted storage facility to minimise risk and provide peace of mind.
PayStack also offers fraud protection with the implementation of 3D secure: a technology developed by MasterCard and VISA as a means to reduce online credit card fraud.
If you still don’t feel comfortable using your credit card online, you can make an Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) using the option provided during checkout.
Why should I buy from Buy-A-Plan instead of appointing my own architect or draughtsman?
Buying a pre-designed plan from Buy a Plan will save you time and money. We have included a comparison of costs with every design so that you can see just how much you will save with purchasing our plans. The plans have been designed and detailed by a team of architectural professionals guaranteeing you quality at the best possible price. However, if you would like to appoint an architect for your project, make sure to proceed with a full service as this will help you during the construction phase of the project.
Here is a price comparison for your convenience. Select the squared meters of your dwelling. The cost is based on an R10,000 per squared meter building cost, multiplied by a fairly average published rate of 7.5% architectural fee.
I’ve made payment – how long before I get my plans?
You can expect to wait at least 5 working days for your set to be delivered to the address provided. The package will be couriered as soon as the online payment has cleared in our bank account. Please note that the plans can only be delivered by courier to a South African address. Customers ordering plans from outside South Africa will receive digital pdf copies as soon as the payment has cleared.
It is important to note the following:
It may take longer for delivery to a township.
Deliveries to neighbouring states may take up to 10 working days.
If you have ordered a List of Materials and Quantities, allow 10 working days for the unit costs to be updated by the Quantity Surveyor.
Our record shows that packages have often been delivered two days after confirmation of order and payment.