Colour Consult vs Full Design Package: What Homeowners Need to Know Before Renovating or Building
- Malia Lindeberg
- Nov 22
- 3 min read
Renovating is a big investment....... financially, emotionally, and in time. Over the past few years, I’ve noticed more homeowners turning up to builders with a three-hour colour consult and expecting that to be everything required for quoting. It’s an easy assumption to make, because on the surface, choosing finishes feels like the bulk of the decision-making.
But a colour consult and a full interior design package are two entirely different services. One is about surface-level choices; the other is about accuracy, documentation and risk management. And when you’re renovating, especially when structural changes or wet areas are involved, the difference matters.
This isn’t about upselling or overcomplicating the process. It’s about clarity. When selections aren’t documented properly, that lack of detail turns into cost blowouts, delays and a lot of frustration for both homeowners and builders.
Here’s what renovators need to understand before diving in.
What a Three-Hour Colour Consult Actually Does
A colour consult is designed for volume builders with standard plans and preset ranges. It’s quick, it’s general, and it covers the basics, usually from a pre-selected range of builder's grade options:
exterior palette
roof, gutter and fascia colours
internal paint colours
carpet type
basic tiles
laminate finishes
general tapware choices
It’s a selection session, not a design process.
It doesn’t include:
measurements
joinery design
wet area detailing
electrical planning
lighting design
cabinetry hardware
technical documentation
installation instructions
coordination with your builder
In short: it helps you decide what you like, but it doesn’t tell the builder how to build it.
What a Full Design & Documentation Package Covers
Renovations involve quirks, existing structures, and rooms that weren’t built to current standards. This is where a full package becomes essential. It includes:
Space Planning
Flow, circulation, usability, zoning and future-proofing.
Joinery Design
Kitchens, vanities, mudrooms, laundries, wardrobes, entertainment units, fully dimensioned and documented.
Wet Area Design
Tile setouts, tile direction, grout colour, niche placement, plumbing locations and compliance considerations.
Lighting & Electrical
Switching logic, data and power, task and feature lighting, appliance allowances, and compliance requirements.
Materials & Fixtures
Schedules for flooring, paint, benchtops, profiles, tapware, fittings and hardware with exact product details.
Elevations & Sections
Room-by-room documentation showing heights, clearances, dimensions and instructions.
Renders
Not for aesthetics alone — they help confirm materials and guide quoting.
Builder Coordination
Clear communication so questions are resolved early, not when the slab’s poured or the walls are sheeted.
This is the package that allows a builder to quote accurately, and build confidently.
Why Builders Can’t Quote Properly From a Colour Consult
This is the piece homeowners struggle to see, and builders are too polite to say plainly.
Without full documentation, a builder has to guess.
That guess shows up as:
provisional sums
allowances with wide ranges
rushed assumptions
variations as the job progresses
Variations in Townsville commonly sit between $250 and $4,000 each, depending on the issue. And they multiply. Quickly.
Accurate design documentation removes that uncertainty, giving you a clearer quote upfront and reducing conflict during the build.
Why a Colour Consult Is Not Enough for a Renovation
A renovation isn’t a standard new build. You’re working within:
existing structural constraints
changes to plumbing and electrical layouts
different ceiling heights
older building standards
varying substrates and surfaces
A three-hour consult cannot factor this in. It’s not designed to.
Renovations require millimetre-specific planning and instructions, not broad-stroke choices.
How Proper Documentation Protects Your Budget
These are real examples from recent projects:
Incorrect tile direction: $1,800 variation
Niche installed in wrong spot: $4,000 waterproofing redo
Power points needing relocation: $400+ each
Vanity height wrong due to missing documentation: $850 variation
Lighting installed incorrectly: $1,200 correction
These aren’t dramatic worst-case situations, they’re everyday issues that come from unclear instructions.
Full documentation is far cheaper than fixing mistakes.
Final Thoughts
If you’re renovating, it’s worth understanding the difference between choosing finishes and designing a home. A colour consult is useful in the right context, but for a custom build or renovation, it doesn’t provide what your builder needs to quote or build accurately.
Clear documentation means:
fewer surprises
fewer variations
fewer delays
better budgeting
smoother relationships with your builder
a home that feels intentional and cohesive
If you want your renovation priced and built with confidence, start with a full design and documentation package. It will save you stress, time and money long before the first hammer swings.
Malia xx
Urban Aspect Build Planning + Interior Design
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