It sounds like importing it is the only way to go. Hopefully you no longer suffer from kitchen envy.

10% is actually the rule of thumb number that I have heard used for years. Of that 10%, about 60% typically goes to construction docs and the other 40 goes to the earlier phases of the job. Pre-design, if any, is often done hourly. None of this is set in stone anywhere and it will vary depending on the designer's experience and overhead, the complexity and size of the job, etc. There is certainly nothing alarming or unreasonable about asking 10%, and in design, as in most things, you generally get what you pay for.

Hi everyone. Last October we booked a painter to repaint the exterior of our house. He estimated that he would start late February. Late February came and went, and in early March I sent him an email to see how he was going. No reply. I left a message on his phone. No reply. I finally managed to get him on the cell phone, and he said that he was 2-3 weeks away. No sign of him at the end of March. I sent him another email. No reply. I've texted him, and no reply. Am I expecting too much to think that I should not have to chase the painter like this? I'm getting concerned that as the weather gets worse the job is going to take longer and so will cost me more (we are paying for scaffolding by the week). It's starting to stress me out. Should I just cancel with this guy and try to find someone else to help, possibly for next summer?

I didn't see this either , and how long is a piece of string ? Wellington ( a bit like parts of Queenstown ) is known for steep slopes and high winds , so the actual design will affect things a lot -- my sister once 'conned' me into moving her to Wellington when she got a Government job . We loaded one of my small trucks and drove several hours , when we got to her new place on the side of Mt Victoria with lovely harbour views , it seems she had forgotten to mention that the new house was the one up there -- yes , a 1920's build 130 steps up from the street . Hard enough moving a glass fronted china cabinet and solid Kauri 1880s dining table -- imagine carting every bit of timber , tile , window , kitchen appliance up there !