Test Before You Invest

What Test Before You Invest does

Test Before You Invest is an Australian architectural advisory firm founded in 2019 and headquartered in Surry Hills, Sydney. The company provides pre-purchase property advice and design consulting services to property buyers, homeowners, buyer's agents, and real estate agents across Greater Sydney and surrounding regions. Its core offering is a tiered service menu that includes a Consultation ($850), Workshop ($1,200), Design Report ($3,995), and a comprehensive Vision Package ($9,995), allowing clients to access architect expertise at defined price points before committing to a full design engagement.

The firm operates a step-based methodology that decouples architectural advice from full design work, an approach uncommon in the architecture industry. A sister company, Studio Coco, provides end-to-end architectural services, creating an internal upsell pathway from advisory engagements into full design commissions. The firm has expanded its service surface with additional offerings such as town planning and design peer review, and has obtained Class 2 Buildings accreditation to extend into commercial and multi-residential work. A gift card program targets buyer's advocates as a B2B referral channel.

Revenue is generated through fixed-price service packages sold primarily to individual consumers (homeowners and buyers) and, increasingly, via partnerships with buyer's advocates. The firm is led by founder Nikki Quittner, a NSW Registered Architect with 15+ years of experience, supported by a small core team of four members. Geographic focus remains Greater Sydney and adjacent areas, with no disclosed plans for broader national expansion.

Name

Test Before You Invest

Legal name

Test Before You Invest

Website

https://testbeforeyouinvest.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Test Before You Invest is an Australian architectural advisory firm founded in 2019, providing pre-purchase property advice and tiered design consulting services to homeowners, buyers, and buyer's agents across Greater Sydney.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Advisory Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate Development & Feasibility Advisory (Highest-and-Best-Use, Entitlements Support) (BPAJANAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Space Planning & Test Fits (BPABAFAB)

Keywords

• Architectural advisory services
• Pre-purchase property advice
• Renovation feasibility assessment
• Design feasibility reports
• Property consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Services: One-time fee professional services including consultations, workshops, design reports, and vision packages. Services are delivered in fixed timeframes ranging from days to weeks depending on complexity. Revenue is transaction-based with each service sold as a discrete package.
2. Full Architectural Services: End-to-end architectural service provided through sister company Studio Coco for projects proceeding past initial assessment. Custom proposal-based pricing for full architectural engagement from concept through construction completion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Test Before You Invest provides fast, affordable, commitment-free architectural advisory services for property buyers, owners, and buyer's agents across Greater Sydney. Its tiered offering includes a 1-hour Consultation ($850), a 2-hour Workshop ($1,200), a comprehensive Design Feasibility Report ($3,995), and a Vision Package with 3D visualisations ($9,995). Each service assesses design potential, construction costs, approval pathways, and timelines before the customer commits to a full architectural engagement, which is then delivered through its sister company Studio Coco.

Product overview

Test Before You Invest is an Australian architectural advisory firm offering a tiered service model for property buyers and owners seeking design clarity before renovation or purchase decisions. The service portfolio includes Consultation ($850), Workshop ($1,200), Design Feasibility Report ($3,995), and Vision Package ($9,995), progressing from initial exploration to comprehensive design deliverables. Full architectural project delivery is handled through sister brand Studio Coco. Services are available for various property types including houses, apartments, townhouses, and multi-dwelling developments across Greater Sydney and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consultation A 1-hour session with an Architect or Town Planner covering design aspirations, construction costs, timeframes, and approval strategies. Includes pre-assessment of the property, legislation and layout review, building report and contract review where relevant, and brief and budget assessment alongside local planning controls. Priced at $850 + GST.
• Workshop A 2-hour session with an Architect to explore property potential, collaboratively sketching preliminary layouts on butter paper. Covers renovation options, estimated costs, approval processes, and timeframes. Priced at $1,200 + GST.
• Design Feasibility Report A comprehensive report summarising property potential, including key council requirements, site analysis, development assessment, cost guide, floorplan review, return brief, service infrastructure check, renovation roadmap, and easy-to-read advice. Priced at $3,995 + GST.
• Vision Package Initial concept layouts and 3D visualisations crafted by a qualified Registered Architect. Includes preliminary sketch layouts, exterior design intent visualisation, look and feel mood board, material palette, and design intent diagrams. Priced at $9,995 + GST; multiple revisions not included.
• Full Architectural Service (via Studio Coco) End-to-end architectural service delivered through sister company Studio Coco, guiding clients through every project phase from initial concept and design through approvals to construction and project completion. Custom proposal-based pricing.
• Other Services Additional services including Town Planning, Design Peer Review, Letter of Advice, Vendor Concept Exploration Package, Façade Upgrade Exploration, and 3D Modelling Design Exploration.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Studio CococoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudio Coco is the sister company and design wing of Test Before You Invest, providing full end-to-end architectural services from concept through construction. When TBYI clients are ready to proceed with their projects, they are referred to Studio Coco for complete architectural delivery. The two companies share founders and operate in coordination, with TBYI fees credited toward Studio Coco project fees.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BVN Architecture: Major Australian architecture firm with national presence delivering design across residential, commercial, education, and infrastructure sectors. Demonstrates the scale TBYI's team could grow into if the Studio Coco full-service model expands, though currently operates at vastly different scale.
• Three Birds Renovations: Well-known Australian home renovation brand offering full renovation design and execution services. Comparable in customer overlap (Sydney property owners undertaking renovations) but operates a much broader, end-to-end model rather than the upfront advisory niche TBYI occupies.
• Bates Smart: One of Australia's largest and longest-established architecture practices with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. Comparable professional architecture expertise but operates at much larger commercial scale rather than the small-team pre-purchase advisory niche.

Direct peers

• ArchiCentre: Australian provider of pre-purchase architectural and building advisory services, offering inspections and design advice to prospective property buyers. Directly comparable to Test Before You Invest's core value proposition of helping buyers understand renovation potential before committing to a purchase.
• InspectorFind: Australian marketplace for pre-purchase building and property inspections including structural and pest inspections. Overlaps with TBYI's pre-purchase due diligence value proposition, particularly for buyers who need property assessment before committing to purchase.

Others

• Hipages Group: ASX-listed Australian marketplace connecting homeowners with tradies. Operates adjacent in the home renovation ecosystem where TBYI customers eventually engage builders; represents a potential downstream referral partner or competitor if it expands into design advisory.

Emerging players

• ArchiPro: Australian online marketplace connecting consumers with architects, builders, and design professionals. Addresses the same 'finding the right architect' pain point TBYI solves for property buyers, but through a platform/marketplace model rather than direct advisory delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Test Before You Invest