AD – This is a collaborative post // Home renovation projects can be stressful, with so many different professionals needing consultation before a project can even begin. When it comes to a project like a home extension, loft conversion or basement excavation, it can be hard to know where to start or what you need to know. With large sums of money at stake, and your home being recrafted, it is important you know what you are going to experience and are the most prepared you can be.
Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash
You will need an architect for the majority of home renovation projects, which affect the structure of the original house and/or the exterior, including extensions and loft conversions. Whilst this can be daunting to think about, having an architect onboard has many benefits outside of the architectural plans they can provide you with. Architects have a great knowledge of the construction process and will be able to discuss the necessary stages to get a project ready for construction. But what do you need to know before you approach an architect?
To put it simply, you don’t need to know anything technical, you only need to know what you want from the space you are creating. Make some notes on why you are completing your home renovation project, what the purpose of the new space is, how you want the new space to look and any design preferences.
Does the space need to be multi-functional? Do any of your family members have any additional needs? Think about your project in as much detail as possible, creating a set of notes you can discuss with your architect.
Next, you need to have an idea of your budget for the construction element of your project. This is incredibly important, as architects can create the most wonderful of designs, but they won’t mean the slightest thing unless they fit within your budget. It is always wise to budget an extra 10% of your total project cost, to cover any last-minute changes or issues that may arise.
You can ask your architect to work to a certain budget, or if you have a more relaxed budget, you can get them to come up with several rough sketches and costs first before committing to a specific architectural design. At Simply Architects, we offer a fixed package price for your architectural plans, so you need not worry about the changing costs of architects!
Once you have confirmed your budget and your project details, you are then in a good position to approach an architect to start working on some architectural designs for your project. The architect will discuss everything you have prepared, as well as taking measurements of the space you are renovating.
They will then create an initial set of architectural plans. You will be able to look through the plans and make any adjustments you want and discuss the costs of the project. If you want accurate costings, you may need to find the building team you want to use at this point.
Simply Architects offers fixed price architectural design packages, with friendly and approachable architects who are as passionate about your project as you are.
This is such a helpful post! I think that if it would get down to have major renovations having an architect behind can be so helpful and easier to manage for big projects!
Such a great post and advice people need! I’m sure this will come in handy in the future for me 😁
Olivia| https://olivialucieblake.com/
Brilliant post with some great advice! Don’t make the mistake I have, I’ve been my own architect with working in the building trade. It’s been hard work as well as working full time!
This is a realy useful post, especially when planning a renovation. I wouldn’t know where to start!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
We spent most of last summer performing renovations, and sadly were repeatedly let down by the architect we hired (through a friend’s recommendation, which was a mistake). When the relationship works, it can be brilliantly simple and sounds like Simply Architects would be fantastic