Deciding to build your own home, or greatly alter your existing house, is not a decision that one makes lightly. It is therefore equally important that the decisions you make thereafter are just as well-thought-out. We all know that we need an architect to design the home we have always dreamed of having but we sometimes inadvertently make their jobs harder by excluding them from decisions we make as their clients. There are some decisions you should never make without consulting your architect, here are the top 5.
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Budget Changes
This point swings both ways regardless of whether you want to increase or decrease your budget, you shouldn’t make this decision without consulting your architect. Architects are used to working with budgets and they align their concepts and designs to work within the parameters of the budgets they are given. If you need to reduce costs or you’ve decided you can increase your spending, consult with your architect first so they can work the budget change into their design of the house portion of your house and land package in QLD.
Drastic Layout Changes
Your architect will be making highly precise drawings and renders of your finished house. These drawings in turn are passed along to the draughtsmen and builders who will be building your home. The layout of your home is factored into its design accordingly so you can’t just add another room or take one out of the plans without first clearing this with your architect. Making small changes like adding an accent wall is fine but you must be careful when it comes to making the bigger changes on your own.
Material Changes
The building materials used to build your home are not based solely on their associated costs; different materials can serve different purposes like adding to the insulation of your new home. This is why you should never make any drastic changes to the building materials without first running through it with your architect. By allowing them the time to weigh in on your material choices, you could end up saving a lot of time and money.
Timeline Changes
Once you and your architect have gone over your wants and needs for the design of your new house, they will give you an estimated timeline of how long you can expect to wait before your dream home will be ready for occupancy. It simply isn’t reasonable to make any changes to this timeline without consulting with them before making changes. If your timeline has to change, for whatever reason, you need to first let them know and they will tell you if that change is possible or not, it will depend entirely on what stage of the building process you are in.
Occupancy Changes
When you first decide to build a new house, your architect will ask you if you plan on living in it, renting it out, or flipping it. They don’t ask this question because of curiosity, they ask it because they need to know. Many of their decisions when it comes to the design of your home will be based on your answer so you can’t change it without consulting them. For example, you may have 6 children and require more bedrooms than entertainment rooms – which is fine, if you’re going to live in the home but if you’re going to sell it then often 3 bedrooms will suffice and the other rooms can be converted into living rooms.
Why hire an architect? Here are the benefits!
The architect is a professional with specific education, training, and licensing to plan and design a building. If you sit on the fence about whether you should hire an architect or not, we give you the most important benefits of hiring one.
Complete understanding of your needs
A good architect will start the conversation by learning as much as possible about you and your lifestyle. They will listen to you and put your vision into an architectural expression while considering the building codes.
Eliminate design errors
Architects are great at eliminating errors in plan books or caused by poor experience. When you plan to the most minute detail on paper, you can avoid as many mistakes as possible. Architectures have the education and experience to know the most current practices and newest designs and adjust them to your needs and preferences.
According to your city’s codes, you will need to submit plans with the architect’s seal before working. They use a system that creates accurate plans according to your vision and their professional take. Good architects will prepare precise and highly detailed drawings to eliminate design errors that could increase your spending. Architects use three-dimensional building information modeling and practical, factual information very early in the process, ensuring schedule and budget precision. Coordinating with contractors at any stage of the process is easy when you work with architects.
Good design is a wise investment
We have all been in situations where the space had a poor and unrealistic design. A great architect will design with flexibility, function, and timeless feel to mind, adding more value to a building. An architect will know how to turn your lifestyle into three-dimensional spaces. He will use the natural elements of the site and surroundings without forgetting about the budget, building codes, schedules, and zoning requirements.
A well-designed home will ensure a better sale price in the future and a nicer living as well.
Creative solutions
Architects know about creating big spaces on a tight budget as we can find creative solutions to complex situations. Unforeseen issues can occur during a project all the time. Architects know how to reduce the impact and control the unknown with detailed planning and a deep understanding of the space. They will identify the best strategies and materials so that you’re excited about the results without emptying your wallet.
Help at choosing the materials and finishes
A creative architect will have a deep and intimate understanding of the project. He will support you when choosing materials and finishes for your project. Architects know about a wide range of materials so that they can recommend the most suited for your home, with much consideration to your preferences, requirements, the functionality of the space. Above all, they will stay within the set budget.
Reliability
When you hire an architect, you hire a person who designs and builds the most intimate space for you. Great architects will focus on your interests at every stage of the process and have excellent communication with contractors, consultants, and engineers. The facilitation eliminates some of the technical decisions you need to make and helps you concentrate on the big picture. The architect’s role is to make sure that your vision comes to life without interfering too much throughout the process.
Use the resources wisely
Architects help you preserve our planet’s resources. They know everything efficient floor plans, good building orientation, and location. They carefully select and use the materials that keep our world. With such solutions, you will also reduce your monthly utility bills and pay less for maintenance in the long run.
Negotiate with the contractor
Not everybody is good at negotiating and a good architect will take negotiations with the contractor out of your hands. He will make sure that the contractor implements the design as it should. A good architect will go above and beyond for everyone involved in the building to have open and constructive communication.
Make the whole process effortless
The building is a time, energy, and nerve-consuming process. When you hire a qualified team, you can rest assured that the process will go smoother and easier for you than without an architect. When you trust your consultants, you know that ideas will move forward and your project will be as promised. Professionals can obtain the required building permits for you—it’s another stressful stage of the building. Project managers and architects are excellent facilitators in designing, planning, and communication. They will make any beautiful design buildable, yours included.
How do you find a good architect?
All things considered, what’s the best way to find a good architect? Our recommendations will come in handy to see the best architecture for your project.
Word of mouth
Google search is a great tool to find a good architect. Nowadays, you have many sources of information, with social media (Instagram) as a top favorite amongst customers. Ask family, friends, and neighbors about architects, especially if they’ve recently built or remodeled houses.
No matter the services you’re looking for (building, HVAC maintenance, roofing, etc.), it’s always best to ask people you know and trust about options. We encourage you to take a walk in a neighborhood you like and ask homeowners about the architect they’ve worked with. When you hire a local architect, they will be familiar with the vernacular, the local planning authority, and even able to recommend reliable and hardworking builders.
Once you have several options, you should sit down and talk about your project. Talk with at least four architects to discover which of them speaks your language the most. Personal chemistry is also essential to see with which of them the conversation flows freely.
Find a reliable architect
When hiring an architect, you will entrust him with designing your most intimate space. You will spend a lot of money on the projects and design, so you should talk freely about any related issue.
Some architects are very easy to talk to and feel trustworthy right from the start. Make sure you have all that with your architect.
Look for experience with planners
We recommend you hire an architect who has experience with local planners. Planning permission for some projects can be conflictual, regardless of the size of your project. You want someone to have your back and is in the know about planning authority. They know what might/might not get approval as they’re familiar with the success rate of other projects in the area.
Go with work you admire
You can easily see the architect’s previous work through the website, if applicable. When you navigate the website, you can quickly get the picture of what they design, the architectural style, the materials they’re familiar with, and the construction systems they’re used to working with.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will you pay an architect to draw up plans?
You can pay anywhere between $2,000 and $20,000 for an architect to draw basic plans. For whole-house design and services, you can pay between $15,000 and $80,000. The average architect fees are 8% to 15% of construction costs to draw house plans; you pay 10% to 20% for remodels. Architects with hourly rates take $100 to $250, whereas per square foot, the cost ranges between $2 to $15.
Is it possible to negotiate architect fees?
Similar to any service provider, architects will add profit to their costs. When you intend to negotiate, you should focus on the amount of gain added to every man-hour. You will know the margin only if you ask him. The costs are fixed and the chance for them to come down is slim.
Do you pay the architect upfront?
An architect typically has a week and a half to design a whole building. Most architects don’t have regular draws, so you won’t have to pay your upfront. Most of the time, you will pay the architect five times at the end of each of the five phases.
What do you need to tell the architect?
We recommend you be as transparent as possible about how you will use your residential/commercial space. Emphasize the features that are crucial for you. The architect doesn’t just add the functionalities and features you want, but they can also recommend combining to create the most comfortable and visually appealing space.
Do architect plans ever expire?
If you hired your architect to build your home plans for the lot you will build on, the plans wouldn’t expire. The city/county code may change in time and the amount of time passed from when your house was designed weighs in.
