If your home is straining at the walls, you may be considering an extension to provide more room for your growing family. But there’s no shying away from the fact that it costs a good chunk of money to do. And if you’re trying to reduce those costs, you may be thinking of doing the job without the help of an architect. However, doing this may not cut your costs as much as you think. And it could create more problems in the long run. So, let’s take a look at the benefits of using an architect.
Spending to save money
Architect costs can amount to 15% of your total budget, depending on what you’re building. And that may seem like a huge expense to pay at the beginning of any project. But that doesn’t take into account the savings you could make in time and money.
So, what sort of savings could you make with an architect? Well, firstly it could prevent you from making mistakes that are hard to undo or costly to rectify. Many homeowners have built extensions that just don’t work, so they end up with rooms that rarely get used.
On the other hand, having properly drawn up plans will stop you from wasting space, putting windows in the wrong place, and not utilising enough of your existing building. They will think of those things that you might miss, such as using larger windows to make the most of views. Or adding in roof lanterns and vaulted ceilings to maximise the feeling of space when your extension size is limited
Architects can also reduce the size of extension and materials you need by simply using clever design tricks. This will save you both time and money. And it’ll help you retain as much garden space as possible. So that architect fee could pay for itself in the long run.
Choice of design solutions
One thing an architect does well is to think outside of the box. Although a builder can create an extension, they’re not designers. So, they’re likely to prefer a simple build that’s similar to one they’ve done before, using materials they’re familiar with. That’s understandable of course, but this may not be the best solution for you in terms of usable space, attractive design and material costs.
Any good architect will be on top of the latest construction methods, trends and materials. This insight is incredibly valuable, for getting the most out of any building project.
Working with an architect, you can go through all of your options and refine the design so you’re completely happy and it specifically meets your needs. With a balance of looks, practicality and innovation, you should get the best result possible.
It gives you a plan
An architect doesn’t just draw up a plan for you. As long as you use a local architect, they’ll also be very familiar with what your local authority will approve or reject. This means that you’ll end up with a building or extension that is in keeping with its surroundings and is likely to be approved by the planning office. And with a bit of luck, it’s less likely to get objections from your neighbours.
Having a plan also means it’s easier to explain exactly what you want to your builders. And having this plan gives you the power to create a schedule and costs, which means you can project manage the whole thing successfully. This means there’s less risk of going over time and budget.
And lastly, having your plan helps you to visualise the end result, which is the one thing that’ll keep you going when the mess and upheaval starts!
It’s nice that you mentioned how any good architect would be on top of the latest construction methods, trends, and materials. I saw a video about a construction project team the other day and I was quite interested with the work of the architect. From what I’ve seen, it seems architectural firms could actually help with a lot of building types nowadays, like higher education building designs for example.