Are you looking at building a new home, extending, renovating or buying a property with potential? You may be asking yourself where to start? Often people will start with a builder, or possibly by calling the local planning department. You may even think that working with an architectural designer may be expensive and you would rather save the money and spend it on the actual project. Here are 5 ways that speaking to an architectural designer could save you lots of money.
A construction project is already a huge financial investment; it could potentially be the largest financial commitment you will ever make. This is why you should speak to the people that are best placed to guide you-the professionals.
5 ways an architectural designer can save you money:
· Cost-effective design solutions.
Listening to our clients is a large part of our job. Getting to know you helps us to learn what is most important to you and what you need from your property. We can then offer design solutions to meet this, within your planned budget. The unique skill set that an architectural designer has, allows us to think ‘outside the box’ and provide alternative design solutions at very early stages in the process.
· Explore products to improve your project.
When designing the concept for a building project, the architectural designer can specify materials and products that are within your budget, and also take into account the lifecycle costs and energy-saving possibilities of the products. Every architect or architectural designer in the industry must keep up to date with the latest advances in construction methods and materials, meaning that we can keep you aware of innovative methods and products as well as keep a close eye on eco-friendly options. The Architectural Designer can help you to decide on products and methods during the early stages of the design and development so that there are fewer fast-paced ‘on site’ decisions to be made by you, that can easily lead to mistakes and compromises.
· It is cheaper to fix a problem on a drawing than it is during construction
A popular mantra in the construction industry is ‘time is money!’ During your project, not only are you paying for your contractor’s time you may also be paying for associated cost such as rent at another property, storage of your furniture and lifestyle changes that come with not living in your home. Making decisions on-site can often be very rushed and not give the best outcome. They can also end up being very costly.
This is where your architectural designer can iron out all of the details on the computer first before the build has even got started. This early detailing process can help minimise questions and decisions that may cause delays in the future.
· Thoroughly detailed drawings allow accurate pricing.
The detailed construction portion of a drawing package is essential for communicating to the contractor what is required to turn the design into a building. This package eliminates the guesswork and leads to accurate pricing. Basically, if it’s on the drawings or in the specification it should be in the contractor’s price. You should not have any issues with the invoices coming through with ‘extras’.
· Your Architectural Designer is your assistant during construction.
Every client needs to feel they have had their expectations met, both in budget and in design. The architectural designer’s role during the construction process is to help make both elements in the process happen. Your architectural designer will be available to answer questions, help solve problems and review other drawing packages required in the project which will help avoid any costly delays.
As you can see, having an architectural designer on your team can really help to smooth the process of your self-build, renovation or extension.
Drop me a line if you have any questions or would like me to look over your project, I am always happy to help!