A house may be a simple physical structure, but a home is the name you give to the space you live in, to which you have strong emotional ties and deep feelings. A common, almost unspoken knowledge evident when renovating or designing a home is that there are always 2 architects- the first is the professional who draws out blueprints of potential buildings, while the second, is you, the homeowner who’s eager to make his dreams of a home come true.

Whether you are thinking of carrying out renovation works or designing an entirely new home, the following guidelines should be followed:

1) Consider what you really need out of your home, and what is the best way to achieve them.  It is important not to get too carried away by plans and stick to the very basic requirements as initial guidelines.

2) Include your family in discussing what kind of house they would like to live in and find out what aspects of you current home can be improved upon. Remember, there is often no need to demolish an entire building- the right builder will be able to work with what’s already available and modify homes effectively to meet your demands.    

3) Set a budget of how much you’re willing to spend. Ask yourself, where is the money going? How is it being spent? How involved are you in the decision making process? Did you receive bills which you did not accept, or was everything clearly spelled out in advance? Ask how profits will be handled, in addition to overhead and general charges. As a client, you deserve to have transparent answers. Bear in mind the old adage, “Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish!”

4) Select the best architect (for design works) and builder (for actual construction) for the job. The people you hire should be true professionals of the trade, backed up with proper training and expertise. More importantly, they should share your goals and keep your needs in mind. A good architect or builder will recommend another if he is unable to carry out the client’s project.

5) Make sure the communication paths between you and the architect or builder is clear. Note how responsive they were during discussions and ask yourself if you ended up with a plan your very own ‘house’ or something out of their past (i.e. a recycled plan of a previous client’s home). 

6) Pay attention to the finer details that might otherwise go unnoticed. For example, what spaces and sizes are to be provided for inside the house as well as for all exterior areas? Also, will there be any need for separate entertainment areas where the sounds from one area can be isolated from the others? Keep yourself involved and take an active role in the decision making process.

7) Check out the firm’s job reference and work samples- a review of their previous work and talking to their past clients will reveal whether or not they are truly suited for the job at hand and may save you a lot of trouble (not to mention money and summons) later on! 

8) Rate the firm’s performance in terms of creativity, technical details, follow-through and their ability to provide leadership throughout the entire process. Request also for a beginning-to-end schedule to keep track of things.  

 

At Architect Centre, our accredited architects will assist you in making your house a home. Whether you are considering renovating or designing an entirely new house, we make it our goal to meet clients’ needs by providing simple and straightforward advice on what to do, in addition to recommending the most qualified team of professionals to fulfill the task. We pride ourselves with overseeing all elements of design in order to create a great symphony, in which each element adds to the richness and excitement of the whole, which is your new home.