How can an architect help in home remodeling? This question explores the different options an architect can offer a consumer. It's that sort of "Been there, done that." We give lots of options and listen....
It's that sort of "Been there, done that." We give lots of options and listen. That's the straight answer. We listen well. We look at what they have and what they think they need. Then we listen to what they say and then sit down and give them options: drawings, plans and things. "You could do this. You think you want to expand over here? That's great. This is what you get. Well, you want to remodel this, but if you did this, and took a wall out, you'd get a bigger room than this." We show them options. We almost never go back with one plan. We always come back with "What if you tried this?" We think a little outside the box. But mainly, having an architect is valuable because we have experience doing it. We have college training about design and how things work. But other than that, the biggest difference is we've done a lot of it. We've done more remodels than most people will do in their life. We've watched the agony of it. We've watched the beauty of it. And they save money because they don't do it twice.
As far as having an architect instead of doing-it-yourself, the most important thing to consider when doing remodeling is the need to value ration. How much do you need? How much can you pay for or do you want to pay for?- and make that decision early.
