Hiring an Architect and when to appoint them

 

When is the best time to hire an Architect?

If you are considering an extension, alterations, conversions, or a new build house then you should be considering hiring an Architect/ Architectural Technician.

Architect plan of a Lean-to extension

There are various reasons for when to hire an Architect, such as what type of project it is i.e. if it’s a garage conversion then these types of projects are not really weather dependent, however you don’t want to build an extension to your property in the winter as frost/cold weather can affect concrete for foundations, laying brickwork and even Health & Safety.

With everything to consider such as the Architects time to measure, draw up plans, submit the paperwork and gain approvals can take 10-20 weeks, meanwhile trying to obtain tenders and appoint a contractor for doing the works can take considerable time as well.

This is why we would recommend if you were looking to do an extension to your property in the summer, then you should be starting the process with an Architect in the winter time, as even though your plans can be approved within 8-20 weeks, most good builders wont be able to start as soon as they are approved either.

How much will my project cost?

Most builders won’t be willing to provide accurate costs until the plans are drawn up and a technical specification is provided, especially if there is steelwork etc involved.

A rough guide is calculating m2 price for your project without plans, which the Local Authority calculate the estimated costs as per the table below.

Councils m2 estimated values

Most Architects may have good relationships with local contractors and can normally provide you with contact details for them. This is normally a good approach as the contractors would be more confident that the Architects work will be accurate and experience of reading the Architects drawings (most Architects have their own style).

How to choose the Architect?

A good indication that an Architect is worth appointing is…. how busy is the Architect (if they are busy then they must be doing something right). You can check on the Local Authority planning websites to check what projects they have recently been submitting and obtaining approvals. Also checking their website and social media pages for client reviews.

We would always suggest speaking to 2-3 Architects/Architectural Technicians regarding your project, however recommendations from friends and family are normally a good start. You need to choose an architect, not only based on price but also one that you feel understands your requirements, as you are going to be communicating on a regular basis with them….and they could be designing your biggest asset (your home).

Feel free to check out our other blogs.

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WHAT A SELF-EMPLOYED ARCHITECT/ARCHITECTURAL TECHNICIAN DOES ON A DAILY BASIS?

WHAT DOES AN ARCHITECT/ARCHITECTURAL TECHNICIAN DOES ON A DAILY BASIS?

In this latest blog, we are going to explain what is involved in a typical day of working as a self-employed Architect/Architectural Technician (Okay, maybe not every Architect, however from my experience this is the case).

A typical day starts at 5am…make a coffee and get to work for an hour or two before the kids wake.

Sometimes…. I will do some sketching; however, this is when I can get caught up with emails and even do some invoicing until 7:30am.

Time to go to the office for 9am, where we will have a coffee while going over the projects with the staff and set priorities for that day.

9:30-10am, its either time to visit a client’s property for a measured survey or a consultation.

Back to the office to file the survey and in to the to do list before lunch time, which is normally on-the-go so anything messy is not a great idea.

After lunch…. a few quotations from the enquiries/consultations from today/yesterday.

1pm, it's time to do some further information requests from the local building standards departments, which can range from additional sections, details, more information to specification or just chasing up information from 3^rd parties such as structural engineers.

Between 4-5pm we will upload the additional information to the portal (where all plans get sent to Local Authority) of the various jobs and answer some emails/any missed telephone calls.

7pm and its time to start again until about 10pm, which on occasion I will find myself doing work on the floor of a basketball court while one of my children are training, in a hotel room or at home.

In between all this there will be phone calls, messages, emails, site visits, changes to sketches, banking, payroll, and general office duties.

If you are thinking about being an Architect/Architectural Technician, then remember it’s not all just drawing, however there is nothing better than seeing something built that you have drawn on paper and worked so hard to obtain the permissions.

How to get your planning permission and/or building warrant for free?

 

HOW TO GET YOUR PLANNING PERMISSION/BUILDING WARRANT FOR FREE?

In this latest blog, we are going to explain how you can get your planning permission and/or building warrant application for FREE….

If you are planning an extension/alterations to your property, which is for the benefit of a disabled person within the home, then the council will allow the fee to be waivered.

HOW TO TELL THE COUNCIL?

When your architect submits your plans to the local authority, they will also submit a letter from your doctor/occupational therapist regarding the disability person and how the alterations will help.

The council will then confirm acceptance of this and will save you £100’s

OTHER WAYS TO ALTER YOUR HOUSE WITHOUT COSTING YOU?

There is also grants available from local authorities and can apply on the below link.

Disabled Facilities Grants: How to apply - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The main criteria for the grants are, you or someone else living in the house must be disabled, intend to live in the property during the grant period (usually 5 years but this can be shorter, for example, if the person is terminally ill).

The person who submits the application must be either the owner, tenant, landlord.

The council needs to be happy that the work is necessary and appropriate to meet the disabled person’s needs, reasonable and can be done, depending on the age and condition of the property.

The work should be completed within 12 months of the grant being approved.