How an Architect Can Ensure Your Building Project Runs Smoothly
Whether you’re building an extension or a whole new house, it pays to employ the correct professionals for the job. One of the first people you should talk to if you are about to build or change a building by design is an architect. Architects don’t just come up with a design they can manage some or all oft he project on your behalf. They can guide you through planning rules and building regulations, help get quotes fromcontractors and ensure your vision is turned into reality.
Choosing an Architect
So how do you choose an architect? The first thing to do is make sure that they’re registered with the Architects’Registration Board (ARB). It’s also important to select a firm that has knowledge of the local area and will be able to adviseon any special requirements.
Next look at the type of building project and find a firm that specialises in this type of work. An architect can help withpractical considerations such as ensuring there’s enough storage and light and can advise on the best materials to use. Ask to see previous projects and visit other work that they’ve done. Remember you’re looking for their ability to get the job doneon time and within budget as well as their creativity.
Budget
Once you’ve selected an architect you need to sit down together to set out the parameters of the job. It’s important to set a budget and have at least some idea of what you want to do. The job of the architect is to offer you the best way to achieve your objective so you need to be clear about what the build is for, how you’re going to use the space and so on. With the overall design ideas sorted you need to set a completion date and decide on any stage payments. Your architect can then draw up a project plan to ensure that everything stays on track, you may want to consider delegating the day-to-day decision making on the project. This will be a formal agreement that you can refer to in the event that any dispute arises. Most problems are the result of poor communication so it’s important to get it right at this stage in order to avoid issues later.
Once the build starts you need to have regular meetings to make sure that it’s all running smoothly. How often these areneeded will depend on the size and complexity of the project. You might need to meet four or five times for an extension, for example, but a complete new build may require ten or twelve meetings.
Employing an architect isn’t cheap but because it will lead to more efficient management of the work it should prove to be acost effective decision in the long run.
If you’re looking for a firm of architects in Lincoln, it pays to pick one with plenty of local knowledge and experience.
