Gary D Brackins & Associates

Residential Designers for Custom Homes, Additions & Renovations Throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape
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Before You Hire an Architect or Residential Designer . . .  questions, questions and more questions
 
Before your search for a designer there are some questions you need to resolve*:
 
 1. Describe your current home. What do you like about it? What's missing? What don't you like?
 
 2. Do you want to change the space you have?
 
 3. Do you want to build a new home?
 
 4. Why do you want to build a new home or add to or renovate your current home? Do you need more room? Are the children grown and moving out? Is your lifestyle changing?
 
 5. What is your lifestyle? Are you at home a great deal? Do you work at home? Do you entertain often? How much time do you spend in the living areas, bedrooms, kitchen, den or office, utility space, etc.?
 
 6. How much time and energy are you willing to invest to maintain your home?
 
 7. If you are thinking of adding on, what function/activities will be housed in the new space?
 
 8. What kind of spaces do you need (bedrooms, expanded kitchen, bathrooms, etc.?)
 
 9. How many of those spaces do you think you need?
 
10. What do you think the addition/renovation/new home should look like?
 
11. If planning a new home, what do you envision in this home that you don't have now?
 
12. How much can you realistically afford to spend?
 
13. How soon would you like to be settled into your new home or addition? Are there rigid time constraints?
 
14. If you are contemplating building a new home, do you have a site selected?
 
15. Do you have strong ideas about design styles? What are you design preferences?
 
16. Which family members will be the primary contact with the architect/designer, builder and others involved in designing and building your project? (It is important to have one point of contact to prevent confusion and mixed messages.)
 
17. What qualities are you looking for in an architect or designer?
 
18. How much time do you have to be involved in the design and construction process?
 
19. Do you plan to do any of the construction work yourself?
 
20. How much disruption in your life can you tolerate to add on to or renovate your home?
 
 
* taken from page 24 of the "Homeowner's Project Handbook 2008" published by the Boston Society of Architects
 
Recommendations from people who've done it before
 
You can avoid common pitfalls during design and construction project by keeping the following in mind throughout*
 
 1. Remember you get what you pay for - be sure to hire a qualified architect or designer, not the least expensive one.
 
 2. Execute a contract or letter of agreement with your architect or designer and with the builder detailing fees, schedules, budgets and tasks, and monitor the process outlined in the agreements every step of the way. Contracts are essential.
 
 3. Take time to plan your project - allow your architect/designer and builder the time needed to design and build properly.
 
 4. Do not allow your architect/designer or builder to rush you to decisions (about detailing, materials, etc.)
 
 5. Make all design decisions before construction begins - it gets very expensive to change your mind later. (It is far easier to erase a line than to remove a wall.)
 
 6. Resist revisiting decisions once you make them. Every decision affects work done after it; changes can be costly.
 
 7. Carefully conduct necessary site surveys, title searches, and similar research.
 
 8. It is not reasonable to expect that a building project will heal a marriage, friendship or company; it won't.
 
 9. It is unwise to try to fit your needs into a beloved design. Instead, allow a design to grow from a thorough understanding of your needs.
 
10. Ask many questions until you get the answer you need in language you can understand.
 
11. Monitor construction and ask questions about anything you don't understand.
 
12. Do not substitute "bargain" materials for good materials.
 
13. Allow budget contingencies for both design and construction.
 
14. Observe construction so you will be more likely to catch errors early.   
 
* taken from page 18 of the "Homeowner's Project Handbook 2008" published by the Boston Society of Architects                        
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