One of the exciting journeys anyone experiences is either to add a room to an existing home or building a new home. The best way to make a dream-fulfilled home is to hire the best residential architects Sydney.
However, what are the qualities to look for in residential architects to match your budget and vision?
Building a home is the biggest investment you may make in your life. This makes it doubly important to choose well and right when it comes to design, function, and cost-effectiveness.
Here are some helpful guidelines to choose a residential architect right for your needs and budget:
Online research
Residential architects, like almost every professional nowadays, have official websites whether they are a firm or a single practitioner. While it is best to concentrate on local architectural firms, searching by the state is the better option.
Be on the lookout for the A+ Badge
The Australian Institute of Architects provides an A+ logo to architectural firms or individual practices that have upheld the highest standards of the industry. Architectural firms will proudly display this A+ logo on their websites. A residential architect with an A+ logo means one that is updated with the newest advice, information, construction, and design solutions suited for home projects.
An architect that is not connected with the build process
The whole process of the home building becomes seamless and stress-free with the guidance and advice from a residential architect. However, it would be best if the hired architect will play no part in the other processes of the home build. Their independence from contractors makes them the greatest advocate in your dealings with home workers.
Direct relationship
Having a direct relationship with your chosen architect is crucial. The open communication lines enable you to reach a better home design understanding with the architect. A good architect is one that will stay with you from the pre-design process to the final home construction.
Availability is the keyword when it comes to establishing a direct relationship with a potential architect. This means checking out the current completion and workload timeline of prospective architects.
Referrals
Asking for referrals from your family, friends, neighbours, and co-workers is good. However, asking referrals from structural engineers and builders is better. The response you get from people involved in the construction business provides you the best way to get the right residential architect for your home project.
Avoid cookie-cutter design approach
A good architect will always see a good opportunity to practice his/her skills in every project that comes their way. Your search should avoid architectural firms that have a cookie-cutter design approach. Your home design should be a unique creation catered to your lifestyle. The environment and setting of every home are not equal. This means that one design for another area will not work on your particular location.
Pricing
The architect choice is often based on pricing. There are rare cases of architects charging by the hour. The name of the game is square footage. However, you can always ask or get quotes from the official websites of architectural firms.
Making your final decision can only be done after you’ve narrowed down your search and interviewed some prospective architects. Doing your homework well when you choose the best residential architects in Sydney is the best way to realise your dream home.