Do you have a mortgage on the place and if so, does the lender know you intend to tear down the house?

Hi and welcome leaveswave,

Congratulations on purchasing your property. Perhaps you can ask the builders for some suggestions as to architects/designers, and then interview those folks?

In general, I think folks who post on here with sufficient relevant information get a lot of feedback. When I started posting I'd often ask not quite the right question because I either didn't know the correct terms or didn't understand my problem well enough. Folks here are fairly patient though. Good luck!

Hi leaveswave- exciting time for you. With the understanding that you are free and clear to tear down and build, it would be a good idea to attend several of the large home shows throughout the country and also to walk through display homes that may be in your proximity. For example, we have the Southern Living model home a few minutes away from where we live now, along with a wide range of builder's models. Our experience has been that the more exact idea you have about what you want, both externally and internally- the less you will be paying an architect since hourly charges can be what causes prices to go up.
If we were just starting again, we would tour every model that came close to our own idea of what we wanted, sketch it (many times), draft it ourselves or have someone els do it, adding all the details that were possible. Ceiling sizes, traffic patterns, window size and type, doorswing, orientation and elevations BEFORE seeking an architect. Then, begin the search by looking into professional publications and local trade magazines to see examples of different styles. Often, an architect will be featured in an article about renovation. Take your time with this part of the process.

This post was edited by musicgal on Sun, May 25, 14 at 20:15

I would say this -- know your limits. It's great to look at houses to get an understanding of what you like/don't like. There are lots of very talented and experienced folks on here designing their own plans, and many who, as musicgal suggests, can make a lot of headway without a professional. On the other hand, I spent a good 6+ months looking and sketching, then at the first site meeting with the architect all of that went out the window. I had realized from the start that we would need professional help but after an hour with the architect I really had a much better understanding of how little I knew (in a good way) and was convinced of the value of letting the architects do their thing. I look back on some of the stock plans I had found attractive at first, and wonder, "what was I thinking????"

We have spent many months planning our new home. Like you, we were wondering if hiring an architect was necessary. We bought home architecture software and designed what we had in mind first and then visited one of the best architects in our area for a consultation. His fee was quite high and he indicated that his services were not really necessary given that we basically had already designed the house (we really appreciated this honesty). He hinted that it was probably wiser in our case to hire a CADD designer to draft the plans we had come up with.
Long story short, we did hire a CADD designer and were very happy with the results. However, based upon feedback from our landscape architect and the final numbers, we went back to the drawing board with the software and started from scratch. We ended up hiring a new CADD designer and finished plans the new plans that were perfect! In the end, the fees for both designers combined were still less than half of the total if we had hired the architect. We are extremely happy with the outcome and would do it the same way all over again. I have included a link that shows examples of what we came up with using the software. On a side note, playing with the software and seeing your creations in 3-d was so fun!
The link below takes you to our first plan. To see the final product, you must click on the final floor plans and elevations in one of the bottom pictures.

Here is a link that might be useful: home plan with architectural software

We started with scale cut outs of our furniture made from graph paper. We set them out on large drafting paper on our dining room table. We would play around with what furniture we wanted where and how we wanted the spaces to flow. We then started creating pencil lines around the furniture with discussions like this needs to have windows, this needs a door. I guess you could say we worked from the inside out rather than creating rooms first and deciding if the rooms were the right size.

We also each made a list of 10 things we really wanted, shared our lists and then determined if our sketchy layout met the needs of the list. Having a little old fashioned paper & pencil drafting experience, I then drafted our plan.

Next we found a designer/draftsman that cost a fraction of what an architect would be. In the entire process, that person has given us the very best value for the money of anyone. We never considered using an architect because we've lived in enough houses we were sure of ourselves, our needs, our likes & dislikes, etc.

We are nearing the end of the build (I've been thinking that for a couple of months......). We love the space we've designed now that it is truly three dimensional.

There have been so many frustrations. Someday (I hope soon) when we are living n our home with all the treasured things that have special memories of our life together, I think the frustrations will be something we laugh about. I sure hope so -

Good luck. Do a lot of talking. There will be more decisions than you can possibly imagine.

I agree with Flint2013 about the figuring out what size furniture you want first and how you want the rooms to function. For example, we knew we would like to have a dining area that could comfortably accommodate a 12 foot table every day, not just holidays. That was a major design consideration. The software I mentioned above allows you to drop standard size furniture into place. You can also click on the furniture and make custom sizes. This was invaluable in helping us decipher optimal layout and achieving all of our desired objectives. Also, if you are into this kind of thing, you can custom decorate with numerous colors, finishes, and materials to allow experimenting with all kinds of possibilities. If you like to know ahead of time if something is going to work, it is the perfect way to test it.

After burning through lots of graph paper, I switched to Google Sketch-Up, and after burning through lots of electrons, I built scale models of our favorite designs. Even though the software is '3D', it's still on a flat screen. I made models to 1/24 scale, and actually bought some cheap dollhouse furniture (ebay) to play with. Picture a 50-something, rugged, bearded man playing with dollhouse furniture! I made the models out of 1/4" foamboard, easily cut with a razor knife, and quickly put together with a hot glue gun.

An architect simply wasn't in our budget (I'm building the house myself, pretty much single-handed). Even with an architect, you need to know what YOU want, as it will be your house, not theirs. In our area, formal plans are not required. You must submit 'as-built' drawings at the end, but they can be pencil sketches with dimensions. Most areas will require full drawings, and of course a builder would need them.

If nothing else, learn how to read and interpret the drawings so you can check them before the sawdust flies. It's a lot easier to fix design errors on paper.

We went with an architect (we actually went through 6 others before we ended up with the guy we started with) and our house simply would not be what it was without him. We spent many years in design...I figure a part of his fee was my "tuition" for learning about designing a house. The hardest concept for me was that the inside and the outside need to be designed at the same time. I was busy concentrating on floor plans and functions and he kept kicking me to think of both at the same time...so we ended up with roof lines that worked and didn't get what I call "stupid windows". Getting the right person was critical as we had to be able to collaborate really well. He knew a lot more about building and designing, but I knew a lot more about how we would live in the house and what functions we needed where. He also brought important elements in terms of design...I gave him free rein on things I had no strong sense of....crown moldings, exterior trim. He was far more practiced at seeing things in 3d in his head...I had to learn that, especially when it came to details. And the house benefited so much from both he and I bouncing ideas off of each other or looking to each other for the "yeah but did you think about this..." (Not to mention the fact that he knew how to make the house stand up!)

We also bought some house design software and spent many many hours redesigning floor plans including furniture placement...it was a lot easier and cheaper for us to do it than him until we came up with a plan we thought worked for us...then we brought it to him for critiquing and tweaking...and often ripping up and back to the drawing board for us.

We also made a list of all our wants and desires. It took some doing, but we ended up with 95% of them worked into the house. (They included things like pantry near the kitchen, kitchen near the garage, PR in the foyer yet convenient to FR, one-floor living, craft room in the SW corner, garage/workshop in lower level, built-in ironing board, wood stove in the FR...)

I also agree about visiting model homes...even more than show houses. There's nothing like seeing spaces in 3d, walking through them and training your eye for a sense of dimension and scale. Looking for stupid things like the DW door runs into the cabinet, or the PR is too small, or yeah the cathedral ceiling is a wow factor but who wants to live in a "hotel lobby". In fact, it was a model home that had "our" kitchen layout which drove the final house design. See attached thread.

It's a wonderfully exciting process. Enjoy it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Inspiration to reality