#1 of the Top 10 Sanity Savers when Remodeling

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this review or post, but all opinions are our own.

1. We hired an architect.

Old houses have personality. They have character and they have big quirks that can make or break your project. An architect can help you sift through you wants and desires and assess what is possible, practical and what is gong to take too much of your remodeling budget.

Ever situation is unique. For our project, we wanted to move industrial kitchen equipment safely into our home. We knew that the crumbling basement wall were going to need repair to support project. We knew that we had a stick holding up the kitchen, but our architect helped us see the extent we were going to have to truly pull off of the house to get to the true trouble spots.

An architect can help you head off a costly big project. This might not be what you want to hear. I know it was not what we wanted to hear when Gretchen explained that renovating our attic would not be as cost effective as building a small addition. I dreamed of that attic studio since we moved in. I had brochures from skylight companies in my house file, but our architect brought facts to the table. No hope and dreams, just raw numbers, and the numbers did their own talking. I am happily working out of my new office today and I love the space. It is literally ten feet from my garden and easy to sneak away to for a quick article. In hindsight, Gretchen saved us from serious disaster.

Truth be told you contractor is there to do the work that you ask him to do. He was more than willing to get me moved into the attic, but having the architect tease out every obstacle helped us get a very clear picture of the costs. Our architect helped us develop a floor plan that suited our lives and needs. She saw ways to compliment the features of the house and maximize it’s beauty. I am glad that we involved her at the planning stage and consider her fee money well spent on our project.

Get picky if you can. Choose an architect that is a good fit with your project. We searched online locally and by word of mouth among our general and sub contractors to find architects in our area. We chose our architect because she had just returned from India, where she spent a year retrofitting old buildings into orphan living quarters. We felt like she was familiar with older buildings and had see first hand the challenges that they bring, and with her experience we knew she would understand why maximizing storage and useable space was a premium for us.

The Big Picture

1. An architect can and will save you money.

2. Don’t fall in love with your idea, be open to input and ask
to see the cost comparison in dollars.

3. Find and architect with experience in projects similar to
yours because that is what you are paying for.