Do I need an architect?

[scratchviolet]

The house we're thinking of buying is a pretty major project - victorian terrace untouched for decades. We don't need to extend but we would like to knock the current kitchen / breakfast room / sun room into one and remodel the second floor to get a better configuration of rooms as part of the overall refurbishment. At the moment it's 3 pretty equal sized rooms but one leads off the second rather than from the hallway.

I'm thinking we need an architect to help make the best use of space but my husband thinks a competent building firm would be able to do this without the need for an architect. Anyone else used an architect for this sort of work? What should we expect to pay for architectural advice / plans?

You don't need to use an architect but it is always easier to have plans to work from. Any work would have to be signed off by building control and if you are knocking down major walls then you would probably have to get a structural engineer in. Architect fees vary wildly it seems. We paid our architect 500 for both sets of drawings but this was work he did for us on the side of his 'day job' so was more than 1500 cheaper than the firm that we had out.

We have just engaged an architectural technologist to help us with remodelling our victorian house, and it has been WELL worth the additional cost.

We have a classic shaped (eg L-shaped at back) 3/4 bed detached victorian house. We have a downstairs single story side-extension that we use as a large playroom and shower room (but was sold as the '4th bedroom'). We originally decided we wanted to build into the 'side return' (in our case, an enormous, under-used patio) to create a big kitchen / diner at back of house as we have 3 kids and only 3 beds upstairs, so original plan was one child (when they hit secondary school age) will use the current downstairs playroom as an ensuite bedroom, so we'd lose the playroom and wanted to create extra living space.

LOts of friends said a good builder could come up with plans etc and don't bother paying an architect, but we ended up calling on my friends husband, who is an architectural technologist - so cheaper than a full blown architect, but still has brilliant ideas. He can do all plans / planning apps etc.

Within our first meeting, he asked why we hadn't considered a 2 storey extension to create a 4th upstairs bedroom, plus the new downstairs space. We honestly hadn't thought that possible at all and unless he'd raised it, we would never have considered it. He also came up with some brilliant internal remodelling ideas to make sure the new space worked for us as a family.

Google architectural technologist - I guess its kind of like a half way house between using just a builder or using a full blown architect. Well worth the money IMO.

Thanks sugarhoops. I've never heard of an architectural technologist! Did they project manage the build as well or just supply the plans?

Not done any building yet! Just in the planning phase - but he has been able to recommend builders etc to us (which is good, as I watch far too many 'Cowboy Builder' episodes!).

He has a day job in an architectural practice, so does this in the evenings, so I doubt he'd fully project manage for us, but i'm sure there are some out there that can / will do!

I'd say 100% get an architect!!! Ours helped us to make excellent use of our space (in ways I didn't realise we could), and served as a fantastic mediator between us and the builder, so that during the build we also got everything we wanted. She had amazing connections with suppliers and so was able to get us lots of stuff at trade price, and so we saved money that way. Ours was an extension rather than just a re-arrangement of rooms, but the architect is uniquely working for you. A builder is also working to protect their profit margin.