Where did you find your Architect?

[LillyLeaf]

We're looking to renovate our house including extensions and reworking the current layout. Where did you find your architect? We need some creative input. Don't really know where to start looking. (We don't know anyone in the area so can't ask for approvals). Thanks

You can look on submitted drawings on the planning permission portal and they will have the architect's details on them - so just identify a house that has had recent work done similar to what you are after and you can look up plans/drawings etc online.

We went with a friends recommendation and he was awful, a real screw, added an extra £900 and didn't design what we'd asked for at all.

I would as the pp said find a local house which has had some work done and go from there.

Searched our local FB site for recommendations

I scoured through previous posts on our local Facebook group to see who had been recommended most frequently. One in particular kept cropping up, so we went with him.

Great I will check out those suggestions, thanks.

We bumped into a neighbour who is doing same work as we plan to do and used her architect.

The RIBA have a search engine for architects, just put in your area and what your looking for and it will give you a list. Not all of the drawings submitted to planning are by architects and you could end up with someone who can draw plans but but necessarily design what you want. Getting an accredited architect is especially important if you're building is older or listed.

www.architecture.com/find-an-architect/

We called the best builder in town and asked him for his recommendation. It's really hard to get good builders right now so we figured they may be more interested to quote on our extension if an architect they know has done the drawings and obtained planning permission.
To find good builders you need to be prepared to knock on doors. Most good builders will have their name/contact details on show outside their current jobs. Ask the householder if they are happy with the work being done.