Is an architect worth it? Looking at Architect Your Home, anyone used them?

[accessorizequeen]

We desperately need to get a bigger kitchen, preferably by extending or knocking through to the dining room. We had a structural engineer round last year to look at the walls etc, and he said we needed to knock 2 walls out (so two RSJs). However, we had a kitchen co. in the other week based on rough plans with these walls out and the layout still seems awkward and not giving much extra space. I was hoping there would be room for a little play area for the kids.
I'm wondering whether an architect would have more vision for something like this, but we don't have much of a budget (£15K max). I just think that they know how to use space, and that's what is needed here but have had nothing to do with them. I think there might be a number of options including extending which would be less hassle for us (I"m due with no.3 in Oct) but I can't see how to make it work. Architect Your Home sounds very interesting, I've read good things about them, or would you suggest finding a local architect? I don't know anyone who's used one, this is all completely new to me and quite scary but I can't live with my closet of a kitchen anymore. It is soooo stressful with 4yo sitting on worktop and 1yo crawling around grabbing onto my legs. Or I have to lock them in the living room whilst I try and rustle something together.
Help and advice please?!

IME no, in fact I paid mine off .. I asked him if he wanted to take brief based on a restricted budget of 20K, contingency of 3K over and with no further room for budgetary maneouvre .. no extension though possibly knock down wall and fitted kitchen

first plans sublime and unaffordable
second plans ridiculous and unappealing
third plans unworkable

I paid him off

In the experience of 2 of my sisters who had double storey extensions .. one used, one didn't and appointed a good building company.. both thought not worth it

if you can get a really creative architect they are worth their weight in gold definitely appoint one. look at what they have done for others. however the majority are crap in my experience and the experience of friends. You just need a bit of time.

most architects are pretty good but fairly lousy with small budgets. They are used to designing ideals but not necessarily being restricted by a day to day practical budget at the low end of the scale. I would imagine it very unlikely that you would be able to get an extension and a kitchen for 15k. Knock the walls down and the new kitchen maybe but no more than that - unless you are able to take on all the work yourselves! Do you have any copies of the plans that the kitchen company suggested? I get involved with kitchen design and general refurb work so if you want a second opinion let me know! I couldn't afford to extend at home so knocked a few walls down and turned a teeny kitchen and a reasonable sized dining room into a great open plan utility/kitchen/dining space with 2 sets of doors out onto garden ... (and a new downstairs loo).

The other option ... depending on whether you like them ..... is to knock the walls down, get a new kitchen and put a conservatory on the back of the house. It may be possible for the money but you would need to look into the basics. It would give you an area for the kids to roam around in!

Thanks, all, that's very helpful. I'm such a novice! We can't do any work ourselves, dp works so many hours as it is and doesn't have much in the way of diy skills anyway. I thought knocking through + new kitchen or extension + new kitchen, not both. In order to put a conservatory in, we'd have to knock another wall out. 2nd opinion would be very valuable bodiddly!!

let me know if you want to email me your plans or want a chat ... [email protected]

we're currently getting builders' quotes to knock down kitchen and dining room (2 RSJs) to build single storey extension. Expect it to be a lot more than £15k. I can let you know the quotes that come in (if and when they do) if you like

and we haven't employed an architect..a good builder doesn't need one for this size of job

I don't have any advice I'm afraid as I don't know much about it myself, but am looking into extending at the mo as well.

I found this site to be quite helpful - it's a bit rough and ready but the Discussion Forum section is good (a bit like MN for people struggling with extensions!).

www.house-extension.co.uk

You can also download one woman's 'extension diary' for £3.99 which I did - it has a lot of genuinely useful info. Good luck

thx again bodiddly, I think I'll do that! Need to scan it in which I can't do until Mon (forgot to take into work today). Very very kind of you
spudcounter, I'm sure extension +knocking through def more than £15K (wish we could afford both, but just one or the other in our case!).
PixelHerder, that sounds really useful, I'll take a look!

Message withdrawn

ayh has experience of working with normal houses - that is probably most of their business.

AQueen
We tried this company for a kitchen extension. We had a budget of 100K. Despite seeming to understand exactly what we wanted, and our budget they spent weeks drawing plans, that weren;t what we wanted and were in the 200k region.
In the end we paid them off, (for nothing IMO) to the tune of 10K!

ok..builder's quotes in...£18k; £24k and £34k. The cheapest is for the bare minimum...plumbing and any elaborate electrics to be added later, along with tyling and new kitchen, so it's only for the bulding work (knocking down, placing in of RSJs (of which there are 2); plastering; basic sockets and lights; removal of fireplace taken back to original lintel stone; excavating and concreting floor. Oh, and they all seem to quote without VAT being added so it looks cheaper, so 17.5% needs going on top. Time taken to do it varies between 6 weeks and 3 months ??)