How to Hire the Right Architect

Building a new home or doing a makeover of the old one is a very exciting thing. However, in order to be happy with the results you need to find a reliable architect that will be able to realize your ideas. The architect is the one that will not only have to make your home look amazing but make it functional and cost effective.

The architect must get to know you and learn about your habits, your hobbies, the things you like and those you dislike and your taste in things. Since these are rather personal information you will have to find someone you can trust. To help you with this we have created a short guide on How to Hire the Right Architect. Let’s take a look.

• Ask around. The best marketing comes from happy customers so this is who you should focus on. Ask your family, friends and colleagues if they have someone to recommend. If there is any home you like on your way to work, stop and pay them a visit. Ask them about the architect that helped them create their home and you might have found yourself the One.
• Check Houzz. On Houzz you can find many design ideas that can enhance your project and offer a better approach. In addition you can also search architects by location, read their feedback form previous clients and see some photos of the work they did in the past. Even though you can search the architects by location, don’t limit your options. Today there are many architects who can work remotely, so if you find someone who is far from you but you really like their work, give it a try.
• Look into their biography. Visit the profile or the webpage of the architect you like and see some of their past work. This will enable you to get an idea of their designs and see if it something you would like to incorporate in your concept.
• Contact someone from related industry. If you know a contractor, interior designer or someone who works in a related trade, you can ask them for recommendation. The good interaction between the architect and the other people working on your project can be crucial for the success, so it would be great if you can find two people that have worked together and get along well.
• Contact the American Institute of Architects. You can also try contacting other professional organizations that can give you names of people you can search.

The main differences between architects and designers!

• For someone to be a licensed architect they need to have a college degree obtained from an accredited university, have completed an internship practice and have worked with a licensed architect for more than thousand hours, and have passed the required exams.
• For someone to be a designer they don’t need to have an architecture license. They can have experience in different areas, or be graduates of architecture who for some reason were not able to obtain the license.

How to hire the professional to decorate your home

• Once you find the candidate you like the most, you should conduct an interview. Agree the time to meet and set the location. It can be either in your home or in their office, wherever you feel comfortable discussing the ideas for your project. The first meeting is usually free of charge.
• During the interview you have to make sure you ask the right questions. Tell your potential candidate what are you expectations and how you want the project to unfold. Cover as much details as possible so they can get an idea of the changes you want to implement and maybe offer you something even better.

Here are some questions you can ask during this first meeting:

• Can I see photos of your previous projects?
• How do you plan on approaching this project?
• What do you think would be your biggest challenge during this project?
• How much do you charge, what would be the final price?
• How much would each phase last and when can I expect to see the final results?
• Can you recommend any contractors you are comfortable working with?
• Are there any issues with the ideas I have, and is there anything we can do to resolve them?

Always remember to agree the budget. This is something you should discuss well in advance as there is a big difference in working with $10,000 and $100,000. The architect should be able to tell you if the project is feasible, and if not, which aspects should be modified. The construction costs can be very different so you have to do your homework and know what to expect before you start work.

A good architect will know how to give you the best value for your money. They will know how to enhance your project and tell you what you can expect. In addition they should protect your interests at all times and do whatever it is in their power to save you time and money.

Usually the best architects cost a bit more, but very often it is worth paying their price! You could consider a company to help sell to architects to help you in your search.