5 advantages of working with a residential architect

Planning to embark on a renovation or refurbishment project in West London? You may think you’re a dab hand at drawing and can take accurate measurements, you may even be tempted to take the design of your home on yourself, or hire a contractor to prepare the drawings without considering the expertise of a professional architect. After all, you know what’s best for your home, right?

Understandably, you want to know the completed works will be exactly as you had imagined them to be; completed within your timescales, and that your renovation project hasn’t cost any more than it should have. All of this is possible, but you may just have underestimated how complex projects can be, and it a lot easier to achieve and more likely that you will achieve it with a professional residential architect on your side.

Here are just 5 of the advantages and reasons why working with an architect is sensible for any substantial residential property renovation:

1. Residential architects can save you money
“Buy cheap, pay twice”… or “save now, pay later”… these phrases have serious implications when considering the big numbers and the amount of time involved when you refurbishing your home in London. Renovating a property, particularly in West London can become extremely costly if it is not managed correctly. By giving your residential architect an idea of your budget and timelines, they can work to it and guide you to make decisions that will keep your renovation within your budget, on track and all costs under control. Expenditure can often be reduced using your architect’s contacts, a bit like the way an interior designer works. They will also have worked on many projects before and have the expertise for luxury residential period property renovation in London and built up relationships with trustworthy suppliers who know what they are doing.

A professional residential architect in London will usually also save you money after the build is completed by designing your home in West London with energy efficiency in mind – a great design should go some way in reducing the cost of your heating and electricity bills as well as making your reconfigured home more enjoyable and more comfortable to live in. What’s more, a well-designed renovation or build will usually add considerable value to your home when you decide to move on. Using a recognised architect that has appeared in home magazines such as Elle Decoration, GQ, Vogue and Tatler will only add to your property’s sale value.

2. Residential architects offer  planning permission expertise
Often with residential property renovations and building refurbishment works on private properties, applications for planning permissions or building regulations can become an issue and sometimes overbearing if you are ill prepared. There is usually considerable amounts of complicated paperwork involved and getting it wrong will only delay your refurbishment project. A good quality local architect, used to dealing with local planning authorities will help you navigate all of this, saving the headaches of organising it yourself as well as ensuring you are submitting the correct application with all the planning elements considered and presented correctly.

There is usually also a lot of paperwork and various insurances involved when hiring contractors such as local builders that your architect handles for you as well. When you appoint a residential architect, you should never expect to agree to or sign anything that hasn’t been explained to you clearly, without understanding the reasons for why you are signing. A residential architect will also be able to look at the finer details of your renovations, considering practicalities of layout and recommend any solutions to issues that might arise, particularly for sufficient storage.

3. Residential architects know great design
If you want to adopt a particular style for an extension, or a reconfigured space, or a specific layout for a room, a skilled residential architect will let you know quickly if it’s practical and within your budget, saving you any research time. They can also influence your layouts with their own creativity to suit your brief, offering options you may not have even considered.

A local architect will have a clear understanding of all your options when it comes to design and the practicalities of these options from a structural, planning permission and economic perspective. They can often look at the finer details of your home design to make sure it is sustainable for what you want to use it for and how you want to live in your new home, and how it will be adaptable in the future for when your family grows or needs change. Any questions that you might have about your project can easily be answered by someone very much “in the know”.

4. Quality residential architects help project manage your building works
The beginning of the building work is always an exciting but often stressful time. Managing all your contractors and subcontractors yourself, making sure they are working to the right deadlines is a lot of work to take on. Your residential architect will deal with this all for you. On top of this, you also have the procurement consideration, or the purchasing and supply of materials and making sure they arrive on site, on time, in sufficient quantities and coordinating this with the correct trades and craftsmen to get your refurbishment done on time and budget.

An architect used to dealing with the local planning authorities will know how long each process of the build takes, reducing the likelihood of delays and extra charges. If any delays or issues are to happen, the architect can liaise with your builders to discuss ways of addressing or avoiding them, sometimes without you even knowing about them.

5. Residential architects ensure your expectations are met
Anyone that calls themselves an architect has embarked on several years of training. This goes way beyond being able to draw clear building layouts. Strong project managers and excellent communicators, they add considerable value and expertise to renovations, especially if your property is a listed building or in a conservation area. Ultimately, the architect’s job is to make sure your project meets your expectations and that of your brief. After all they are managing the project for you, so it is in their best interest that everything runs smoothly and that you (as their client) are completely satisfied.

All design+build projects carried out by TylerMandic have highly experienced residential architects used to dealing with the planning authorities in the 2 London boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster. If you have a renovation project you would like to submit, or would like some advice, just call us on 020 7352 5250. Take a look at some of our previous stunning 140+ renovation project, just click here.