Many home owners are staying in their homes longer and choosing to remodel instead of buying a new home. Maybe you are considering remodeling a bathroom or kitchen yourself. Many consumers are trying to remodel homes themselves and running into problems when the home sells. Many home buyers are worried about buying homes when the remodeling work was not properly permitted, or not done by a professional contractor. When should you hire an architect to design your remodel? Hiring an architect may seem costly and time consuming, but it may save money in the long run.
Most architects have a rate of $80 – $150/hr, but that is cheaper than hiring an architect on a commission basis, which could be thousands of dollars. For a small remodel of a kitchen or bath, a couple hours may be enough to complete the job. A good architect will spend most of their time on your project in “preliminary design” developing the ideas for the final look. It is only after the preliminary design is decided that the architect will draw up the blueprints. Architects will also be very knowledgeable on local building and zoning laws and help to navigate the necessary approvals.
Architects may charge a lot of money for blueprint drawings or construction drawings, but a professional draftsman may be able to prepare them for less money. There are also several easy-to-use drafting programs available for consumers to produce their own basic drawings.
Home owners are looking to save money and stay in their current homes. When is it the right time to remodel instead of purchasing a larger home. The best answer may be found with a local realtor who can evaluate whether the home would recover the investment of a remodel or addition.
