Architectural Designs

Any advice for or against using an Architect to design & build a home?

My wife and I are out growing our current home. We find the idea of having a house designed & built to our specifications very alluring as compared to buying a cookie cutter house. We are curious to others experinces with the process, any advice, or pitfalls to try and advoid.

Public Comments

1. Before you do check eplans.com. You could save thousands.
2. As the previous poster noted.. there are on line drawings for sale. If you can afford it an architect can be a great help in getting you a house which fits your specific needs, makes best use of the property, conforms to local by-laws, etc. There is an additional benefit which is often overlooked. The architect will monitor the construction and ensure you get what you contracted. It may even save you money. I have done both, bought on line and had a building designed by an architect. The best and most satisfying experience was the architect's design.
3. There are plans online that you can look at and decide what direction you want to go. When you decide what you want, in general, then I would advise going to a recommended architect and having him/her draw what you want. Also, if you already have a custom builder in mind, the builder probably has an architect he uses which is what I did. I had a builder I wanted to use, he only builds 3-4 custom homes a year and I used the architect he has used before. Our builder even went with us to the architect to assist in answering questions we might not be comfortable answering and we were able to come away with a perfectly drawn home that has actually been featured in magazines and newspaper articles. I would never build without having an architect. Good luck!!!! and take your time.
4. I am a real estate broker in the New York Metro area. The best person to contact is an architect. I personally contacted one several years ago when we thought of expanding. The step after talking would have been $5000 to draw up plans, but it varies by state. The architect knows about zoning rules and regs and how much house can be built. Check local listings and awards for referrals. Good luck!
5. Architects are great at giving you a unique design, which is specifically tailored to your needs. That's the upside. The downside is, it will cost you quite a bit more compared to buying a traditional tract home offered by a builder. A builder can design something once, build it several times, and spread the cost of the design over those homes. The builder also has the opportunity to improve his results by eliminating problems that he may have encountered the first couple of times the plans were used. There is a compromise approach here, which is to find a builder that has a plan which you like, and make modifications to fit your needs. This is a lot cheaper than starting from scratch. However, if you really want a custom designed home, interview several architects, visit their projects, and talk to the owners. This will help you avoid hiring the wrong firm and having to start over.