Building a new home is a process. It can be tiring, complicated, and even expensive. But you can make the process shorter and less stressful by choosing the right architect to draw up plans. Plans that will be approved the first time around and will also expedite the building process by reducing unnecessary delays.
This four-step process should help you find the right architect for the job of drawing house plans:
Step #1: Conduct a thorough search
The process of finding the right architect begins by conducting a thorough search. You want to have an index or catalogue of architects that you can review before choosing a few who you will follow up with. While you can go to the South African Council for the Architectural Profession, it’s possibly a better option to use a marketplace to be able to filter your choices based on your specific needs and feedback from other users. On Procompare, we help you find a reliable local architect.
Step #2: Get a portfolio and quote
Once you have narrowed your list of potential architects, move onto getting a portfolio to ascertain how well they’ve executed previous projects. Something else you may also want to consider when vetting your architects is to be precise about the questions you ask. Ask to see home plans in a similar budget as yours, that way you are comparing apples with apples.
Step #3: Contact testimonials
The only way to accurately find out how well an architect will handle the task of developing your house plan is to learn from previous clients how well they performed. Try to contact a few previous clients, and where possible, ask to tour their homes.
Step #4: Do not be afraid to change architects
Once you have chosen an architect to work alongside to develop your house plan, don’t feel as though you need to complete the process with them. This is especially true if you realise that there's a lack of communication, or they are not delivering to your standards or understand your vision. This doesn’t mean they’re bad architects, it simply means they’re not suited to your needs.
While this isn’t the typical route for finding an architect to develop a house plan, following these steps is going to ensure you’re satisfied with the process and the result.
