Ask your friend that question.

I don't want to offend him... I know he can do it..... But do architects have their specialties that maybe they are better at?..... And should I find someone that specializes in these older home additions?

Architect's come in all flavors. It would help to know something about the house and what you want to do with it. Other than that you want some who will work collaboratively with you which is difficult during covid but not impossible.

I suggest a sole practitioner who has done many renovations.

Architects have their styles, so if you have a different vision of what you want than the stuff your friend mainly does it might not be a good fit, even if he says he can do a different style. You also want to use someone who communicates well and will stay within your budget. Some architects are notorious for designing beautiful homes that end up being unbuildable when the bids come in at 2-3 times the budget. This is a job interview, so check references. In my experience, many architects will give you contact info with a couple of their past clients and you should follow up with those and ask for details about the whole experience: the conferences, the communication, the costs vs. the budget, the adaptability and willingness to work toward your vision, and what the billing is based on (hourly is the only one acceptable to me...not billing on the basis of percentage of building costs). Lastly, you want to figure out if you want the most expensive approach, which is having the architect involved from start to finish, or if you can get by with less hands-on services as the builder proceeds.

Architects are like most other professionals. They have personalities, and they have preferences. Some are very versatile while others prefer to work in a limited vocabulary.

You need to talk to your architect friend and ask her/him all these questions. I doubt it will affect the friendship.

Thank for the comments! I decided to talk to him more frankly, and I do feel comfortable maybe going in his direction. He just added on to his house, a mother in law site basically, and I ready like the style and how it was done.... And for some reason I didn't even think about it, but he was the architect!. He understands my needs, wants and budget!. I will continue talking to contractors and getting their suggestions and advice before we make the decision.... Thanks!

Devin-

I'm glad you feel positive about your architect friend. It's still a good idea to check out a couple of his other projects and talk with people, but it sounds like you are making thoughtful progress. Good luck.

I have some friends that I would be glad to recommend another architect to.

Whichever route you go for the design of your addition, get your contractor on board early in the design phase. The contractor should be tasked to provide construction cost estimates as soon as possible--not waiting until after all the detailed plans have been produced. That's the best way to ensure your design dollars aren't spent on an addition that doesn't get built.

I have friends and family for whom I would do work at little or no charge. There would be absolutely no difference in the quality compared to a full price job. If your friend has this philosophy, there shouldn't be any problems, however, make sure he's not undercharging you please.

Charles Ross, that's exactly what I was hoping for. I would like a good solid estimate before I have the detailed plans. (With a strong understanding that those estimated cost will change with more detailed plans!

This is so much different than remodeling the existing house!. We have taken out walls(worked with structural engineer), completely gutted and remodeled bathrooms and kitchen. We did that all on our own by subbing jobs out, but adding structure and completely starting new is overwhelming!

Devin-

Unfortunately, any estimate is just that, an estimate. And no contractor will be able to give you a usefulnumber with minimal detail. There are too many variables and there are too many things that can escalate when the details get finalized. I’m not saying you can’t get some guidance in the early stages from a contractor, but don’t get too reliant on it either.

I completely understand that kudzu. Thanks!

Devin-

Ok...just wanted to make sure you stay cautious no matter how confident the contractor seems. I’ve done three major remodels over the years and each one ended up not more than 10% over the bid, but I’ve had friends who had rude surprises in the middle of the project, or even had to postpone part of a project midway into it because of rising costs and unexpected issues. Good luck with your project.

On our first remodel we redid both bathrooms and master closet. We worked with a contractor that bid us at about 25k for everything, and ended up at over 40k. We were so upset at the contractor.... But in the end it was probably our fault because the tile was probably way out of our budget, and the custom vanities didn't help!
Then we redid our kitchen, and did most the work as "contractor" on our own. The only thing we really went over budget on was, after having the structural engineer out, we needed more support beams, or LVLs, because we took three walls out. Then we went over budget on the granite that we fell in love with!

Thank you all so much for the advice!. This has by far been the most pleasant discussion I have had in these forums.

Hi Devin,

You don't necessarily need an architect. You could use an architectural design company like ourselves. We are not qualified architects, however we still have the knowledge and a broad range of skills to create quality designs to receive approval from Planning and Building Regulations.

If you would like to take a look at some examples of our work please take a look at https://www.drawmyextension.co.uk/