How to get the most from your House Designer: Part One

There are many different ways in which to design your self-build project, but how do you know which route is best for you? David Snell, who doesn’t hold a great lot of respect for architects,explains

1. Come up with a killer brief.

Coming up with a clear and concise brief for your designers is the first step towards your dream home.

Step one involves asking yourself a series of important questions. What are your reasons for wanting to self-build? Is it to get the home that you want for the money that you’ve got? In this case, although money is the motive, the making of money is not the principal driver. Nevertheless, the budget is still likely to be the most important factor and very few people would want to slip into negative equity. Or is it all to do with design? Are you fed up with living in a house that somebody else designed for the ‘average’ family but which you perceive to be absolutely unsuitable for your purpose? If you don’t have a family, is it because you want a home that reflects your lifestyle with little or no need for divisions between activities? Or is it purely about making money? Most self-builders achieve increases in equity but there are a significant number who make prodigious gains. Then it’s all about ‘least in, most out’, maximising the value by getting as much house as possible on the plot, keeping a weather eye out for the ceiling values in the area and concentrating on the ‘kerb appeal’.

And then there’s the group who want to do something positive with their lives and see that building a house that will be here long after they’ve gone is a way of making the statement: ‘I was here’. In part, this last group are often the ones who have embraced the ideals of sustainable homes and green solutions but they don’t have the monopoly. Even those who eschew the current secular religion around global warming can be concerned not to pollute the planet, not to use up finite fuels and to spend less on heating their homes.

Above all, how long are you going to live in this new home? If you’re just moving through, you have to decide if it is worth putting in gadgets that may do nothing to increase the value. On the other hand, if you’re planning to stay ‘forever’ then by all means have the design as you wish and put in all the gadgets that you can afford that you believe will make your life easier in times to come and reduce your fuel bills.

Step two moves on to the nitty gritty. This is not an article that wishes to examine all those wants or seeks to influence your choices — the planners and the topography of the site will have plenty to say about that. Save to say that although many self-builders start off wanting to do something better than the developers and builders, most, in the end, build virtual carbon copies of what they have to offer, perhaps with a few extra points.

Get a scrapbook. Write down all of the design features that you want to incorporate and list them in order of preference. Cut out pictures and features that catch your imagination and which illustrate your point.

If you want to draw plans of your own then go ahead. Before you’ve found the plot they’ll be purely academic and serve to continue your enthusiasm. When you’ve found your plot they’ll take on a new significance as rooms relate to the views etc. Some designers like to see the client’s ideas, some don’t — but even then they should prove a useful reference to make sure that you’re getting what you want.

Then distil your wishes to a sensible list, and at the top of that list, put the budget. For all of these wishes are nothing if they don’t fit within the budget, and any plans, however lovely, are useless if what’s drawn can’t be built within it.  

2. Architect, Technician or Something Else?

House designers come in many different guises, but how do you know which one is best for you?

Architect

Although the name ‘architect’ is often applied to anybody who designs buildings, only somebody who has gone through the relevant training, who is a member of one of the main associations such as RIBA, RIAS, RSAW, RSUA or RIAI and, most importantly, is registered with the ARB (Architects Registration Board), is entitled to call themself by that name. Architects are good at designing but they’re not always as good at listening. Some want to impose their own ideals and ideas on their clients. Architects belonging to or espousing the ideals of ASBA (Associated Self Build Architects) are dedicated to providing a service for one-off self-builders.

The services that an architect can provide range from preparation of initial sketch designs following a site appraisal and a close consultation with their prospective client, to preparation of plans for submission for planning and the subsequent prosecution of that application. When successful they will prepare plans for Building Regulations approval and then the working and construction drawings. They may take on the tendering process and a site supervisory or project management role.

It’s best to demand that you move gently through each stage with a definite cut-off point.

Designer

Architects have to carry professional indemnity. Not all designers do although those affiliated to the British Institute of Architectural Technologists (BIAT) will do so. Designers account for the majority of selfbuild projects. There are those designers who work from home mainly doing extensions and the like. They may cost between £500 and £1,500 but do not always offer detailed drawings or intricate specifications. Next are the designers who work from offices and may have more than one person in their practice. The drawings may be just as good as those done by architects and their costs may approach theirs, but generally they will quote on a lump-sum basis of anywhere between £1,500 and £5,000. The higher the fee the more design flair you should expect.

Package Supplier

Package deal companies combine the architectural and design element with the supply of a kit of materials. The costs of their architectural department, together with the costs of any field staff and those involved in the negotiations for planning and Building Regulations are absorbed in the mark up of their goods. This will vary from between 20% and 33%.

Design is the hook. It is the attraction of their designs that will take most into their folds. They are all very good at what they do. Most charge a nominal fee of between £500 and £800 for initial drawings or design studies but these are drawn on the basis that they will be used with their package deal. You cannot cherry pick these initial designs unless you have previously agreed to do so.

The Designer's View

Beverley Pemberton is Head of Design at leading package company Design & Materials (designandmaterials.uk.com)

How does the design process work for you?
I open up a dialogue with the client as early as possible and invest time at that stage establishing what they want out of their new home. We’ll also be working from a detailed package of information about the individual plot – not just orientation but things like ridge heights of neighbouring buildings, planning issues and so on – which will of course have a huge influence on the plan. When I’ve got a good enough idea I’ll spend plenty of time coming up with some initial floorplan sketches and will usually email them to the client to confirm that I’m on the right lines. It’s only at that stage, when they say they are happy with how things are looking, that we’ll put the time into the elevations. After that it’s usually a matter of working with the client to make sure the finishing touches are right and ensuring that the material choices complement the design scheme.

What do you look for from a client, both in terms of design ideas and establishing a relationship?
I need a clear understanding of how their lives work — family, how old their children are, and so on. It all has an influence on what rooms they’ll need, as well as the position and size of them. I’ll ask for a wishlist of rooms and a mood board of designs they like before putting it all together — I tell my clients that they provide me with the pieces of the jigsaw and I put it together for them. I don’t like to be presented with clients’ sketches — I find it affects their expectations and limits the amount of value I can add. Generally people are very happy to make the most of the experience and design skills I’ve got.

In terms of costs, what should clients expect?
We’re a package company and so there will be a payment for a feasibility study of £500-1,000, but the service is effectively free of fees.

Read part two for advice on scheduling, fees and budget...

Further reading:

• How to Find the Right Renovation Architect
• Working with an Architect
• House Design Explained
• Who Will Design Your Home?