How to Get The Most From Your House Designer: Part Two

Read part one for advice on putting together the brief and choosing the right designer...

3. Work on Your Relationship

A good working relationship with your house designer is vital to the overall success of the project.

You need to be completely honest with whoever is designing your new home. You must give them a clear and concise list of all your requirements, with the wishlist numbered in order of priority. You then need to discipline yourself to understand that you are just never going to achieve absolutely everything you want and that somewhere along the line you are going to have to be prepared to compromise.

Above all you need to be open with them about your budget. If you tell them less than you are really planning to spend, then don’t be surprised if the plans don’t come up to your expectations. If, however, you tell them you budget is bigger than it really is then they’ll be drawing something you can’t afford. Don’t forget whose project this is. You do want their input. You don’t want their dictate. Stay in charge.

The Designer's View

Peter Tonks has been designing houses for self-builders for almost 25 years through work for major package suppliers and now runs his own practice at pjtdesign.co.uk

How does the design process work for you?
I always visit the site to capture my own view of the plot. You can never underestimate the importance of actually standing on the plot. I also do a complete photo shoot of the plot to ensure we can cross-reference everything back at the office. My first presentation of designs to clients will be a series of preliminary concepts which explore various options and include ‘thought-provokers’. These demon - strate an understanding of the brief and its compliance with relevant planning policy whilst at the same time introducing elements and theory that the client may not have thought of.

What do you look for from a client?
Establishing the right relationship with clients is so important to the success of any project. I can typically expect to work with clients for six to 12 months and even up to two years on some larger schemes. I see the process as a team effort with client and designer input seen as equal. I react best to clients who are naturally excited and passionate about their project.

My ideal scenario is for clients to provide me with scrapbooks and mood boards. I tend not to ask for previously prepared plans.

In terms of costs, what should clients expect?
For planning work associated with a single new residential dwelling in a straightforward location, we would charge from £3,000-5,000 + VAT. This includes all meetings with the clients and planning authority, pre-planning conceptual work and the preparation and submission of the final scheme. Larger schemes attract a larger fee of £6,000-10,000 as ultimately they will be more complicated. For Building Regulations work, you should budget between £5,000-10,000, but this can be reduced if the drawings, calculations and specifications are provided by a third party.

4. Clarify the Schedule and Fees

You don’t want any nasty shocks when it comes to fees, so find out what your designer charges early on.

The better the designer, the busier they’ll be. Don’t expect plans by return. It’ll take at least three to four weeks for most to get back to you with initial drawings. Preparation of drawings for submission for planning will take four weeks from instruction. The planning process can take anywhere from eight weeks to three months or more but during that process, your designer should be able to react quickly to any changes that need to be made. Building Regulations drawings should again take about four weeks from instruction to prepare.

Most architects work either for an hourly rate (typically £55-80/hr) if a partial service is required, such as ‘planning and Building Regulations drawings only’, but they should be asked to estimate how long they expect the work to take. For a full service for a new house, including local authority approvals, a full tender package, managing the build and certifying and inspecting the work, a percentage is usually charged — typically 6- 10%. For work to existing houses, the percentage may be higher. Most architects will provide as much or as little help as is needed.*

*Based on independent fee surveys carried out by Miraz and Nacey

5. Communicate Your Budget

You may wish your budget was bigger than it actually is, but you must be honest with your designer to get the house you want.

It’s vital that you gain a firm handle on build costs and understand the principles involved. Only by making yourself familiar with the costs involved in building a new house, and in particular a house like the one you plan on building, in the region you’re building in, and with the build route you plan on employing can you successfully prepare an initial brief. Study the Average Build Cost Guide which is updated regularly, based on returns from those who’ve built.

It’s equally important that your designer knows and understands costs. Some don’t. Some fail to appreciate the cost implications of what might seem fairly minor changes in design. Weed them out by testing their knowledge against your knowledge of the guide.

The Designer's View

Architect Julian Owen specialises in designing new builds and domestic extensions and is one of the founding members of ASBA. (julianowen.co.uk)

How does the design process work for you?
I always try to get a clear understanding of the client’s requirements, the budget and the features of the site and then add a sprinkling of design inspiration. Clients have to feel happy to tell us what they like and dislike about our designs. Sometimes the first go is wide of the mark, but that’s OK — as long as we understand why it’s wrong, we will produce a good end result.

What do you look for from a client?
Some have very rigid ideas and will not take kindly to them being challenged. The other extreme have hazy ideas that need a lot of work to focus into a finished design. Most are somewhere in between, so we try to identify which are the most important aspects of the project for them and agree those areas where we can suggest alternative ideas.

In terms of costs, what should clients expect?
The final drawings are the end result of a relatively long process involving gathering information, generating ideas, testing them by drawing sketch plans and then refining them. People are buying ‘thinking time’ as well as skill and experience. The lower the fee, the less time is likely to be spent on the design.

The Self Builders' View

Jes and Megan are self-building a family chalet-style bungalow.

How did you choose your designer?
Initially we held informal meetings and chose the one who came across as most professional — supported by a very crisp website. The realities did not support our decision. After this we chose one within our budget and who we felt we could work with.

What did it cost you in terms of fees?
Our initial appointment cost £3,500, for which we got very little. Our second appointment cost around £3,000 for planning, and £5,000 for Building Control and full construction detailing — which now that we have started and have the blocklayers on site is proving to be worth every penny as very little is left to interpretation.

What were you most impressed with?
Attention to detail. How they accommodated our thoughts whilst balancing this against budget and construction constraints. We were also impressed with the designer’s willingness to research detailing solutions.

Any problems?
The initial appointment was clearly a major gaff on our part. We were not a high priority, although the fees charged for a survey and a feasibility study were exorbitant. Having now been through the design process with another designer I think I might have run up a £20,000-plus bill had I not terminated our arrangement.

Read part one for advice on putting together the brief and choosing the right designer...

Further reading:

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