Check our list when you're getting ready to brief your architect or designer...
- A good architect will encourage you to talk about what you like aesthetically and also what you and your family need for your home to function effectively. Remember, nobody knows what your family needs better than you.
- Be prepared. Collect ideas out of magazines – and use your on-line scrapbook to store ideas from this site. It will help you describe what you like.
- Think beyond your immediate needs. Think ahead to your family's future needs and build in some flexibility.
- Fixed ideas are almost as bad as having no ideas at all. Remember why you employed the architect or designer in the first place.
- Set a budget. This can be a chicken and egg process. Ultimately your budget will probably be determined by what you can afford.
- Be very clear about the scope of the brief. Some of the areas that your architect/designer can be involved with include:
- Site selection
- Design – concept drawings through to finished plans
- Budgets
- Managing the building process
- Interior design and selection of furnishings and appliances
- Landscaping.
NEXT STEP in the planning stage: Evaluating the design
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