Building your dream home...why should you hire an architect?

You might be wondering why you should hire an architect, when there are already a ton of plans floating around on the internet. But in the past 30 years working for clients, including some who started with an internet plan, none were satisfied with a generic plan.  It just didn’t fit them correctly.  And why would you spend so much time, energy and money on something that doesn’t fit right? Finding the right architect to design the right house for you is not only a good investment, but it’s essential for getting a house that feels like home.

Here are a few skills architects have that make them worth hiring that you simply can’t get anywhere else: 

• Design experience and education. To become a licensed architect requires many years of specialized education, on-the-job training and passing a rigorous series of state tests. And that’s just the start. Mastering the skills to design a successful building takes much more than just an architectural license.
• Deep understanding of how to build a house. Designing a house requires knowing  construction techniques, how materials react to weather and each other, structural design, building codes, zoning codes, and not least of all, aesthetics. There’s also the site-specific factors to consider such as the climate, how the building is facing (can that wall of windows really hold up to a gale force wind?), is the soil any good and is there a possibility of flooding? 
• Communicating clearly how to create an ideal home. Designing a good house also requires open communication between architect and client to determine what they want, what they need, and what they can afford, all of which are sometimes hard to define. What should the house feel like or look like? Are there natural features such as trees, views or water to design around? What combination of factors will make this house feel like home?     

To me the ultimate satisfaction is designing a house that the occupants will fit in just right, because it’s not a great house unless it’s truly a home. 

Having designed and built my own “forever home” I can definitely say it’s worth all the blood, sweat and tears to get to where you live in a house perfectly suited for you.  

If you want a unique home that fits your style and needs, your best bet is to hire a good architect.
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To help others get to this point I’m going to blog monthly about all the decisions and challenges that come with building a custom home.  If you have questions, email me at [email protected] and I’ll try to help you find your own way to a perfect home!