Finding your perfect architect

Most people know someone who has renovated part of their home in the last few years. Everyone’s doing it, right? So when it comes to your home, a great way to find an architect or designer is by talking to those people and getting a recommendation.

Dig the dirt

By talking to someone who has actually worked with an architect, you can find out if that person was easy to communicate with, listened well, had good ideas and worked within the budget. Plus you can check out their work personally by looking around your friend’s house and carefully inspecting the renovations.

Larissa Spencer found her architect easily through a friend who had just undergone a renovation. “We engaged the builder first,” she says. “Our friends were using a builder they’d used before. They’d said so many good things about him it seemed silly not to go with him. Then the builder and our friends commented on how easy it was to work with their architect. My friend said [the architect] came up with some really good ideas within their budget.”

Both the builder and architect came so highly recommended that Spencer didn’t even bother seeking other quotes. “The recommendations on both fronts meant more to us than getting additional quotes. We are very happy with the result, and although we may have saved money on the build with multiple quotes, we don’t believe we would have had such a smooth project otherwise. It made us feel very comfortable that people we knew, and whose opinions we respect, had used the same combination.”

Don’t know any architects?

What if you don’t know anyone who has employed an architect or designer? Or what if you don’t like your friends’ renovations? Archicentre is the building advisory service for the Australian Institute of Architects. They can help you choose an appropriate architect, either for the plans or a full service, based on your individual needs. But first, do some scouting around with the people you know. You’ll get the inside story and your friends will be flattered you’ve asked them.

An architect will heavily influence the design of your renovation, so choose wisely. A recommendation from a friend is usually the way to go.