What Professionals Do You Need for Your Home Addition?

During home addition prep, one of the first questions you may have is who you’ll need to hire. For most home design projects, you’ll almost certainly end up hiring several professionals. Let’s look at each of the different professionals and the roles that they’ll fill in your home addition project.

Planning Your Addition: The Design Architect

When you’re undertaking a home addition, you may need to hire a design architect. A design architect creates building plans with best practices in mind, but they’re not needed for more basic changes to your home. Design architects are important for tasks such as changes to your layout or space conversions. Hiring a design architect is crucial if you’re moving plumbing or gas lines, working on landmark property, or you require building board approval. To find the right one, try to look at the architect’s portfolio to see if their style matches yours. 

Building Experts: The General Contractor

If none of the above issues apply to your project, you may be able to go directly to a general contractor. A general contractor may handle all the steps of building your home addition, or they may sub out specific parts of the project to subcontractors, such as electrical, plumbing, or roofing. An experienced general contractor can help with basic challenges, provide creative solutions, and walk you through the process.

Finding Materials for the New Space: The Interior Designer

Whether you are making big or small changes, you can hire an interior designer to help you find the right lighting, finishes, and materials. They can help you with determining the look and flow of your space, planning for size and style of materials like lighting and windows. Interior designers also assist you with color selection and finishes for your addition that are permanent. They can even customize cabinetry and storage solutions for your specific needs. Additionally, some may even manage the purchase and delivery of these materials, appliances, and other fixtures, taking the burden off of you or your general contractor.

Running the Show: The Project Manager

One professional that is rarely mentioned that does most of the coordination is the project manager. If you don’t want to handle the small details of your addition or hope your contractor gets it right, a project manager would be a good choice for your team. The project manager typically takes over the communication process between all the team members on your job and consults with you when a decision is needed. You’ll be happy to hear that you don’t need to understand the technical issues of construction or any other minutia. A good project manager will update you regularly and only bother you for major decisions. They handle the day-to-day operations for an amazing and hassle-free outcome.

When you’re planning a home addition, you’ll need a range of professionals to help you through the process. You can hire a design architect, a general contractor, an interior designer, and (should you choose to do so) a project manager throughout. At Drafting Cafe Architects, we can provide these professionals , making your project easier and more organized. Contact us today for a free estimate.

Home Remodeling Details No One Tells You About

When you’re working on a home renovation, the cost to build is an important part of your decision. But even though you may have considered a lot of the issues that may be important, there are some details you may not have thought about. Your builder will need to know details that will impact construction time and quality. What are these factors? Here’s a quick look to get you started.

Money Matters

The budget details: What’s part of the main build and what are considered extras that are not included in the estimate? By knowing which parts of the remodel fall under the cost to build versus extra costs, you’ll be able to better plan for your overall total.

Design and Plan Issues

Architectural drawings: Did you know that you need to have multiple sets of your remodel’s drawings? Your builder may need one or more sets, the architect may hold onto another and your building department may require a third.

Style preferences for design: There’s a ton of choices you’ll need to make during your remodel. Flooring, trim molding, doorknobs, light switches: all of these items and more can be selected to reflect your personal style. These are decisions that architects don’t make, but will need to be decided as building is taking place. These small decisions are often overlooked and can hold up the process when you don’t have a project manager helping prepare you.

Design issues: Will that drawer open fully next to your oven? Are the glass cabinet doors stylish or will your china look messy? Will the picture windows in the new master suite be an issue for privacy? These type of issues need to be thought through in advance to avoid costly change orders and delays.

Personal Style

Bathroom details: There are a lot of options available for your bathroom fixtures. What kind of toilet do you want – basic or one with a built in bidet? Do you want a vessel or drop-in sink? What about faucets: one handle or two? These seem like small details, but they can make a big difference on your remodel’s appearance and how your builder preps the space.

Tile patterns: If you want something beyond a simple layout, the tile pattern you choose can impact the cost. When tiles are mixed together or placed at angles, more cuts may be required, which requires more labor. It can also require more material. Some tile looks great in the showroom, but together don’t work. Take time to bring samples home.

Auxiliary lighting: Lights don’t have to only be where you would expect them. Do you want lighting in your closets? What about tray lighting for high ceilings or niches? Deciding where you want sconces located is also important. What style of lighting looks good throughout your home?

Though this seems like a lot of issues to deal with, a project manager can take some of the stress off of you. Drafting Cafe Architects is the perfect remodel architect, designer, and project manager, making it easy for you to get exactly what you want without having to deal with frustrating details. Please feel free to contact us today with any questions on starting your project.

4 Important Home Remodeling Steps You Could Be Forgetting

If you’re thinking about a home remodeling project in the near future, have you considered how long it takes? What will your construction schedule look like? Whether you’re thinking about making changes to your home or adding an accessory dwelling such as an in-law unit, knowing how that process will affect your life while construction is happening makes it easier to plan for the work.

Consider Your Timeline

The building process can often take weeks to months. It depends on the complexity and size of the home remodeling project. The easiest way to take the guesswork out of the process and avoid surprises is by working with an experienced project manager. This person is someone who has worked in the industry and knows how the timing of construction projects works. But what’s involved in the whole process? 

The Home Remodeling Process

To start, you’ll need to think about what you want to change or add. Are you making changes to your entire existing home? Will that call for you to move out for a long period of time? Are you adding on to your home? This can affect some areas of your home. But it does leave it fairly livable except for short periods of time. These differences don’t directly affect the construction schedule. But they can affect whether you can stay in your home while the changes are taking place.

Once you’ve chosen the basics, start consulting with an architectural design firm. They’ll take your ideas and turn them into a solid design. Architects not only create what you want but also make suggestions and catch possible issues in your plan. This process takes your first ideas and designs and turns them into a concrete, functional design. They’ll also create blueprints that should meet or exceed code rules for your area.

Obtaining Construction Permits

After you’ve approved the design, the permitting process starts. Either you, your design firm, or your contractor will apply for a building permit. At this point, your plans are checked, and any last-minute changes are made. All of this happens before the first board is cut or panel hung in your home. You should include these steps in your planning so that you are not kept out of your home any longer than needed. However, as you wait, you may want to begin packing away special or valuable items to a safe part of the house, storage unit, or temporary living quarters. This helps you avoid damage to your belongings.

Home Remodeling Begins

With your permit approved, your home remodel process can begin. Your project manager will give you a construction schedule. An experienced manager will add more time to the project schedule than may be needed. This allows space for common delays that can happen in material delivery, building, or inspections. Your project manager will act as your guide through the process, making it easier to follow. They will keep you informed of any delays beyond what they have prepared for and let you know when you need to make a decision that affects construction as soon as possible.

Are you ready to begin your home remodeling project? The experienced professionals at Drafting Cafe can help! Contact us today to get started.