Everyone loves a good home renovation show, and who wouldn’t? The ‘Property Brothers’ make it look so easy; replace the floor, change the countertop to granite, push back a wall — simple right?

But, for the everyday inexperienced homeowner this process can become quickly overwhelming and the budget can easily get out of control.

Without having an understanding of the construction process, ideas often don’t get fully realised; tensions run high and finances are stretched beyond their breaking point.

However, working with a licensed architect can take your ideas from dream to reality. An architect’s role goes far beyond pretty drawings on paper.

As both design professionals and client representatives, we oversee your project so that it runs smoothly, timely and on budget.

A recent buying trend has been to buy a “fixer-upper” in a great location. This way you can get the house of your dreams without the time and expense required to build a house from scratch. The concept is a good one, and is a great way to get a good deal on a home in a good location. But, before you sign on the dotted line, here are some considerations that you should make:

Live and Learn. After buying a house, we often advise clients to live in the house for about six months so that they can get a good understanding of what works and what does not work so well. By living in the house you learn about how it suits your family’s needs.

Once you have a feel for your new home, your architect can offer multiple sketch options that reflect your desires. The options also need to be feasible for your financial situation. A design that represents good value for money should also provide an enjoyable and collaborative design process between you and your architect. As you become more acquainted with your new home you may decide not to undertake the full-scale remodeling that you initially planned, or vice-versa. This is the benefit of having multiple sketch options as they can be molded to suit your needs. You can pick and choose bits and pieces from each design, which will help achieve a personalized and affordable solution.

The next steps are to produce drawings for the following:

Planning Application: The approval process takes six to 12 weeks.

Building Permit Application: This takes about four week to six weeks.

Construction Drawings: Varies with the size and complexity of your project.

The drawings get finalised in the last phase, construction drawings. A good set of construction drawings will minimise additional costs during construction and ensure that the design intent and finished product match up.

This is also a great time for you as the owner, as you select finishes and lighting, among other items, to reflect your own taste and style.

Your architect will then advise on builders who will best fit you and your project. They will solicit bids from reputable building contractors and assist in the selection of the contractor who, all else being equal will be the builder who came back with the lowest bid. You will benefit from your architect’s construction experience and ongoing relationship with the tradesmen and builders to ensure the successful delivery of your project. Your architect can administrate the construction contract, which will help control costs, quality and a good end result.

Featured here is a renovation proposed for a young active family who recently purchased a fixer-upper. They decided to live in and learn about the house before commencing sketch designs with Linberg & Simmons. What the family noticed about the house was that the link between inside and outside wasn’t as strong as they would like. They asked us to help with this.

One of the proposals showed a new kitchen with a large opening leading out onto a new porch.

The porch now links the kitchen and living spaces creating a wonderful outdoor entertainment area. (Revit renderings by Peter Carfoot of Linberg & Simmons)

If you are considering a new home or renovating an older home employ the tips that we’ve recommended here and consult your architect on how best to proceed. The process should ultimately be an enjoyable one yielding a result that you will love and be proud of.

Tina Sjoberg is an architect at Linberg & Simmons. Akilah Swan is a junior architect. They can be reached on 441-295-9160 or see website www.linbergandsimmons.com.