We faced the same dilemma and have made the decision to go with an architect after checking out both options. While the house we are renovating has good bones, it was built in the 80's with tiny bedrooms and poor layout for current living and entertaining. We also knew what we wanted but the architect has been able to translate our ideas for a 2nd storey extension and reconfigured ground floor to turn our house into our dream for a modern energy efficient home. The plans are being finalised ready to proceed with council approvals and we are confident that we made the right decision and the investment at this stage in the design will help us be realistic about our budget and add considerable value to our property.

"Architect-designed houses are not accessible to all." This is a myth championed by the building industry. Alternatively, why not focus on the key benefits architects bring to a project. Here are a few for you:

• Appoint an architect to your project and you’ll gain a home designed for the way you want to live.The alternative is a builder-designed home that suits what the builder is used to building. Quality builders will ask for plans and specifications to be thoroughly documented so that they can go ahead and do what they do best, which is build. Working out with the owner what you’re going to build and why is the architect’s role.

• An architect manages planning approvals. This process is complex, often arbitrarily applied by many Councils, fraught with pitfalls for the novice and is ramped up every year with new hoops to jump. If you want a professional on your side who knows the territory, will go in to bat for you and will forge a way through this minefield, you need an architect.

• If you’d prefer to put the works to tender to a number of builders rather than having to accept the quote of the builder you started the process with, you need an architect.

• If you’d prefer to protect yourself with a proper, architect-managed ABIC contract that works equally for both parties and is legally enforceable, you need an architect.

• An architect will minimise costly changes during construction as he or she will produce a proper level of drawings (expect 20 x A3 pages for a new home, rather than the 1-2 pages you’ll receive from a drafting service.). The reasons for this are that you have on paper exactly what you want to build. Without this, you are entering a contract with a builder with none of the details resolved. You wouldn’t do that if you were buying a house, so why do it when spending an equally significant amount of money?

Unfortunately, some builders see this approach as an opportunity to happily accept constant changes from ‘project managing’ owners because it’s just another variation that he can charge for. The longer he is there, the better for his margins, particularly when there’s no contract to speak of.

Finally, an architect is a specialist with a professional duty of care, irrespective of financial gain. In other words, they’re there to support and protect you, without benefit to themselves. No one else in the building industry can provide this.

Architecture is a process that guides projects from idea to completed project. This is the work of an architect. The architect knows approximately how much it will cost to complete the entire project.

The architect ensures that what the client is asking for will serve them as they imagined.

Design is a part of that process, the design architect may be an employee of the architect, they may be the architect. Drafting is a part of the process where the drafts person follows the instructions of the architect.

Building is also a part of the process, where the builder follows the instructions of the architect. The builder knows how much it will cost to build the structure. The builder asks the architect if they have done enough to be paid. The client pays the builder if the architect says it is okay to do so.

The architect with the assistance of the builder creates the space for the interior designer or decorator to do their work in. The interior designer knows how much it will cost to do the interiors.

The architect knows how the building will sit in the landscape and will brief the landscape architect on the design of the garden. The landscape architect knows how much the landscape works will cost to build/plant.

Architects do architecture or control/guide the entire process to ensure the client receives the idea they came to architect with in the first place.

I hope this relieves the confusion created by the excessive noise around your question. You are not the first to ask the question and you will not be the last.

I hope you find a great architect, builder, interior decorator and landscape architect.

An even better idea is to start with a site plan and any architect or building designer worth his salt would agree with that for a major renovation especially. In Brisbane I'd recommend either Site Surveys or Resiplans.com.au. Once your designer is in receipt of a site plan he is well positioned to design right 1st time with accurate base data of what exists - no need for time consuming & costly re-designs etc

Old post

Yes an old post, but perennially relevant in regards to the common confusion of "where to start?"

Some valuable information, clarification and insights offered by some professionals above....should be a "sticky" ;)