Help In which order please ??

6 years ago

Hi, thanks for all advice from this site so far!!

We finally move in on 31st July ... we have decided in the below design ( ish ) and need to know what steps are next ... we also need some one with a bit of vision for some of the 'style ideas ' we have in terms of kitchen design and rendering the exterior and window style ...

in addition we need advice about replacing the heating in parts of the house, I'd like U/F heating in bathrooms and open plan living .... please can you confirm whether we need a concept planner, architect, building designer, builder or architectural technician next ... ????

Have attached photos again, some walls will need knocking down ( see old floor plan and new iPad design pic), a new extension but not much bigger, none of our changes will affect neighbours as they are too far from our building ...

Featured Answer

PRO

User

6 years ago

Start with a good Concept Planner, they often have lists of Architects, builders etc that they can recommend or have worked with previously.

However, they will at least be able to plan the house and show you what it will look like before going to an architect.

IMHO - Architects are great, but they can get a bit carried away on the creative and don't go so much for what it feels and looks like when you're living in it the way a Concept Planner would.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Claire Nicholson
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I would completely agree with the comments above!

We started a major renovation 6 months ago and got a concept planner / interior designer on board right at the start and it was the best thing we could possibly have done.

She helped us work with structural engineers and an architect to get what we needed for the builders, but helped us avoid going down a very expensive route with an architect involving having a full survey (just a scale drawing of the whole house that they wanted before they'd do the drawing of what we needed)

Our concept planner / interior designer helped us look at the space and maximise what we had (not get carried away about adding lots of bits as Man About The House mentions above). She provided different options for layouts and flow of how the space would be used and really challenged our thinking (in a very positive way!)

She was also an absolute life saver in terms of helping us understand what to do when and in what order with all the different trades- I would never have known how early on in the process you needed a lighting plan, never mind how to create one and in what format to give to an electrician!

She saved us large amounts of money by providing lighting plans and carpentry specifications, so we knew exactly what we needed and could give a proper brief to the different trades, rather than changing bits midway through, which is when the budget tends to creep up and out of control.

She also got amazing trade discounts and passed them all onto us, which made a big difference to our costs- everything from the kitchen to underfloor heating and right through to doors and lighting!

Just worth mentioning that our interior designer was able to offer the concept planning service, including all 3D images and video tours but then in addition all of the advice on colour plans and interior fixtures and fittings. This is quite a personal choice and you may only want the concept planning- for a small extra amount (which we definitely got back through all the trade discounts and accurate specs to give to trades) we chose to take the next step up to interior designer as I wanted to make sure that everything 'pulled together'.

I had seen to many super practical schemes that looked just a little bit 'flat' and I wasn't confident I had the skills to pull the whole look together without a bit of help!

More than anything we have had someone super knowledgeable and helpful on hand 24/7 (quite literally!) for any and every silly little question or wobble that I had. She's made the whole process enjoyable and taken away a lot of the anxiety and uncertainty of decisions. She's also stopped me making a lot of rookie mistakes :)

Just to give you an idea in onr part of the house she's helped us achieve; we started with three separate rooms and have ended up with one large kitchen / diner / pantry.

We'd never done anything more than a bit of decorating before and whilst I'm sure we'd have got done without her help, I'm 100% sure it would have cost us a lot more money, it wouldnt have been half as much fun and it definitely wouldn't look how it looks now!

Hope it helps!

Best wishes,

Claire
Related Discussions
Which is nicer out of these 2 lights ? PLEASE help.............
Q
Comments (31)
Both are great, the way the one on the right is designed (lots of lines) brings a lot of energy to the room! Depending on which room, that's the one that I would lean towards. Looking forward to hearing which one you choose!
...See More
Help! Which kitchen design should I choose?
Q
Comments (164)
In my early twenties I designed kitchens for my mother and two aunts (Uncle built them and they worked), but when it came to designing my own - had to fit a constrained space and no possibility of extension - I chewed my lips for ages - like Nicole, I drew and measured ad infinitum, and used graph book walls, views etc. I did one extra thing - which I think worked - I listed all that I wanted to store, and tried to analyse how I liked working in the kitchen. Some things I had to settle for because of space (such as a smaller dishwasher) but most of it has worked. We have a corner pantry, which I (and the cat, husband a bit larger) can walk into, but have not put small appliances in there - they sit in a large drawer beneath the main working bench, which also works well. It all looks good to me Nicole and thinking carefully about needs and how things work in advance usually results in something you'll be happy with. Good luck!
...See More
Which wall lamps please?
Q
Comments (24)
Sorry for the delay in advising you of where to purchase the fittings. I tend to purchase fittings for clients within a project. But, The top one can be purchased from Beacon Lighting and is on special for $96.75 each. The middle fitting is from Emac & Lawton and the last one must have vanished from production, as I haven't been able to find it again. I have included a fitting from Mondo Luce below, called Dora Emac & Lawton have a new fitting as well - Amstel:
...See More
Poll: Please help, which type of flooring do you prefer?
Q
Comments (8)
Price check everything before deciding. Many people take too much advice from salespeople who want to sell you just what they have. A solid timber flooring isn't really that much more than a timber floating floor. I've found the cost difference is having the solid floor sanded and polished, oiled, etc. only. There is some quite expensive floating floor options and some really cheap ones. Buyer beware!
...See More
dazswife
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks so much folks, I'm on looking for a concept planner now!! I know there's a couple on here that have commented on my previous thread so I think I'll start there!!
Claire Nicholson
6 years ago
Well the lady who helped us above and offers both concept planning plus the interior design (far less expensive that you would think!) is Gina from Create Perfect who is on here and she's amazing! I would highly, highly recommend her.

Just make sure as with any trade, you compare like for like on pricing and find out what trade discounts they'll pass on to you, how many visits you'll get, how much ongoing contact and support they'll give you after the initial design etc!

Loads of luck!

Claire
Carolina
6 years ago
Also look at OnePlan for a concept planner. She's on Houzz too. I can highly recommend her :-)
PRO
London Urban | Design & Build
6 years ago
We work with Black & Milk - Speak to Olga she's excellent https://blackandmilk.co.uk