Always seek professional advise, usually a Building Designer/Architect/Draftsman with some input from builder.

Either design professional will be able to assist. They just provide different levels of service. The less hassle you want the more you'll need an architect. The less time you have seeking builders quotes for example the more you'll need an architect. If you want a lot of involvement and input on every decision then the building designer or draftsman is the person you'll need.

If you give any of them a decent brief then they'll be able see your vision. This is what we base our Fee Proposal's on, the clients brief. Provide as much or as little information as you see fit but really more is better if the budget is tight. Information from dot pointed to pictures is good. Don't forget to include the budget. Everyone has a budget even multi-million dollar job's they all have money constraints.

Thanks, I'll send some photos as well shortly.

Hi there we would still love to see what your house is like and some of us non Pros might be able to make a few suggestions before you consult a Professional/ Architect, I currently live in an 80' house with a sunken lounge and love it cheers

Thanks for your response MB. I am with you on that, however this is where I get myself stuck. I may be completely misguided with my approach so feel free to straighten me out. I'm thinking I want to see a professionals vision of what we can end up with, not their interpretation of my vision. Of course we have many ideas of what we would like, but I want to see something I would never have thought of or imagined we could do myself. That's what we are paying for right ? We have an adequate budget for a project this size & will take on building stage. Just looking for a concept and then drawings.

Dr Retro House Calls has a service for people in your situation who aren't too sure about how to proceed. An in-house consultation takes about two hours where we can discuss and explore the options, and the pros and cons. The service is designed without any obligation for future design services, so is fairly unique as a stand-alone service, however many of our clients do decide to engage us for design services after an appointment. If you are looking to preserve the existing character of a Merchant Builders home, I would be wary of anybody who wants to modernise it to the latest fashion. I would suggest that you check out our reviews, including one from Frankston South which was a Merchant Builders home.

Dr Retro that offers sounds too good to refuse, here's my retro, photo is a bit too coloured. cheers

Any design professional will meet first and discuss the brief. Local council regulations may change the brief as will interpretation of budget.

The written brief may even be non existent before the meeting! This usually happens as a brief is written up as the discussions and ideas flow. Everything reverts back to build cost's and this will largely dictate what you end up with.

Many people just have a vision in their mind initially. Your brief may well be 'more space / privacy and better zoning than currently available, and a few more mod cons would be preferred'.

Once I have the first site meeting we do end up with a brief and this what a Fee proposal is based upon.

obviously professionals will make better specific suggestions but, without changing the original style of the home, my suggestions include moving the kitchen to the old family room to create a more open family living area with better connection to expanded outdoor living areas, more separation between private and communal living areas by closing the open railings with solid walls, moving the stairs and rearranging the master suite and add a teenage retreat above a new double garage

Thanks for your input oklouise,

As you suggested and can see better from the photo, the obvious & probably most sensible place to add floor space is above the garage area and between the garage & the house, Leaving the footprint of the existing structure alone. We have toyed with the idea of moving the entry to where the living room 2 is so as to open up the new area to more possibilities. Adding a portico on the new entrance will also bring some of the new into the old structure giving it some balance. How this new area is integrated with the existing will be the trick, and where I would expect an architect would add value.

Which brings me back to my original point being how do I decide on which architect or at least building designer to use, which I have to pay up front for their creative expertise, before I even know what their going to draw ? I'm told, If you don't like it they can change it until you do, but then are they not just drawing what I tell them ?

I'm probably just being difficult, but its a lot of money and we want to get our moneys worth. I will just have to bite the bullet & pick one based on previous work they have done that I like.

everyone brings their own interpretation of what's best (as my suggestion reflects having lived with teenagers and young adults leaving and returning and thinking of staying in a home into old age i wonder where a downstairs master suite might fit) but a professional should make detailed on site inspections, check structural restrictions, know local building restrictions and take into account the climate, the outlook, the occupants etc etc and be able to make some draft suggestions before you commit to full working drawings but the more you can help them understand the way you like to live now and into the future the more likely you'll achieve something comfortable and attractive...having lived in a home for a long time can you identify everything that you love and hate about every part of the house and the block of land...start making a list!...it is very hard to spend money on the design but its the foundation on which everything else is based and much easier to economise on the things that can be added over time but, in the meantime HOUZZ is a great way to explore lots of different ideas to help develop a check list of what the designer will need to better understand what you think is essential, might be good to have, and might be useful...eg the plans show an enviable amount of outdoor space with the easement, east side and northern garden and i think it would be great to have more connection to the outdoors...but would you prefer a bigger indoor areas?..maybe depends on the climate and?? good luck with your choices

Homegrown20 - I find that with every one of my clients that they want something different. Some architects have a signature style, and if you like their style you know exactly what you are getting. I prefer to let the existing architecture of the house suggest a direction, and work within the existing character. So my design "style" is quite varied and depends on the existing architecture and the client's taste (and budget).

Clients that are quite specific about what they want are sometimes closed to better suggestions, and may be better off with a draftsman who will do exactly as told. They won't come up with a design that is a better solution to what the client may have imagined. I am amazed at the number of new clients that I pick up who have engaged a draftsperson (as they are cheaper), told them specifically what they want, and been underwhelmed by any creativity in the result. This is the difference between a draftsperson and a designer.

The quality of the information from the brief is so important, so a specific brief as in "the front door must be in this position" leaves no room for an alternative solution which may be better. I would prefer a client to say "There is this issue with the front door and I need a better answer", rather than dictate one solution.

Most designers will stage their work, so you are not commited to the full expense of working drawings if you don't like the direction the work is going in at the start. My policy is that I only invoice for my concept design work after I have presented it to the client. I am confident in doing this as I have never had a client not love the concept options that I present (and I always get paid).

The large number of homes with poor flow, tacky additions, and rooms that just don't work, demonstrate the number of people who have dictated specifically what they want, often without thinking in the third dimension. You get what you pay for in the design business.

1960's project home revisited · More Info

Best of luck with your considerations,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls

Seems like advice has been well covered here, but to add my 2 cents.........it ultimately depends on what you are seeking and expecting from a professional. Off the bat engaging a professional is not something you should "accept" to have to do, rather it should be something that you are actively seeking........I work with people in a range of contexts but to be clear there is a difference between people who are expecting to "buy" a particular end result with some knowledge of what that will be, and others who engage in a professional design process and embark on/trust in the "journey" so to speak that works towards an customised/crafted end result. It's horses for courses and one way or the other is not necessarily suited for everyone. For example, my particular way of operating is probably similar to Dr Retro in that I approach projects with flexibility and respect for the client's needs and specific context. The creativity comes in to play in negotiating these unique aspects and therefore results vary widely from project to project. Alternatively you can find designers/architects who essentially are a "brand" delivering similar end "products" in that you'll be able to get a clear idea beforehand as to likely what end result you will get with them at the helm. Similarly to Dr Retro, I provide a particular stage of frontend/contained service that I call a "Feasibility" exercise in that various options and scenarios are considered specific to client's particular needs/goals within the properly analysed context and some proper/hard costings are applied. This provides the client with legitimate and viable options in broad format and critical information to ascertain what the best balance/option will be for them. For example, we can consider scenarios of alterations/additions in various configurations as well as comparison to new rebuild scenarios - there is never a single right or wrong "way" as to how to achieve certain requirements, however I do find ultimately that the Cost is the ultimate controller and without proper and professional understanding on what particular design moves/options one way or the other will cost you really are literally walking around in the dark in regards to making critical decisions moving forward for your project. You are (not surprisingly) stuck here, I deal with this situation all the time I know exactly where you are at.....all I can say is that there are professionals available who can help you achieve the best outcome, and you need to consider/understand and be comfortable that this is part of the process and is a necessary and critical investment front end to ensure the eventual physical build has been properly considered........ultimately my advice is to research and seek a suitable professional you can trust and work with :) PD

I definitely agree with everyones input so far. Most companies should have a portfolio online of existing projects they have worked on. You definitely want to find someone who you believe could have a similar aesthetic to you. When it comes to architects and designers you need to have an idea of where your priority lies.

We have come in to projects half way through, when clients have selected an architect for a beautiful renovation but have been caught up in the overall structure/scheme and have completely neglected the smaller details and the internal architectural side of the build. Make sure they have attention to detail and are executing both surface level and structural level.

Also you definitely want to find someone who you don't think you will be scared to say no to. When they come to you for a design brief before you contract them, make sure they are friendly and approachable as you definitely don't want to be bullied in to something they want and you are unsure of. A good architect knows to listen to you as you will be the one living in it.

Don't be afraid to do it in parts as well. Its not always advised this way, but you can get an architect/draftsman to draw up the structural changes that you will need to get council approval on and go through council with someone who can execute the structural documentation correctly for council. Then you can go in with an interior architect/designer to finesse the internal works required and kitchen/bathroom details to ensure you have the perfect vision you want without the architect getting complacent and missing/overlooking the smaller details. This will mean you can work closely on the aspects that you will interact with on a daily basis ensuring creativity and your vision isn't lost at any stage of the process.

I hope this helps! Good luck and make sure you enjoy it. It can be stressful but with the right team it is definitely rewarding!