Bring In Your Architect Early

Especially here in the Lowcountry where tricky issues range from views to stormwater runoff and legally protected trees, early involvement of the architect just makes sense.

"Buyers searching for land to build a home on may find involving a residential architect early on to be a wise move, according to the American Institute of Architects. The architect can help evaluate the pros and cons of a location that an inexperienced buyer might overlook, such as whether a site is big enough to accommodate the home they want or whether a neighbor’s right-to-a-view will preclude building 12-foot ceilings. Here are some tips for getting the most out of the decision to involve an architect:

• Choose an architect who listens. If the architect doesn’t appear to be paying attention during the initial interactions, find somebody else.


• Bring visuals. Showing the architect pictures from books and magazines is more effective than trying to explain.


• Talk money upfront. Most architects charge by the hour in the concept stage and then a percentage of building costs. Flat fees are only appropriate for very small projects. For projects costing $1.5 million plus, expect fees to range from 12 percent to 18 percent, says James P. Cramer, chair of Greenway Group, a design-industry consulting firm.


• Consider hiring the architect to supervise the project. This can be expensive, but it can also prevent a lot of headaches later." Source: The Wall Street Journal, Sara Lin (01/25/2008)

For the Realtor Magazine Online article: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008031206?OpenDocument