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Steps to take when remodeling house
Posted on 9/2/14 at 7:06 pm
Posted on 9/2/14 at 7:06 pm
I'm thinking about doing some major work to my house. Should I get architect to draw plans and then get bids from contractors, or try to get a contractor that has an architect in house? I am in BR, and saw where Carter Hill construction is an architect as well as GC. Do you think a company like that would give me a quote, even if its ballpark without making me commit to buy plans at $1500. I hate to spend 1500 to get a quote just to realize the cost is too high, or what we want to do is not feasible for whatever reason.
Also, I had plans drawn up in the past by a draftsman and not an architect, but they were of very good quality and much less expensive. That was for a 25K job though, and this will be 100K+ so not sure I want to cut any corners on draftsman vs. architect there.
Any help or recommendations in BR area are appreciated.
Also, I had plans drawn up in the past by a draftsman and not an architect, but they were of very good quality and much less expensive. That was for a 25K job though, and this will be 100K+ so not sure I want to cut any corners on draftsman vs. architect there.
Any help or recommendations in BR area are appreciated.
6
Posted on 9/2/14 at 7:13 pm to BullredsRus
How old is the home? Is it worth a remodel vs selling and buying or building what you want?
Posted on 9/2/14 at 7:35 pm to wickowick
House is almost 60 years old. I bought it for 300K, and have about 60K into it over the last 5 years. I anticipate this remodel to be around 80K on the very low end, and 120K on very high end. So if we split the difference and call this remodel 100K, that would put me all in at 460K. To buy what we want in our neighborhood would put us over 600K In fact that may not even do it. I'm in the Hundred Oaks area of BR and these old homes run pretty high once they're remodeled.
Not to mention my interest rate is 3.5%, and I won't get that again. I've thought about it a lot and it just makes sense to drop the money on our current house vs. buying in the same neighborhood. And my wife will not move out of this neighborhood.
Not to mention my interest rate is 3.5%, and I won't get that again. I've thought about it a lot and it just makes sense to drop the money on our current house vs. buying in the same neighborhood. And my wife will not move out of this neighborhood.
This post was edited on 9/2/14 at 7:37 pm
Posted on 9/2/14 at 8:37 pm to BullredsRus
if spending 80-100k on remodel I def would not cut any corners for just $1500
Posted on 9/2/14 at 9:06 pm to BullredsRus
I have friends in Hundred oaks, that is a neighborhood that warrants a remodel and possibly an architect on the home...
Posted on 9/3/14 at 7:05 am to BullredsRus
We are about to start a remodel here in Prairieville. Best advice I can give you is just get your plans done so that you know if it's feasible. When we went from the "ballpark price" to the actual price after giving a GC plans it jumped almost 20k.
Small price to pay in the grand scheme.
Small price to pay in the grand scheme.
Posted on 9/3/14 at 8:59 am to Venelar
Thanks. So once I have actual plans then I will be getting firm prices from GC's right. I know I will get at least three bids. I just want to make sure that the prices they give will be firm. I guess that would all be spelled out in a contract.
Posted on 9/3/14 at 10:31 am to BullredsRus
Architect, architect, architect....preferably one who specializes in older home remodeling. A professional eye will help you figure out what you want, what you can afford, and what will fit with your home style and neighborhood.
Dan the Draftsman can execute your napkin drawings, but he's not usually competent to guide you through important aesthetic changes. I've seen so many terrible renovations of older homes....you don't want to ruin what you have, or become the eyesore McMansionized pile blighting an otherwise charming neighborhood.
Dan the Draftsman can execute your napkin drawings, but he's not usually competent to guide you through important aesthetic changes. I've seen so many terrible renovations of older homes....you don't want to ruin what you have, or become the eyesore McMansionized pile blighting an otherwise charming neighborhood.
Posted on 9/3/14 at 10:48 am to BullredsRus
quote:
I hate to spend 1500 to get a quote just to realize the cost is too high, or what we want to do is not feasible for whatever reason.
$1500 may seem high to you but if you're spending 100k, those plans could save you major headaches and/or money down the road. With a Design/Build that price should include any revisions needed to fit your budget b/c frankly, they should be designing with your budget in mind. That goes for any architect.
Posted on 9/3/14 at 11:09 am to Cdawg
Yeah I'm going to do this right so architect it is. Thanks
Posted on 9/3/14 at 12:29 pm to BullredsRus
quote:
Steps to take when remodeling house
Are you married? I know at least 4 couples who split while remodeling/renovating.
Be sure to budget for marriage counseling.
Posted on 9/3/14 at 1:04 pm to BullredsRus
quote:
Also, I had plans drawn up in the past by a draftsman and not an architect, but they were of very good quality and much less expensive. That was for a 25K job though, and this will be 100K+ so not sure I want to cut any corners on draftsman vs. architect there.
Drafstmen draw better than architects to begin with (and it's not even close) and typically it will have to get a stamp of approval from an architect anyway before the bank will give you a loan.
Posted on 9/4/14 at 9:56 am to dnm3305
quote:
Drafstmen draw better than architects to begin with (and it's not even close) and typically it will have to get a stamp of approval from an architect anyway before the bank will give you a loan.
You're not hiring the architect to DRAW. If your architect is halfway decent, he/she will employ a draftsman in his/her firm. You're hiring the architect to help you redesign your space. Aesthetic decisions can be very difficult; subtle changes can make huge differences in the end result.
Another suggestion: find some renovations in your neighborhood you really like. Ask the homeowners who they used for design assistance.
Posted on 9/4/14 at 3:57 pm to BullredsRus
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This post was edited on 1/26/15 at 3:06 pm
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