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Can I Design my Own House Without Hiring an Architect?
Building your own house on a budget is everyone’s dream, but how can you keep your expenses in control while doing so? Not by compromising the material’s quality or cutting off any procedure in the house plan. So, the one thing many house owners decide is not to hire an architect. Well, sure! You can create your house plan, manage the construction, and design it while keeping your likes, dislikes, and choices in mind. It’s easier to do it yourself than explaining and paying someone else.
In this article, let’s discuss two things: Should you skip the architect and design your own dream home? Let’s break down the pros and cons of going DIY versus hiring a pro.
Aspects to Keep in Mind While Designing Your Own House
Yes, you can design a house even when you’re not hiring an architect or not an architect yourself. But it would help if you were careful with a few things so that your house has a firm foundation, good resale value, and a long-lasting future guarantee.
Here is a list of a few factors you should consider before taking a considerable risk;
Building Codes and Regulations:
Before you design your own house, make sure you understand the local building rules. This way, your dream home is safe and up to code.
Knowledge and Expertise:
No work can only be done with it, especially a job that involves a lot of money, time, energy, and, of course, our emotions. Building a house? Knowing the basics of architecture is key! This includes design ideas abd principles, methods of construction, and the different materials you can use.
Safety and Security:
The most crucial factor to remember while designing your house is a safe and sound plan that meets all the requirements. The priority should be a safe and sound plan that meets all the requirements. You can also seek consultation and help from an engineer for that.
Functionality, Practicality, and Aesthetics:
Everyone loves to have the best of both worlds. And why not? When planning your dream home, think about how you’ll use each space. This will help create a functional and stylish layout that works for you!
Importance of an Architect
Every future homeowner has their ideas, interior layouts, and many other features planned out for their dream house. We are accustomed to being comfortable with the layout of the house that we have already lived in. Let’s be honest: the thekaydaars of Pakistan have been using all but a typical layout and design. Clients usually go with these basic layouts, like a drawing room with dining on one side, a kitchen and lounge on the other, and two bedrooms on the far back.
Believe me when I say houses are much more than these old and beaten layouts. Houses should be inclusive, and their exteriors should reflect their personality.
Pinterest is great for design inspiration, but there’s more to it! Design is very dependent on context, and home builders usually need to gain such skills because they have yet to be trained in this field.
Building a house on your own is tough! It can be tricky, a lot of work, and have both good and bad sides. Below are details discussing why and when you need an architect.
Who are Architects?
According to the dictionary, Architects are building experts. They design your dream home, create a plan to build it safely, and even watch over the construction process to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Architects are like building experts! They use their knowledge and skills to turn your dream home ideas into a safe and legal plan, following all the building rules. They play a vital role in building and beautifying our society.
When Do I Need An Architect?
Even though you now need to hire an architect, especially under the rules of society, there are also workarounds to this requirement. They only need the signatures of the architect and individuals in the market to sign off plans for society with minor fees. Suppose you are just constructing your own house and not some skyscraper. Saving money while building such a financially heavy project might seem enticing. But do look at the overall picture; you are spending millions based on your hunch.
Hiring them can save you money, as they are well-known and well-versed in all the issues of materials and construction-related challenges during home building.
Do I Really need an Architect to Design my House?
Let’s put it this way: why do we need professionals? Doctors, engineers, tailors, or even gardeners? These experts study and gain experience by spending lots of time and energy understanding and becoming experts in their field.
Similarly, an architect also spends five years to get a degree only to help you build your dream house in the best possible way. Here are a few points telling us how an architect can help you with the planning and building process;
- Planning and building a house is a lengthy and disruptive procedure, and working on an under-construction site can be tiring, too. Architects here help us by running all the procedures smoothly and swiftly.
- A house needs many professions, such as engineer, plumber, technician, carpenter, etc. Your architect may have many links in the industry and resources to help you find the best.
- Architects wear many hats when it comes to your dream home! They not only design the layout, but also create detailed instructions for builders. This includes things like digging plans, wall measurements, foundation details, and even where the electrical wiring and plumbing should go.
- Talking about budgets and links, they can get the best material at reasonable prices.
- And last but not least, their designs have a great resale value.
How to Find the Best Architect?
The rise in population increases the number of buildings and houses in a city, as well as business activities and opportunities. Similarly, transforming Islamabad from an uninhabited land to a true metropolis has also blossomed the opportunities and work for architects.
Google Search for Architects in Your City
There are many ways to find or eventually hiring an architect. One is through Google Search, where you can view all the different architecture and interior design firms offering their services. Have a look at their work, which they have posted on updates and reviews of their clients. Ratings and recent reviews show you how well they are doing.
Website
You should look for an architecture firm portfolio on their website before hiring any architect or architecture firm. Do not try to find the ideal house that you are going to get built from there. Look to see if you like the design. There are many architecture studios in Islamabad and elsewhere who design houses according to their clients’ preferences.
Visit Architecture Firms and Discuss
Do take time to visit the architecture firms that you have shortlisted and talk to the architects there. You are basically looking for good problem solvers with good design and management skills. Discuss your needs and how long they will give you services. Construction is a long and painstaking journey, and any architecture studio sticking with you until the end will also charge more than the others.
Discuss with their Previous Clients
See if the architecture firm is comfortable with you discussing and visiting their previous projects. Do try to visit the houses that appeal to you. Chat with clients about their experience with the architect. Ask them about the steps involved, how it felt working together, any challenges they faced, and what might have made things smoother.
Muhammad Siddique, a Naval Anchorage 1 Kanal homeowner, regrets not planning their house more. They wished they had been more involved in the decisions. Although they loved their house and how it evolved during our discussions, they needed to be more open initially. Thus, many changes were made during the construction.
The construction process was also made easier as they received top supervision from architects. If any change was made on site, the architect was notified, which made the construction process go smoothly. Mr. Siddique is one of our many satisfied clients; thus, we have posted the Google location of each project with their consent. Anyone who wants to talk to the client or visit the project at their discretion is free to do so.
Ask Family and Friends
You can also ask your friends or family to recommend an architect if they have experience with one. Many people are comfortable going with an architect their family and friends have also previously worked with.
Extra Tip When Hiring an Architecture Firm
Always confirm if the architect you are hiring is registered. Also, ask what services they will provide; have it written in the contract if they are giving or promising some services. Decide at the start if you want to go with interior design. Are there any mandatory site visits you will get, and how early should you notify the firm when you require them? Also, make a WhatsApp group where all your consultants, especially architects and construction firms, can coordinate.
All The Reasoning is Fine, but I Can Sketch a Floor Plan of My House
Well, sure, you can sketch the floor plan of your house, but there are many intricacies involved in the house, like what is the allowed covered area of the house. Is the structure design of the house optimised according to its loads? Is the home well-ventilated? Are the washrooms going in the direction of the qibla? Is the circulation area too much, or how much? Do you have the construction drawings and blow-up details for the construction company or the contractor?
These are some of the points that your architect and architecture firm make sure to resolve and provide. They ensure that your project is designed and built according to your budget and that the designs and materials that they suggest for your home are the best possible.
So You Do Need an Architect for the Plan and Exterior of your House!
Designing your house on your own can be an exciting venture, and you can do it. Many websites and applications offer free plans, which can be handy and affordable, rather than paying loads of money to an architect to make a fresh new one for you.
But it cannot always save you money and is highly risky, too. If you really want to build a house on a budget, hiring an architect can be a big help.
Thinking about building a house? An architect can help get you started on the right foot. They can create a house plan that reflects your lifestyle, what you need, and how much you want to spend. Plus, it should be according to the building codes and regulations and have all the safety steps.
Designing a house is a considerable investment of money and emotions. You should not compromise on it and always keep the best of the best professionals by your side!