£1500 for a new steel that architect and structural eng missed on plan
kellyapte
7 years ago
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Bungalow plans, ideas needed for my architect
Comments (121)I have built-in closets under the eaves of an American Bungalow style house in three bedrooms. They measure about 6'x 4', and my son even has a bed in one that is slightly larger, but the ceiling height is between about 2 1/2 and just barely 5 feet, so they aren't as efficient as they can be. In the master, I moved the rod to the back wall (it used to be only the depth of a hanger from the door) and down to a height to hang shirts and jackets, a little over 3' up, and this freed up the two existing short rods on the sides that are set about 4 plus feet up from the floor--long enough for most dresses, skirts and suits and such. This sort of U shaped arrangement works pretty well and the corners are for boxed out of season clothes and a short revolving (sort of a wire Lazy Susan) shoe rack....See MoreWhen do I involve an architect?
Comments (19)Hi again, That makes a big difference and if the budget is not limitless then I would definitely explore what you can do with the existing space before you look into extending. If you look into that and it doesn't work, then you know that you really do need to extend and you know it will be a great use of your budget. Extending will take up a large chunk of that budget (great breakdown suggestion by Jonathan!), so if you don't really need it then personably I wouldn't do it as it leaves you less for everything else I know for us that looking at an architect for deciding on how to reconfigure the space would have eaten into a large chunk of our money! (He had about the same budget as you) we did explore this and got several quotes - which I hasten to add varied a lot! Both a concept planner and interior designer will be able to look at the available space and come up with 3D images of how the space would look and suggestions to reconfigure what you've already got. Put very simply a concept planner will give expert advice on the layout and an interior designer will do the same as this but in addition to that, work with you in all of the interior styling (electrics plans, colour schemes, lighting plans, all your carpentry specifications, furniture, soft furnishings and a lot more!). Clearly the second option is more costly than the first and it is very personal preference on whether you feel you're capable of pulling everything together and getting the 'look' you want without any professional help. I am rubbish at this and was scared to death I'd have spent all this money on the practicalities but would end up with something quite 'flat' if I didn't get help on how to style it all!! There are a few different concept planners on here (Karen from OnePlan mentioned above certainly gets excellent reviews) and also interior designers (Gina from Create Perfect was who we used and we opted for the concept planning plus styling package due to my rubbish ability to pull everything together as a whole look!) Having a professional on board for all of the interiors finishes was a must have for me but this isn't something everyone needs and is a very personal decision!. The cost difference was far less than I expected between the two options, so somehow I even convinced my hubby it was worth a bit extra :) It is definitely worth noting that not all concept planners only offer just the space planning so make sure when you are looking at quotes etc that you get quotes for the different options they offer. I know Karen from OnePlan pointed earlier this week that she can also offer all of the interior design services. They key here is knowing what you're getting for each quote so you can truly compare like for like and don't end up wasting any of your hard earned money :) Also make sure you ask about Trade discounts! Gina passed all of hers onto us so we saved a fortune (thousands not hundreds) on ordering all the things we needed! I'm not sure everyone offers to do the same but it really does add up, so make sure you ask the question when you're comparing quotes. You can do all of the above very early on and I know we started doing this before we even moved in! As it definitely all takes longer than you would think! The next key question to answer if you do go down the concept planner or interior designer would be: Does your new use of the space involve changing any structural walls etc (opposed to just stud walls)? If you are changing structural walls then it is very likely you will need a structural engineer to provide the calculations to your builder for any steels etc (you would also need this for building regs). Our costs for this element were around £1,500. Coming back to your original question on an architect the one thing to keep in your mind is that you will need a basic set of drawings for giving to your builder and also buildings regulations (if there are structural changes) as it will form the contract between you. Because we worked with an Interior designer who did the concept planning for us first, we were just able to tell the architect what we wanted for the drawings so our cost was just £500 for the drawings in comparison to the quote of over £5,000 when we were looking at them doing the design too! A lot of architect's will also recommend (as already seen above) that you have a architectural survey done first- this is so they know what they are working with in the first place and in very simple terms is a version of a floor plan that they can then use for designing from. This can be an expensive option so again, just be certain you would need this (our quote for one of these was £1200 on top of the architect's design fees) I guess one of the early decisions you'll need to make is whether you do want a concept planner or interior designer on board and if you do go down that route you can start very quickly to look at the different layout options they can give you. Clearly if you decide against that then just going straight to an architect will be your first step and I agree with a lot of the comments above about the sooner the better and going for someone you really 'click' with. From a personal perspective I found having an Interior designer on board from day 1 has been the best money we spent through the whole project- this was quite new to me and just having someone there every step of the way was a lifesaver. It also ensured we made all the right decisions at the planning stage! All the trades (not to mention kitchen companies etc) ask you so many questions both beforehand and actually as they're going along and there are so many decisions to be made- it astounded me! Having someone available 24/7 (and this is why getting the right person on board is so important!) just took all the stress away for me. Any decision or thought or panic I had along the way I would just send in real time (WhatsApp!) to her and have a reply in minutes! Having Gina there gave me the advice (and in some cases reassurance) that we were making the right decisions and I know it's saved us a lot of costly mistakes! It's also made what could have been a very daunting process a lot of fun and really quite enjoyable. I take my hat off to anyone who can do this all on their own but for me, spending a bit of money upfront and having someone 'holding my hand' so to speak all the way through was the best money we've spent out of anything! I also secretly know I couldn't have made it look how it looks now on my own in a million years! Hope it all helps, it is only my experience but if it can be of any help to anyone else in a similar situation then all the better. Claire...See MoreStruggling on planning an extension
Comments (35)I'm not sure I understand why your kitchen can't be re-used if you extend sideways? Is that what you meant? The kitchen can be re-used wherever it is at the moment. Yes, you may need more units, but mix and match colourwise is in at the moment. Many people have a different coloured Island to the rest of the kitchen, so that shouldn't be a problem. Yes, you will incur costs with a steel on the side, but it is a standard build and you're not bolting steels together, so it really is relatively easy. You just have to get a structural engineer to work out the load and the steel required. The rest is brute force and donkey work for the builder. I would contact a few building companies - If I ever need help on a build I use MyBuilder. Tell them up front that your budget is 25K decked and finished, with a small contingency and that is also to re-use the kitchen. I usually find that if you stick with one firm, you get more for your money - makes sense, as they're earning more in one place, so, easier for them. If they can't do it for the price and make sure you get a fixed price quote, then they won't want the job and you can move on to the next one. Yes, you can save money by doing all the boarding out etc, then get the builder back to plaster, but if you don't know what you're doing with the electrics, plumbing etc, you can't board out successfully, you'll just create problems. So, try and get a fixed price quote first, you may be surprised....See MoreLayout dilemma. Have we missed a trick?!
Comments (16)Hi Lauren, That's probably the biggest utility room I've seen on a house of this size! I think its a bit over kill and being right in the centre of your house it will clog up the flow and make the house feel disjointed. In order to have a functional house with good flow and lots of natural light you are going to have to rethink the whole floor plan. I don't think the split level idea is worth considering unless your ceilings are very low. Random steps in the house look great magazine pictures and in some limited scenarios are useful but they are not practical for kids, prams, elderly, disabled and the poor delivery guy that has to deliver your washing machine and take away the old one! You've just added an unnecessary trip hazard to your home. I would instead consider raising the patio at a later date when finances allow. In a house of this size a single level floor is safer, will make your house feel more open and coherent. So firstly I think you need a new tape measure! I couldn't work with any of your measurements. None of them add up! I had to base the plans on the measurements the architect labelled and work from there. So my solution for your house is a simple one but I think it will have a big impact and that is to change the stairs from straight to quarter turn at the bottom... Now you can utilise the space next to the front door and I would use this space for the wc. The next few steps could be omitted if the budget is too tight but I do think they would really make your house work well for you. I would build a small porch and remove the existing front door and opening. I would place the coat closet/ storage in the porch. I would reduce the size of the living room by extending the hall by the amount of space taken by the WC. This would create a spacious entrance great for prams, school bags, and shopping trips etc. I think the lounge should be small and cosy, used for watching Tv, reading, quiet time etc. I would remove a large section of the lounge wall and replace with a sliding wall or glazed doors. This means you can have the whole house open plan when you want it that way and the lounge closed off when you want a quiet cosy space. I'm not sure why you say you need a side entrance but I've left it in and created a small utility entrance with storage there. I would move the washing machine and dryer under the stairs. (I have made doors are transparent in the drawings to show their location). I would remove the living room window as I think with the bi fold and the huge skylight, the window is unecessary, as it faces a wall so won't be adding much to the light levels in the house. This leaves the remaining area completely open plan and able to accommodate a large kitchen with island and bar stool seating with 8, extending to 10 seater dining table and a comfortable lounge area. The thinking behind this layout was to take all the centralised "utility" area and divide it up and place it along the edges of the house, freeing up the centre for a spacious open plan living area. If you consider the porch storage, side entrance, wc and washer/dryer stack area, you actually have more "utility" area than before, but here it goes unnoticed and doesn't clog up the flow of the house. The sliding wall, along with the spread out utilities would help create a home where you and your husband get what you both want from it. With the sliding wall open, a large spacious home with great sight lines through out and utilities that aren't in your face. And with it closed, the same spacious home with lots of useful storage and utility space, and a nice quiet retreat to get away from it all. Sliding wall closed: Sliding wall open:...See Moremoiraford
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