If you have a budget--and almost everyone does--you'll be well served to consult with builders to get calibrated with respect to current construction costs before you select an architect or close on a lot. Select your builder early on and get them involved early in the design process to help ensure you don't stray too much from your budget target. That means your architect/designer needs to be a team player or else you'll need to find a design/build firm. Here's a case study to get you started:
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2014/05/14/a-better-approach-to-designbuild
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