"jtpr" wrote in message
ups.com...
We just bought a house across from the ocean along the NH coast, it has
always been our dream to live there. It is a small 2 bedroom bungalow.
Our plan going into this is to rent it for a couple of years then sell
our current house, using the equity to build on the new one and make it
our final home for the "golden years";+}

Anyway, we have never undertaken anything like that before. So, last
night we met with an architect to just get an initial idea of our plan
and how this works. It was disappointing to say the least. Our
budget of no more then 200k for renovations wasn't going to get us
much. She felt a rule of thumb was $200/sq ft. The hitch is we need
to include the square footage that currently exists as it will also be
touched in the renovations.

This is a fairly expensive area. My question is would I be better off
getting somebody from another area to do the construction? Another
architect? As I say, I have never done something of this nature, so
all advice is appreciated.


The architect was quoting you at today's prices. In a few years the cost
will be higher. The good news is that you have plenty of time to plan.

You should determine what your absolute needs and wants are and meet with
some architects and designers. When you get final plans drawn up you can
shop around for bids from contractors and suppliers. If you act as your own
general contractor (A lot of work) and solicit bids from sub-contractors
yourself you can save some money. Make sure your plans are as detailed as
possible and that you have determined specifications for as much as
possible. The specifications can contain part numbers and manufacturers
names. The more detailed that your plans are the more likely that each bid
from a contractor will be for the same work and materials. The more planning
and shopping around that you do, the more money that you can save.

Something else that you might be able to do is to start stockpiling
materials now. Manufacturers and suppliers have sales and closeouts from
time to time and you can find some bargains on plumbing fixtures, lighting
fixtures, flooring, cabinets, etc.