RicodJour wrote:
dkhedmo wrote:
We should be closing on our new/first home in a few weeks. 1950's ranch
in upstate NY. I was thinking it could be a good idea to have an
architect draw up plans for remodeling/additions, as sort of a master
plan we could chip away at over the years, and also to avoid making
changes then realizing we should have done A differently in order to
accommodate B, etc. Any idea how much that kind of thing would cost?

Your idea is a sound one. Architects love doing the initial design
stuff, and a master plan will be money well spent in the long run. The
initial design work, commonly called schematics, is almost play time
for an architect. Banging out the construction documents (blueprints
and specs) is the part that most abhor. For that reason alone you'll
probably find that there will be some whose fees will be especially
sweet.

You need to also clarify with the architect whether they will be
expecting to get future work out of the project over the years or
whether you're just looking for the master plan and expect to have
someone else work up the permit sets of plans.

No one that hasn't seen your house and spoken with you about your plans
can provide anything more than a wild assed guess about the design fees
involved. You need to start interviewing architects and locate someone
that you feel you can work with and is on the same page with you
esthetically.

R

Thank you for some helpful insight into the situation. I appreciate your
response and comments.

It would be nice to get something drawn up after we've been in the place
for long enough to get a sense of how we'd like to be able use the
interior and exterior of the property, although we do have some general
ideas right now based on what we liked about other similar houses we saw.

I would hope to go back to the person who worked up the initial drawings
as we get ready to gear up for the serious work.

-Karen-