My Daily Nourishment

 link to photograph source

 Buying a ‘fixer upper’ is often a choice people make for one of three reasons; the building is beautiful in itself, in a beautiful spot, or maybe financial constraints mean that this is the only avenue available to someone who wishes to own their own property. Of course, there will be other reasons why people are driven to take on such a challenge.

Derelict properties are often only worth the land they sit upon. Sometimes the building may be listed and, therefore, demolishing it and building new isn’t an option. This often leads to properties standing empty and unused for years as the cost of renovation will be more than the property will be worth when complete.

If you are considering buying and renovating an old, dilapidated property, it is essential that you consult an expert in this field. Architects provide a range of services that will help your purchase and renovation project be a little less risky and, hopefully, run to completion without a hitch.

Here are some services the architect will provide.

Survey

If you are buying a property for cash, it is possible to do so without a professional survey. Most lenders, however, will make this a condition before any funds are released. Now, even if you think that you have knowledge of building, you do not have the qualifications that are only gained from years of study. In fact, most of us don’t know the difference between roof joists and fence posts. An architect will carry out a complete professional survey and will discover any hidden problems that are not immediately obvious to the untrained eye. An early survey will help someone come to a decision on whether to buy a property or not.

Plans

Renovating a property is not usually a case of simply restoring it to how it used to be. The property is often altered and extended in some way. It is at this point that the amateur builder can fall foul of the local planning and building regulations. Finding your way through all of this red tape can be a minefield. An architect has a deep knowledge of every aspect that will be encountered during the project. They will draw up plans that will meet regulations and follow the process of acquiring planning permission for you should you wish them to. Even if planning permission is declined, the plans will be professionally altered and resubmitted.

Building

Perhaps you are confident in overseeing the project yourself, but if the thought of this is daunting, your architect has a solution. They have contacts in the building industry and will know the right man for the job, so to speak. The architect will oversee the project from start to finish and inspect the building work at every stage. They will meet with the contractors for you and arrange a schedule of works for them to follow. So, from the initial survey to drawing up the plans and overseeing the build, the client can have confidence that the project is moving forward professionally and correctly.

So, as you can see, there is a compelling argument for using an architect prior to, and during any restorations. Many people have discovered to their cost that an old property needing  renovation has quickly turned into a money pit. Architects are a strong line of defence against situations such as this.s this.

Both comments and pings are currently closed.