“Why hire an architect” is often a question that arises at those early stages of a renovation or new build. Perhaps you’ve got the basics of the plan. You can see what you need, and you already have some great ideas for the finishes. You have all these ideas laid out, and on paper, it looks clear as day. You want to keep the costs down, and you’re looking for ways to do that. This is one of the critical points in a project where if you’re not careful, things can go awry. We spent years identifying what is wrong (and occasionally right) with the building industry and coming up with solutions. Here are a few thoughts to help you decide what’s best for your project.

“Why hire an architect when we’ve made it this far ourselves”?

When you’re looking at a new build or renovation at the initial stages, it’s deceptively straightforward. Even for people who have been in the industry for years, it’s easy to view the plan as a checklist of items and think, “that just needs these traders, these suppliers, these fixtures — and I can organise them myself and find the cheapest options”. 

But thinking about a project and being in the thick of managing a project are two different animals.  Counterintuitively, the most expensive problems often arise because we are trying to reduce costs at the expense of quality and management.  The problem arises because it’s easy to get a “Yes” from traders and suppliers in the planning stages. They want the work, and they’ll often say they have the skill to complete your project to standard, even if they’re not completely familiar with a technology, design or approach. Recommendations can sometimes be misleading. A trader may have delivered a great office extension for your parents, but does that mean they have the skill and knowledge for your project?

Why Hire an Architect? Because Trying To Cut Costs In A Complex Process Can Lead to Greater Expense — And Disappointment

Shopping around, you can find traders who will get each individual job done. But problems arise when you need traders on-site at a specific time. Each trader is their own business, and as you know, out of fear of losing out, they are often running more jobs at a time than they can handle — often with little care for how that affects their customer’s lives. A three-month project can quickly become an eight-month project when you’re unable to begin the next stage till a certain task is completed. Maybe you’re relying on the roofing and air-tightness to be resolved before you can consider electrics. Then you find out that the roofers missed something because they weren’t in communication with the air-tightness guys or didn’t know about the latest specifications, so now that’s delayed too, because they had another job lined up so it’ll be three weeks before they can come back to you. And now you’re stuck for another six weeks because the airtightness needs to be completed before you can even think about plastering. And the problems, delays, and stress, can cascade until a seemingly ‘simple’ four-month project becomes a nine-month tragedy of errors. This can be tough when you’re waiting on a new home, but when it’s a house extension and you find yourself living on a construction site, it can be a nightmare.

So, why hire an architect, or specifically a build manager?

Because they will be able to avoid many of the issues that arise in this scenario. A good architect and/or site manager will know and anticipate the issues before they arise. They may have their own contractors who they can recommend for the task at hand and will help keep things moving.

At Sigma Homes, we provide a one-stop solution for all of these issues, and more…
We have studied the problems of the building industry in search of innovative solutions. We’ve examined where the bottlenecks occur and how unplanned costs arise. Using modern approaches, standards and “design thinking” techniques, we have streamlined the entire process with a focus on you, our client’s needs. Whether you have a design already laid out or you need help from the very beginning, we will come to you as one team. We put you first. We aim to reduce your costs, reduce disruptions and keep timelines to the absolute minimum. We keep everything clearly defined and on paper from day one so that there are no unpleasant surprises. Our team can help you from the very beginning, to conceive or refine your plans and ensure they’re to spec, and our builders and traders will bring what you want to completion with minimal interruptions, to standard, using the best materials, modern styles and finishes. So that you enjoy exceptional service and exceptional results.

If you’d like more clarity on your own project, we’ll be happy to talk. Call us today on 021 2348095.