To renovate or not to renovate?

An architect can help you decide. The costs of renovating should be

weighed against the value of your house, neighborhood real-estate values and
the availability of other properties that could meet your needs. Many times,
renovations are not, or are just barely, cost effective. Kitchens and master
bedrooms typically bring a higher return on your investment than other spaces
or amenities. When analyzing your wants and needs, an architect might ask:
Do you want to improve your house for you and your family or to increase its
resale value? If you intend to move three to five years after the renovation is
complete, it may not be worthwhile going through the renovation process.

It's easy for renovation projects to snowball when you begin to consider
existing utilities, wiring, insulation, and windows--even finishing touches such
as window coverings, furnishings, and artwork. Meeting with an architect to
plan your renovation sets the stage for building cost-efficiency into your
project. By setting parameters early in the renovation process, your architect
can help you control costs before construction begins.

Renovating your Home

See through walls and floors.

Behind those walls and beneath that floor can lie potential problems, especially
in older homes: plumbing, wiring, heating ducts and foundation.

It's important to consider how these systems might be affected by your
renovation and the potential effect this could have on your budget. Outdated
wiring may not support the increased power needs of your modern home office
or family room. A new kitchen or master bath might require considerable
rerouting and replacement of existing plumbing. Or, a weak foundation might
have to be reinforced to support an addition. An architect takes such
possibilities into account when assessing your situation and developing a
design, which can help avoid costly surprises later when you're under
construction.

Your architect will help you understand how you use the space you have now,
and how you'll use the space you want to create through the renovation. Do you
want formal, quiet space separate from common areas or airy, informal space?
Have you thought about how the renovated space could be designed to fit your
family as it changes in the future? Have you thought about how the space could
serve a dual-purpose, such as a home office that can double as a guest
bedroom? Designing for multiple purposes can minimize the additional square
footage you'll need and maximize the square footage you'll create. For
example, you might want to expand the living room to provide quiet space for
reading and occasional work at home. But after exploring how your family
currently uses space, the architect might demonstrate how the space and
privacy you desire is best attained by creating a large master bedroom instead.
Your architect has the knowledge and experience to show you the possibilities.

Visit the job site and administer construction.

An architect's involvement doesn't end with preparing drawings for the
renovation. As your adviser and agent, the architect will visit the site to protect
you against work that is not according to plan. With an architect observing
construction, you get informed reports of the project's progress, a trained eye
toward quality control and even a check on the contractor's invoices--
mandating that the contractor does not get paid until the architect is satisfied
that the contractor has fulfilled all obligations to you.