Confused about whether to hire an architect..

Sarah24

We are having original kitchen+dining room + lean-to knocked through with a small extension within 3m. We'll be having a new kitchen fitted and a chimney breast removed. We might have to leave some of the back external wall in to save cost of steel. Downstairs toilet being built also.

Also small bathroom and toilet made into one bathroom adding some space from the landing. Maybe a new suite (certainly new tiles/ floor)

We live in a 1930s semi in Surrey (zone 6 London)

The work we want seems fairly standard. Our budget is not nearly as brilliant as we had thought and the architect quotes are between £2180 and £3800. This includes Survey, planing and submission
Structural and buiding regulation design, certificate and ordance survey and party wall survey. The latter price includes estimates for meetings for the tender process and Site visits.

We are getting mixed messages from builders/ freinds family as to whether we actually need an architect at all. 3/4 builders absolutely required them to be able to quote. One other said he could do the drawings for a small fee.

I am just imagining what we could by with 2.5K (much nice kitchen, some other new carpets in the house etc etc) and I wonder does the job even warrant an architect?

Any advice welcome....

southcoastrgi

how are you doing it with the council ? PD, building regs or full plan submission ? do you have any steels going in or major structural work ?

keystone

I would have thought this was doable without BUT the more expensive one includes vetting the builders prior to tender and also project management by the sound of it. Difficult call tbh. Depends how much you trust the builder who said he will take the task on.

Cheers

shays_mum

Hi Op,
Are the quotes you getting from people you know? word of mouth?. I am looking for an local architect for a similar project, but they were quoting me alot more than you without planning/structural work!! :eek: (ps am in Surrey as well!)

Sarah24

Thank you everyone for the replies, for some reason I didn't get the email notification, hence the late response....

southcoastrgi wrote: »

how are you doing it with the council ? PD, building regs or full plan submission ? do you have any steels going in or major structural work ?

I think we are applying for the building regulations. There is a wall in the middle coming down but I don't think we can afford the steels for the entire external back wall to come down.

keystone wrote: »

I would have thought this was doable without BUT the more expensive one includes vetting the builders prior to tender and also project management by the sound of it. Difficult call tbh. Depends how much you trust the builder who said he will take the task on.
Cheers

I do have an instinctive trust from the builder we want, he is spouse of a colleague, experienced and also has been recommended to us. He is easy to talk to and communicative.

shays_mum wrote: »

Hi Op,
Are the quotes you getting from people you know? word of mouth?. I am looking for an local architect for a similar project, but they were quoting me alot more than you without planning/structural work!! :eek: (ps am in Surrey as well!)

The quotes have been from either, a recommendation from builders (that were in turn recommended to us) or spouses of people we know. PM me if you want more detail, what sort of quotes have you been getting? To be honest our budget is so stretched I am tempted just to do it ourselves but I also dont want to make a pigs ear of it. But maybe it is a simple enough job that we can pull it off. Argh, this decision is driving me rather mad.