Architect, Surveyor or Builder

Geri32

Hi,
I want to have some work done on a house I am buying and I'm not sure who I need to consult with as a first point of call!
In the house my ideal plan is to knock down a large wall (c. 20ft long) inbetween the kitchen and the lounge to create a large open plan kitchen diner / family room (slightly cliched these days I know ).
The wall in between the rooms is load bearing so I know I will definitely need a structural engineer/surveyor at some point but what I ideally want is someone to give me ball park costs for the works and how can give me ideas and options for a alternate layouts in case the total know through is too expnsive.
So what I want to know is should I speak to a surveyor, an architect or a builder- who will add the most value at this planning stage in terms of ideas and costings?
Thanks
Geri

Doozergirl

Geri32 wrote: »

Hi,
I want to have some work done on a house I am buying and I'm not sure who I need to consult with as a first point of call!
In the house my ideal plan is to knock down a large wall (c. 20ft long) inbetween the kitchen and the lounge to create a large open plan kitchen diner / family room (slightly cliched these days I know ).
The wall in between the rooms is load bearing so I know I will definitely need a structural engineer/surveyor at some point but what I ideally want is someone to give me ball park costs for the works and how can give me ideas and options for a alternate layouts in case the total know through is too expnsive.
So what I want to know is should I speak to a surveyor, an architect or a builder- who will add the most value at this planning stage in terms of ideas and costings?
Thanks
Geri

Well, you don't need a surveyor. A structural engineer will do calculations for the steels for you once you know what you want.

An architect will design your space for you, certainly. They may or may not be able to give you an idea on price. Whether you need an architect will depend on how complicated the design is.

A builder will certainly tell you how much it will cost.

Ideally, perhaps, if you're looking for ideas versus the cost of implementing those ideas, a building firm that offers "design and build" might be helpful at this point.

mymedi

I'm not actually sure a complete knock through would be possible with a 20ft load bearing wall! Something to keep in mind!
As for helpfulness and advice - you will get the most help from a builder, no question about it! They would be able to handily suggest options and put a rough number on them. However, builders rarely are willing to spend their time playing consultant on projects that they are not in contract on. Meaning you'd have to engage a builder on a design & build contract basis (as suggested above) and only then they'll spend the time with you. Unless you find one who would be willing to do that without a contract - rare, believe me. I would say that your best bet would be an architect doing a feasibility assessment of the project for you. This way you are not committing yourself to only one builder who you don't know, you would get professional advice and semi-realistic numbers for costs. You would pay some for this, but it'll be worth it in the long run. Plus, you could then decide whether you want the architect to continue helping you with the build or not!

Geri32

Thanks for the replies.
Mymedi, I had suspected it might not be possible due to the length of the room, but about 10 ft of the wall is non-structural.
I've managed to find a helpful builder to come round and have a look to tell me if what I want is pie in the sky, and to quote for at the very least opening up the non-structuaral part of the wall and some other odds and ends jobs in the house that need doing. Then if he can give his opinion of what would work best great, and then he can tell me if he would need architect/engineer plans, so we are going to take it from there.
To be honest I'm finding the whole thing a bit over-whelming and so will probably go for just knocking through the back part of the room instead of trying to create a huge open plan space.
Plus I don't want to spend more in build/steel costs than the work would add in terms of value to the property!

mymedi

Geri32 wrote: »

Plus I don't want to spend more in build/steel costs than the work would add in terms of value to the property!

Keep in mind that joining two rooms together would normally reduce a property's value due to reducing the number of rooms in it! It's really hard to put any kind of number on the value the project you're doing. Up or down in terms of value.

When speaking with your builder, if he doesn't suggest a structural engineer, be very cautious and seek a second opinion!

Doozergirl

mymedi wrote: »

Keep in mind that joining two rooms together would normally reduce a property's value due to reducing the number of rooms in it! It's really hard to put any kind of number on the value the project you're doing. Up or down in terms of value.

When speaking with your builder, if he doesn't suggest a structural engineer, be very cautious and seek a second opinion!

Knocking through doesn't reduce value of daytime rooms, nor add to it. Bedrooms, yes. Price is based on floor space and functionality - even if you do knock through between two rooms, the functionality of the space still remains. eg. You still have decent space for a sofa and a dining table if you knock through those.

I wouldn't worry about value being affected but would bear in mind that you're unlikely to add value with just a knock through. It's just personal taste.