Smoothing the Bumps on the Road to Your Dream House

April 3, 2010 - PRLog -- 1.   Know your budget: Dream homes come in all sizes and prices, but to work efficiently, an architect needs to know whether you want to spend $250,000 or a million dollars. There is a direct correlation between the size of the house and the construction cost price of the house.  Is your house going to cost $80/sf or $125/sf? You need to have an idea during the preliminary design phase. Also, your builder needs to know your budget before he prices your plan.
2.   Know your spatial needs: How many people are going to live in your house? How many rooms do you need and for what functions will these room serve for the entire family? Do you require a home office, an in-law suite, a three car-garage, an exercise space? “I typically engage my client’s vision by asking them series of questions from our firm’s “CUSTOM HOME DESIGN-CLIENT QUESTIONNAIRE” (to get a copy of this form,  go to our website at http://www.boyehomeplans.com and click “WELCOME” page and go to item #3 under the heading “OUR DESIGN SERVICES TO SERVE YOU”) to get them thinking about how and what kind of spaces they wished they had or required” says Architect Boye Akinola, AIA of http://www.boyehomeplans.com.
3.   Know your style preferences: Everyone has a different image for a home. Is that image a contemporary, traditional, country cottage, European or Victorian style? “Some of my clients come meet with me with copies of magazine pictures and plan cut-outs to show me exactly what type of staircase, interior design colors, window or exterior elevations styles they want, what kind of plan layouts and other home design requirements. That’s great! Then I know the visions and dreams they are talking about  and the more I know, the better I can tailor the design to suit them,” says Architect Boye Akinola.
4.   Know what to look for when hiring a builder: “You need a builder who has a good character, who can communicate well, and who has at least 3 to 5 years of experience in building homes, because residential construction is much more personal and detail oriented than commercial work and someone who is familiar with the construction side of the business” says Architect Boye Akinola.  It expedites the process also if you have an architect also assist you in checking the contractor’s work periodically so as to ensure that the house is built exactly according to the architect’s blueprint and homeowner’s desire. Some clients prefer the architect be involved during the construction process. Spell out all the details of the pricing and the specs for the house ahead of time with the contractor before signing a contract. In the addition to the contract, agree in writing on an itemized list of building specs of all the materials and systems for the house. Expect to stay in constant communication (sometimes almost everyday other day) with your builder during the building stage. Also, make sure you visit the site almost everyday or every other day to check on the progress of the construction. Also, do not pay builder until each phase of the construction has been completed in relationship to the builders request for payment to the bank or to you. Most custom homes take seven to 12 months to build.

For more information and additional Home Design Tips to Know before You Build, contact Your Luxury Home Design Expert, Architect Boye Akinola, AIA at boyeakinola@boyehomeplans.com.

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Since 1993 at 30 years of age, one Atlanta Architect has been in the fore front of this trend and is proud to make a difference in designing and creating a signature style of homes in Atlanta and the rest of the Nation. Architect Boye’s name has been synonymous with creative, innovative, and visionary luxury residential and commercial architecture in Atlanta, the national and global real estate market place. Boye and his award-winning Atlanta firm, Boye Architecture, Inc. (formerly bA Design) & http://www.boyehomeplans.com are recognized for their unique brand of visionary commercial and residential design, innovative and technologically superior construction drawings and cost effective project management. Some of Architect Boye’s homes have been featured on national TV on shows like MTV Cribs, popular Bravo’ reality show-Atlanta Real House Wives, Fine Living TV, and on print media in the Home Finder-Atlanta Journal Constitution, and Atlanta Business Chronicle to name a few.