You are going to have your house built, but to do so you will obviously need a design in which all your wishes have been thought out in a professional way. But what does designing a house actually cost? And do you only have the exterior designed, or are you also looking for interior advice? Read everything you need to know about having your house designed here.
What does a house design cost?
The architect’s fees start from as little as £500, but can go up to around £15,000. The price is often calculated using an hourly rate, fee or per m². See the chart below for an overview of the average cost of having a house designed.
| Phase | Work | Average cost |
|---|---|---|
| Total cost | £23,000 | |
| Second phase | – Permit application – Building decisions – Construction preparations |
£3,250 |
| Third phase | – Final drawings – Choosing tenders |
£2.500 |
| Fourth phase | – Creating construction drawings – Technical advice – Supervising construction |
£10.000 |
| Final phase | – Completion | £5,500 |
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Stage plan house design
When you have decided that you want to have a house built, the designing can begin. There is a lot involved in designing a house. Take a look at the step-by-step plan below to get an idea of how an architect works.
Stage 1: Orientation interview
The architect starts with an orientation interview about your residential wishes and the location where the house will be built. He will also give you information on what is involved in building a house. This gives you an idea of what is possible and the architect knows what your wishes are. After the orientation interview, you decide whether you click with the architect and want to hire him or her to design your house.
Step 2: Sketch plan
A sketch plan is a first design of your new house. The architect bases the sketch on the possibilities of the location, the zoning plan, other regulations and, of course, all the wishes and needs you discussed during the orientation meeting.
Stage 3: Design
If you accept the sketch plan, a design will be made based on the sketch. However, you may also find that the sketch plan gives you whole new insights into what you want. Then the architect will make a whole new design. Not only the spatial design is determined in this step. Together with the architect, you make choices about building materials, finishes, sustainable installations and building systems. This phase consists of several meetings with your architect, so that all your wishes are incorporated into the design. Finally, you will have a complete 3D design with all floor plans, impressions, details and a detailed cost overview.
Stage 4: Permit
To have a house built, you will need an environmental permit. You can choose to have the architect handle and coordinate the building permit application. For simple applications, it takes about 8 weeks before the municipality issues a permit.
Stage 5: Building preparation
In this step, the design is worked out for the contractor selection and the building contract. This contains all the details so that there are no misunderstandings due to the contractor’s own interpretations. The architect will prepare a complete set of documents that you will use to request quotes from contractors.
Stage 6: Execution
If you have found a suitable contractor, the architect can help you draw up a contract to build your house. Once the contract is signed, the contractor will start building your house. Do you want to be guaranteed a good build? The architect can supervise the construction for you to ensure that the final result fully meets your wishes.
Make a 3D design for your house
Online, you can find many different free apps and programmes to design your own house. With these, you create a 3D design in which you incorporate all your wishes and create an image of how you want to design your house. There are also a lot of examples of houses you can look at. Not only is this fun to do, it also helps your architect to get a clear picture of your wishes. So make your own 3D design and take it with you to your architect, so that the architect can easily incorporate all your wishes into the construction drawings of your new house.
Interior house design
When the exterior of your house has been designed and construction has started, it is time for the interior of your house. You can do this yourself, or enlist the help of a specialist such as an interior designer or an interior stylist. They can completely decorate your house according to your wishes and needs. You can also choose to only ask for interior advice and do the rest of the decorating yourself.
Find the right plot for your dream home
If you are going to build your dream home, it is of course important that the plot is suitable for it. Therefore, think carefully about the size and location of the plot. Do you want a plot in the middle of town or do you prefer a detached plot in the countryside. Do you want a spacious plot with a large garden, or do you prefer a compact one? Once you have established these things, start looking for a plot. Building plots sometimes have rules about what you can build on them. Think for instance about the building style and the maximum height. Having trouble finding a suitable plot? Your architect can advise you to make sure the plot is suitable for your dream home.
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Frequently asked questions
The idea to build a house often does not come out of the blue. You have probably been working on this for a long time. The overall design process often takes around two to five months. If you already know exactly what you want, this period is shorter and the design can even be completed in a few weeks. After the design is complete, applying for planning permission takes another eight weeks, with a possible extension of up to six weeks. Once you have your permit in, you have to wait another 6 weeks for it to become final. Once the permit is final, construction starts.
To save money, you may want to do as much as possible yourself. However, designing your house and making construction drawings are specialist projects that require an architect. Things you can do yourself, however, include creating a mood board, picking up the zoning plan from the municipality, having soil tests carried out and collecting all the necessary information from the water board or province, for example. You can also choose to arrange the construction yourself after receiving the design. With an architect, however, you can be sure that the design will be built properly and the end result will meet all your wishes.
It is, of course, never compulsory to hire an architect, but for building your dream house it is wise. After all, an architect knows exactly what to think about and guides you through the entire building process. Furthermore, with their design, they not only make sure your house looks great, but also that it is structurally sound. Still want to save costs? Then let your architect only do the design and do the permit application and construction supervision yourself. Just keep in mind that a lot of time goes into this. An architect can also more easily identify where the construction bottlenecks are and make adjustments where necessary.
