You're about 6 weeks ahead of us; we'll close on our 4 acre lot in mid-January. We've already found our builder. Our realtor, who we really like, recommended 4 builders who we interviewed. We went and toured a home under construction for each of our top 2, and chose after speaking to the owners of those homes and getting their references (which confirmed the direction we were already leaning).

Honestly, having the builder selected before finding the lot has made it so much easier. He was able to accompany us when we toured lots, and give us his opinion on suitable building sites. Where we live there's no such thing as flat land, so figuring out how steep is too steep is easier done by a professional than by us. He's also taking the lead in getting our topography survey, perk test and digging the test pits before closing.

He works with one specific architect; we knew that before choosing our builder and had looked at some of the architect's plans online (he is a Southern Living architect). We haven't met with the architect yet but we're confident, based on viewing previous floorplans as well as the recommendation of the builder, that we'll get the home we want.

If you start with finding an architect then you can submit your plans to multiple builders for bids. The key to this is making sure that you've detailed EVERYTHING because if it's not specifically called out in the plan the bids will either not include it or will use the least expensive option available. Some builders will give you a competitive bid and then their suggested upgrades.

Know that your final build cost will likely be 20-50% above where you start so plan accordingly.

You can look at online plans and books but I'd not saddle your architect with them. Let your architect do their thing. Books and online plans are good for specific I like this feature or that feature but not for any kind of overall plan or aesthetic.

Make sure to make a list of the rooms and features you want and rank them. If a craft room is important then list it. If a home automation system is important then list it with what features are most important.

Most builders go with the code minimum insulation and HVAC - the least expensive option legally allowed. Consider upgrading both and perhaps substantially.

Make sure that you orient the house facing north, with the public living spaces to the south. If any architect that you consider doesnt wander the acreage for the perfect building site on it, you won’t have found the right architect. Everything starts with the site, and the orientation of the home on that site.

You shouldn’t find any builder until you‘ve found an architect. Builders who use pet architects don’t actually use architects. They use drafters who report to the builder and are there to make the builder’s build easier, not the homeowner’s home better.

IMO, in view of your requirements (lots of windows, lots of natural light, take advantage of the views, etc.) hiring an architect is not optional. You would be hard pressed to find any stock plans that consider natural light as a priority and have a ton of windows. And certainly, the arrangement of rooms and windows that are specific to your land and views would be virtually impossible to find in any stock plan. You really need an architect in order to get exactly what you’re looking for. And even then, in my experience, I found I had to PUSH my architect until he fully understood what I meant by lots of windows. His first two renditions were woefully lacking (even after I told him I basically wanted a window house). He just didn’t get it. I had to keep saying more and bigger windows. He finally got the message but I don’t think what I wanted and was asking for was the norm for his experience.

EXCITING!

Jan – We may have closed on the land before you, but it sounds like you are way ahead in all other aspects! Good luck and keep us posted!

Opaone & Mackdolan – Sounds like we should find the architect first. And thank you for all the other suggestions.

Nidnay – Yikes! I would be very nervous if the architect I hired didn’t understand what I wanted. I’m not a pushy person by nature. But it sounds like you got what you wanted! Are there any pictures of your home???

So how does one find a good architect? Yelp? Google?

Houzz has many great "Professionals" listed in their "Find Professionals" section, you can search by your area - this is a good place to start - read the reviews, contact the professional for more info, look at their websites, meet with one or two (or more!) - and always ask for references as well. And be sure to check with the local contractor's board and state associations to checked that they are licensed, bonded and insured. Most importantly trust your gut and work with someone you feel comfortable with. It's an intense process, so also be patient. It will be worth the wait!

Congrats on your purchase!

We closed on our place this spring. We spoke to three architects and a design/build firm, and eventually decided on an architect local to the project (we found him on Houzz)

I reccomend browsi g plans for day dreaming and figuring out which arrangements you like and which you hate.

I’d also draw up a list of spaces you need and want - his and hers master baths, crafting room, space for a wood fired cook stove, rooftop swimming pool - whatever it is that makes you happy.

Have a think about which of those spaces needs sunlight and at which times of day. Try laying out a bubble diagram of rooms from East to west and south to north. If your lot has great views which rooms should be able to see them?

Try another bubble diagram of rooms from most public (foyer, living room) to most private (home office, master bedroom)

Mostly these just get you thinking about which spaces and how they are arranged.

Definitely do find an architect though, even though we had a very clear idea of what we wanted, ours has made our plan something really special.

Start searching Online for local residential architects, go from there. We actually found ours by driving through the newest ritzy custom development and seeing ONE home with a design that was so clearly site specific and custom and individual it stood out among a crowd of million dollar homes. We saw the sign for the local architect and went to her website from there.

You want to hire the architect, have them work up your design and considerations, and THEN get three or four builders to bid on it.

If you hire a builder who has a draftsman or architect they prefer you’re losing your biggest design voice and advocate, because they’re the employee/sub/consultant of the builder and not actually yours. Architect first, then all else.

Agree architect first because as mentioned in a design/build firm the architect is beholden to the builder. Their job is to make it as easy as possible for the builder.

Looking at internet plans to show an architect is, in effect, starting the design process at the end and working backward before moving forward. It will only slow you down, increase the design fee and possibly cause you to miss opportunities. If you want to help the architect, take photos of houses or cut them out of magazines and note on them what you like and dislike about them. Be as specific.

Google "architect" and your zip code and look for "sole practitioners" especially older ones. Be sure to go online and check the registration of anyone described as an "architect". Some use the term as a generic description rather than a restricted professional title.

Hi, Jeri,

Sounds like a lovely property.

There are a couple of alternative approaches to designing and building a home that's just the right fit for your site, your lifestyle needs, and your budget. Architects will tend to focus on the former two and builders on the latter. Each of them is important.

Without your builder involved early in the design process you're at risk of what one poster warned could be a 20% to 50% cost overrun. Worse yet, the true cost to build the home typically isn't identified until late in the design process--after you've already spent beaucoup bucks on design and specifications. Fortunately, that scenario is avoidable.

Alternatives to the traditional design-bid-build approach (which often becomes a design-bid-redesign-rebid...approach) include hiring a design/build firm or assembling a team of architect, builder, and trade professionals from the outset and aligning everyone around a common, agreed set of project goals. The American Institute of Architects version of such a team-based approach is called "Integrated Project Delivery" or IPD for short. Here's a link to an article describing a project which got off on the wrong foot and which ultimately employed IPD to everyone's benefit:

https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2014/05/14/a-better-approach-to-designbuild

A word of caution regarding builders "recommended" by your Realtor. It is often the case that such recommendations are considered a "client referral" subject to a referral fee paid to the Realtor by the builder (and ultimately passed on to you.) In our area, Realtors demand as much as 6% from a builder because the builder's name and phone number happened to be on the long list the Realtor gave the client. Such fees are rarely, if ever, disclosed by either party. Caveat emptor.

Personally, I disagree builders care about the budget more than the other professionals. It’s more that much cost tends to be in the level of finish, more than the structure or site works. Those aren’t usually the costs that o see getting out of hand so much as tile, appliances, fixtures, etc. Mama’s mack daddy oven can break the bank awfully fast ;)

Our architect mentioned flat our that budget was a huge consideration in how she crafted designs, both In the materials she specified and the actual shape and dimensional choices of the plan. Any resodential architect worth their salt will create a design that can at least ballpark for the budget indicated, and THEN you go forth with bidding it with specificity. But that discussion has to happen before ever going to a builder or you’re risking taking a plan to them that they can’t actually build for you.

Having the builder involved in the design tends to muck things up when your intention is to put it out to bid to *multiple* teams. An architect familiar with your region will also be familiar with the general costs of materials and labor in the area. I’ve just seen way too many projects to here the builder tried to push the design or materials into his own personal preferred familiar territory, even though it didn’t fit what the home owner wanted to take advantage of perhaps newer or more engineered building and materials solutions like fiber reinforced concrete, moment frames, panelized construction, what have you.

These things absolutely have to be bid out and fleshed out with a builder, but the design process isn’t one he needs to be involved in until the structural and site plans are at least 95%.

I agree with CRH, but would like to make one minute clarification (not a correction). The term "tend" (Regularly or frequently behave in a particular way or have a certain characteristic) in not all inclusive. There are architects that focus on the client's site, needs, and budget; and there are builders that also focus on the client's site, needs, and budget. Assembling a team of architect, builder, and trade professionals from the outset and aligning everyone around a common, agreed set of project goals tends to work out very well in my experience.

Thank you to all for the input! So much to learn!

Many of you believe that finding the Architect first is the way to go. If we find an Architect in our area that we trust and decide to go with, would he/she have builders to recommend?

Hi, Jeri,

If the architect you choose has done any amount of residential new construction projects, they will have a working relationship with a number of builders. They should be able to recommend one that's the right fit for your project.

Ours has several builders she likes and trusts, but we could put it out to bid with whoever we wanted. For certain projects one team may be a better fit than another, even if it isn’t one of the first go-to builders or project managers the architect would normally dial.

be thinking of a list of 'must have', want if we can afford, and no way do we want/need XXXX. The more items you can choose early in the process will make it easier to stay close to budget-keeping in mind which items are going to be the most 'high dollar', for example, kitchen counters and cabinets vs. light switches (although some of those switches can be pretty pricey!) Consider getting a kitchen designer early in the process.

We’re nearing the end of our build. we started with the architect but if I did it again I might start with the builder and get their recommendation for an architect. I think the standard process may vary geographically.

to find a builder, what worked for us was getting a referral from a lender. I would call local lenders who do remodeling and new construction loans. A lender has an interest in a builder who does quality work in a timely manner. our builder was fabulous, found through a lender.

i have a friend who found their builder through an architect and their project is the biggest saddest disaster. Their story could be on the news but I won’t say it here as it’s their story. But awful. Our architect recommended a builder who woukdnt call us back and led us on for awhile until we found the builder on our own. after these experiences, which are not that many, i have started to recommend getting referrals through lenders not architects. Although the very good architects on this board are probably exceptions to that and my sample size is small

Another thing - to find architects I might also attend architectural review board meetings if any towns in your area have these. In our town there are 5 ish architects on the board you can listen to and then other architects propose projects. So you could discreetly observe maybe a dozen actual local architects in one evening!

our architect was valuable in many ways and glad we used one but to find a builder the lender was way more helpful. I did find the builder to be more focused on affordability less on design Just my experience

First off Congratulations! We are nearing the end of our build and i couldn’t be happier but it took me a long time to get to where I am.
My first advice is if you go with an architect first make sure you can build the house you design. I designed a beautiful home (luckily I was working with a family friend who is an architect) and when it came time to look for a builder it was going to be way out of my budget. You can totally get carried away when building a dream house and a lot of builders can keep you in check with your budget.

We ended up going with a builder that had an in house architect. We interviewed many different architects and builders and chose one that fit best for our project. One more tip when planning your floor plan is to think about all your furniture and how they will fit in each room. Good luck with your adventure!

If we find an Architect in our area that we trust and decide to go with, would he/she have builders to recommend?

One of my non-negotiables was that my architect had a builder that he recommended for my project. Sadly, one of the architects I interviewed didn't have any connections in my part of the metro area, and that was one of the reasons I chose someone else.

I don't plan on going through the bidding process. I'd rather have the best guy for the job -- that my architect thinks highly of and has a proven relationship with -- and have that builder consult with us during the design phase.

Ultimately, as you can see, there is more than one way to get this done right. :-D

These threads, the first group from Virgil, might be helpful. Hopefully all the links still work,

What's A Well-Designed House?

Tips for Buying Land, Designing and Building A Custom Home Part 1

Tips for Buying Land Designing & Building Custom Home Part 1 Continued

Tips for Buying Land, Designing and Building A Custom Home, Part 2

Tips for Buying Land, Designing and Building A Custom Home, Part 2 Continued

Tips for Buying Land, Designing and Building A Custom Home, Part 3

and also

What are you doing to make your house enrich your life?