Designing your own home from scratch gives you the rare opportunity to live in the place you really want to, unconstrained by what's already available on the market. To a certain extent, you can let your imagination run wild and add all the features you've always dreamed of.
That said, you won't get far if your perfect design exceeds the limits of what's possible or practical. Which is one of the many reasons you should work with an architect to draw up your plans. It's the only way you can be certain your dream home won't become a nightmare during or after the construction process. But what's the best way to gather your ideas so you can communicate them effectively to an architect? And what can you do to prepare for your first meeting?
Note down your thoughts
At the early stages of developing your design, you might find it helpful to carry a small notebook around with you to keep track of any thoughts you have. Inspiration might strike at any time when you're out and about.
In your notes, you should include a list of all the features you want your new home to include. It's helpful to actually make several lists: one with the things you can't live without, a second list of features you really want but are willing to sacrifice, etc.
It's also important that you decide and write down your expected timescale and budget for the project.
Take photos
If you already have a patch of land, take extensive photos of the area, getting in every detail possible. You might not be able to meet the architect at the lot to begin with, and this will help them immensely.
Start a scrapbook
You probably see a lot of houses in magazines, on the internet, and in real life that inspire you. Keeping records of them gives you some real-life examples to show the architect. Print out any online, and take pictures of houses you see in person – but ask permission first!
Get sketching
Even if you're not much of an artist, try and get ideas down using pencil and paper. Whatever you can manage will help to shape the future designs and lets you communicate your ideas. Be as accurate as you can, but don't worry if you can't create perfect plans – that's the architect's job.
Use words
In addition to your visual records, you'll want to describe exactly what you want. To make sure you don't forget anything when talking to the architect, write down a detailed description of your ideal home. This can be really useful in a face-to-face meeting and gives the architect something to refer back to.
