Having an extension designed and built is a pretty major project and one which you should certainly give a lot of thought to when it comes to who is going to undertake the work for you. If you happen to live in Derby then there are various channels you can go down to find an architectural designer you’d be happy to award the work to. How do you find him or her in the first place though? Well, here’s what we reckon is the best way to go about it:
1) Ask Around
Can you get a recommendation from a family member, friend, neighbour, colleague, colleague’s cousin etc? Not only will you get a genuinely truthful report on how the work went and whether or not they were happy with it, but you’ll also find out how easy (or not) the architectural designer was to work with. Best of all though, you should be able to go along and see the finished work with your own eyes.
2) Scour The Internet
It’s unusual for a professional architectural design company not to be advertised online these days. Spend time reading through any past projects they have completed on the site, together with any recommendations or testimonials from previous clients. A good architectural designer should be happy to give you the contact details of a past client so that you can find out how the project went and, again, you could ask to go and see the work for yourself.
3) Take A Walk (Or A Drive Around)
You may find an extension being built that you really like the look of while you’re out visiting a friend or walking through town. You might even be driving through a neighbouring village. If it’s just being built then the architectural designer could have a board with his name on it. If so, jot down the number and give him or her a call later that night.
4) Ask Another Professional
Architectural designers in Derby will work with a number of others in the same field, such as interior designers, surveyors and builders. Even someone in the local planning department will have knowledge of the work of a local designer (especially if they’ve gone out to inspect it). People talk and a good designer’s reputation will go before him or her.
5) Check With Trading Standards
Part of your local authority, Trading Standards should have a list of reputable designers on their website. They will also have knowledge of ‘cowboy’ designers so it may even be worth asking them or the planning department if they themselves have a list of recommended architectural designers in Derby that they would personally recommend.
If you’re currently considering having an extension built on to your home then do get in touch with us here at BDS Architecture for a chat on 01332 830313. We would be happy to come and view your current home and give you a list of past delighted clients. In the meantime you can take a look at the type of services we can provide at our website BDS Architecture.
