You finally have the opportunity to design your dream home. Now comes the difficult decision of selecting the best firm to make your dream a reality. There are several architectural design firms in the Toronto area that may be up for the job. At Abbott Design, we understand that this may be one of the biggest decisions of your life and with 20 plus years of experience in the market, we have some tips that we would like to share so that you can rest at ease with your decision.
What to Look For in Architectural Design Companies
The task of selecting the best company for such a big job may seem daunting, but if you can get a few questions answered right off the bat, you will easily be able to narrow down your search. If architectural design firms can’t give you straight answers to these basic questions, it’s time to take your business and your dreams elsewhere.
- How Do You Work with Your Clients? A good firm should be able to describe in detail how they work with their clients to create a beautiful home. They should have a few stories to share and after listening to what you want for your home, you should feel like they are working alongside you.
- What is Your Full Process? From start to finish, what is the process that the firm operates within? This should include details about budget, potential problems, design and a timeframe. The company should listen to your ideas and give you a customized plan for what you can expect from them. If the firm isn’t clear on this, it’s probably because they lack the experience to put together a strong proposal.
- What Do You Envision for My Home? Some architectural design companies create a design based on what they want, not what you While these may be stunning designs, they aren’t what you asked for. The firm should listen to your ideas and be the professionals you can trust to take your visions and put them into a greater plan. After consulting with you, they should be able to present a home that you can see yourself living in.
- What are Your Credentials? This is possibly one of the most important things that you can ask. It’s so important that you should also verify them via a third party. Appropriate certifications are no laughing matter and should be checked carefully. Aside from legal credentials, architectural design firms should be able to provide you with professional references to prove that they aren’t just a bunch of talk.
These questions should give a property owner a good starting point when deciding on the best firm for their project. However, they are just the tip of the iceberg. At Abbott Design, we remain committed to answering all of these questions and more so that you can rest easy knowing that you made the best choice for such an important decision.