Are you worried about staying within your budget for your 2022 home renovation? Do you have an idea you’d like to get started, but are worried about whether you can afford what you want? Getting a draftsperson involved and drawing up designs is the first step… or is it? All too often, a draftsperson will focus on creating a beautiful home with a unique design. While this sounds attractive, these plans often go unused if the budget wasn’t considered.

It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of planning your dream home. Renovations and additions that will help improve your quality of life are hard to be patient on. However, if you rush the process and go straight to a draftsperson without consulting a builder, your dreams might come crashing down when you use the plans to get quotes from builders. Here are a few tips that will help you stay within budget:

Find a builder first

Before you meet with a draftsperson, find a trusted builder. An experienced builder has a lot of knowledge of what your project may cost based on past building projects. While you won’t be able to get a quote without the plans drawn, talking to a builder can help you make an informed decision on whether to proceed with drawings or postpone the project until you have a bigger budget.

Understand different professions have different goals

We recommend ensuring that a builder is involved in the process of getting your plans drawn. A draftsperson’s goal is to create unique and stand-out designs which can mean they don’t consider the reality of building their plans. Did you know, around 70% of Architectural home designs never proceed to the construction process. This is because a draftsperson’s job is over after they’ve drawn plans. A draftsperson gets paid whether the construction happens or not. A builder, however, focuses on making your house into a home and seeing what’s on paper come to life. Having a builder involved with the drafting process means they consider the whole job, from start to finish.

Don’t be shy about your budget

If you have a strict budget you want to stick to, make sure you tell your builder. Most people think if they disclose their budget right away, the builder will charge their budget, even if the project is estimated cheaper. If you think your builder would do this, it’s time to find a new builder. You need to be able to trust your builder.

Keeping your budget hidden from your builder can lead to the project staying a dream. In the initial planning stages, your builder can help find ways to keep your plans in reach by suggesting cost-cutting alternatives. If you don’t want to use the alternatives and the project is going over budget, your builder will be able to more help you decide if you should wait on certain parts of your project. If your builder doesn’t know your budget, they won’t know to suggest these options.