Topics:

• How can an architect help me with my home improvement project?
• Why do I need an architect? Why can't I just ask my contractor for design advice?
• What are the differences among your levels of service?
• What are some examples of questions and answers in the Ask-the-Architect section?
• What is the difference between your Get-a-Sketch service and HousePlans service?
• Why should I pay for your Get-A-Sketch service for my do-it-yourself home improvement or decorating project?
• How can the your online design services save me time and money?
• Why is it so important to have a design plan before I begin my project?
• How can I use the design plan that I receive from Get-a-Sketch?
• Are your HousePlans professional architectural drawings? Are they computer-drafted?
• How do I know the plans I get from you will qualify for a building permit?
• Can your New House Plans and Remodeling & Addition Plans be used by my contractor for construction?
• What if I have additional questions after I receive my design plan from your Get-A-Sketch or HousePlans services?
• How can you just go by a digital photo of my house to create my design?
• What information do you need to design Custom Remodeling & Addition Plans and New House Plans?
• How can your fees be so low? Don't architects usually charge much more for their services?
• Do I need special technology to use your services?

A: Architects can do much more than just draw a set of blueprints. They are highly-trained professionals who have expertise in every area of home design, including renovation, construction, interior design, space planning, and product selection. For example, architects can not only design an addition to your bedroom or remodel your kitchen, they can also pick out floor finishes and paint colors, redecorate your living room, and reorganize your closet space.

An architect will help you define what you want to build, present options you might never have considered, work within your budget to incorporate good design elements in your project, and save you money on construction costs.

Q: Why do I need an architect? Why can't I ask my contractor for design advice?

A: Unlike many contractors, architects have a trained ability to identify the aesthetic qualities of any space and the kinds of materials and modifications that are needed to enhance it. They also have a sharp eye for selecting and organizing materials, spaces and objects in a functional and visually pleasing way. Architects also help you define what you want to build and they present cost-saving options that you or your contractor might never have considered.

In addition, unlike contractors who sometimes recommend costly renovations just to increase their fee, architects base their design solutions solely on the best interests of their clients, taking into consideration at all times the client's needs and budget. Architects try to find the right combination of utility, style, and price and, in doing so, save you time and money.

Q: What are the differences between your levels of service?

A: VirtualArchitect.com services which do not include a design plan are:
Ask-the-Architect is our free home design consultation service. It should be used if you have a general home design or building and construction question that can be answered by one of our architects in an e-mail (a design sketch is not included).

House Assessments is a written evaluation of your house, which we e-mail to you in a professional report (a design sketch is not included).

Our Custom Design Services Include:
Get-a-Sketch Use this service if you need a design plan for a remodel or addition project, a preliminary design of the new house you're planning on building, or a home improvement project, like building a new deck or adding a porch. Our Get-A-Sketch Designs are typical architectural sketches with enough detail and clarity for for homeowners to price their project with contractors, visualize the transformation of a renovation, or use as a go-by to build their home improvement project. If necessary, the sketches can then be used as a basis for developing the construction drawings. With the Get-A-Sketch service, we will also provide you with an estimated construction cost of your project.

Custom Remodeling & Addition Plans: Use this service if you need remodeling and addition plans custom-designed to your home. With this service, you will receive a complete, professionally design set of plans that contain all the information you need to get a building permit and complete construction.

New House Plans: If you're planning on building a new home, but want a set of house plans that are truly unique, use our New House Plans service for an original, one-of-a-kind house design from a licensed architect. All of our New House Plans are custom-designed to your exact specifications and they contain all the information you need to get a building permit and complete construction.

Q: What are some examples of questions and answers in the Ask-the-Architect section?

A: The following are sample questions and answers in the Ask-the-Architect section. Please remember the answers in this section are a written explanation only - they are not accompanied by a design sketch. Also, you may attach a digital photo to your request for specific solutions geared toward the area of your house you want to change:

Q: The entry foyer in house is dark and cramped. How can I lighten it up?

A: Lighten up the entry area in one or more of the following ways: install a door with glass panels; use light-colored finishes to make it feel bigger and brighter or, open up one of the walls that separate the entry space from the other rooms.

Q: What are some ways I can improve the value of my home?

A: The value of your home can be increased in a number of ways, ranging from small changes to major remodeling. The minor improvements include adding landscaping or painting the exterior in a more updated range of colors. More involved options include adding detailed elements to the exterior of your house (i.e. columns at the entry or eave brackets to accent certain parts of the elevation). Also, updating the bathrooms and kitchen with new fixtures and countertops is a surefire way to increase the value of your home.

Q: What is the difference between your Get-a-Sketch service and HousePlans service?

A: Get-a-Sketch - Use this service if you need a design plan for a remodel, additon, or new house project.. With this service, a real architect will draw a picture of your project before you begin the work. This picture will give you an idea of what your project will look like and how much it will cost.

HousePlans - Use this service only if you need custom remodeling or addition plans or if you want a custom set of new house plans. These plans are computer-generated construction drawings that can be used to secure financing, get a building permit, obtain competitive contractor bids, and complete construction.

Q: Why should I pay for your Get-A-Sketch service for my project?

A: Even if your project is small and simple, most designers will tell you it always pays to plan ahead and get a professional opinion. Get-a-Sketch is a fast, inexpensive way to get truly expert design advice from real architects. For a reasonable fee, we reduce the amount of time during the decision-making process of planning your project since we plan it for you online. We also give you a construction cost estimate of your project so that you will have an idea of how much it will cost.

Q: How can the your online design services save me time and money?

A: VirtualArchitect.com provides custom design plans tailored to your particular project from professional architects. Traditional architectural firms would charge hundreds (or thousands) of dollars and take much longer to perform a similar level of service.

Our online design services save you time and money because:

• We reduce the amount of time you spend planning your project since we plan it for you online. A well-designed project by an architect can be built more economically and efficiently.
• We create a plan of action for your project so that you know exactly what supplies and services you will need and how much money you will have to spend to get the job done.
• We present inexpensive ways to implement good design in your project which will in turn increase the value of your home.

Q: Why is it so important to have a design plan before I begin my project?

A: Most design professionals will tell you that the planning and design stage is the crucial step in any project. These are some of the reasons why:

• If you don't have a definite plan before you start the work, you run the risk of spending too much money on your project and feeling dissatisfied with the finished product.
• If you're using a contractor to build your project, a design plan becomes even more important because it presents your ideas in a visual format. Conveying your ideas verbally to a contractor is never a good idea. The visualization tool of the sketch puts you and the contractor on the same page so that you both know exactly what you want accomplished and how much you want to spend.
• A plan makes it easier to change the design layout if you wish before construction actually begins. Once the building of your project is underway, any changes made during the construction process can be very costly and time-consuming.

A: The sketches from Get-a-Sketch can be implemented in a number of ways:

• Most of the ideas we present in a Get-A-Sketch design plan are so simple they can be carried out in easy, do-it-yourself projects. The design plan will help you figure out what materials and supplies you will need from your local home improvement outlet so that you're not wandering around aimlessly throughout the store wondering what to buy.
• For more complex home improvement jobs that require the services of a contractor, our Get-A-Sketch design, along with our explanation, can be given to your contractor as a construction plan to complete your project. It's a good idea to have a plan like a sketch before a contractor begins the work because:
  • A sketch is a visual definition of your ideas putting you and the contractor on the same page so that both know exactly what you want accomplished and how much you want to spend.
  • A sketch can also leave a contractor with enough flexibility in his use of materials and construction methods to offer you a better price for the job.
  • A sketch acts as a starting point for any changes you might want to make to the design layout before the construction is underway. Any changes made after construction begins can be very costly and time-consuming.
• Our design sketch can also be used to visualize your remodeling or addition ideas on paper to see what it will look like when completed and to find out how much your project will cost before you decide to begin the work.

A: Yes, our HousePlans, including Custom Remodeling & Addition Plans and New House Plans, are professional architectural drawings designed by licensed residential architects with a specialty in house design. They are detailed and complete plans that computer-generated in AutoCad 14, the professional design software used by architects.

Our Custom Remodeling & Addition Plans and New House Plans include all the information you need to get a building permit and they contain all the details your contractor needs to complete construction. Find out what you can expect from VirtualArchitect's HousePlans Design Package.

In other words, our plans reflect the same quality, precision, and skill as that of a traditional architectural firm or house designer, but we deliver them faster and for a lower fee.

Q: How do I know the remodeling, addition, or house plans I get from you will qualify for a building permit?

A: Because all city residential permit requirements are based on three standard building codes, they are all very similiar and easy to follow. Plus, our staff always checks with your city to find out their requirements before we proceed with your plans. If your plans need changes after you receive them, in most cases, we will do them at no extra cost to you.

Q: Can your New House Plans and Remodeling & Addition Plans be used by my contractor for construction?

A: Yes, our New House Plans and Custom Remodeling & Addition Plans are professional, computer-generated architectural plans (i.e. construction drawings) that contain all the details and information your contractor needs to successfully build your project. In fact, the plans you get from us are the same exact plans you would get from a traditional architectural firm, just at a lower cost.

Q: What if I have additional questions after I receive my plans from your Get-A-Sketch or HousePlans services?

A: As part of your Design Package from Get-a-Sketch and HousePlans, you receive free consultation with the architect in charge of your project. Use this time to ask any questions you have about your plans.

Q: How can you just go by a digital photo of my house to create my design?

A: For an architect, a picture does say a thousand words. Architects are visual professionals with a special talent for conceptualizing a design from a simple photo. For our Get-A-Sketch and House Assessment services, all you have to send us is a house photo (you can even send us more than photo if you wish).

For Custom Remodeling & Addition Plans and New House Plans, we will require more information to design your project. Please see the next question for the items we will need.

Q: What information do you need to design Custom Remodeling & Addition Plans and New House Plans?

A: Before we start on your project, we will tell you exactly what information we need and how much we will charge.

You must provide us with these required items:

1. The approximate size (dimensions) of your project so that we can determine the fee for our services.
2. The city and state you live in so that we can research your local building codes. Also, provide your e-mail address so that we can contact you to discuss your project in detail.
3. A site survey, which you will find in the closing documents you received when you purchased your house or land.
4. For Remodels & Additions, photos of the area of your house you want to remodel or add on to. Also, provide a hand-drawn sketch illustrating the layout of the existing area of your house that will be affected by the remodel or addition. Include measured dimensions of this space.
5. A program, which is a written "wish" list describing what features you want your new house or remodel project to include (for example, rooms, room sizes, and any other special features).

For Remodels & Additions:

• Any existing plans of your house.
• Plans you've drawn yourself using an architectural software program, like Home Architect.

• Pictures of houses from books or magazines.
• Hand-drawn sketches illustrating floor plans and exterior elevations that you like.
• Plans you've drawn yourself using an architectural software program, like Home Architect.

1. If you have electronic files of some or all of these items (using a scanner, for example), you can e-mail them to bryan@virtualarchitect.com
2. Fax to 214-526-7390.
3. Send regular mail to VirtualArchitect.com, attn: Bryan Welty, 5207 McKinney Ave. #19D, Dallas, Texas 75205.

A: We have created this site with the specific goal of cutting the costs of design services to a fraction of the industry standard so that we can make good design accessible to everyone. The ease of performing design services electronically allows us to charge lower fees because the Internet speeds up the entire process, reduces our expenses, and eliminates costly and time-consuming meetings. Nevertheless, the designs we present to our e-clients still retain the quality, creativity, and passion of our full design projects.

Q: Do I need special technology to use your services?

A: Our site was specifically created to be user-friendly and very simple for even the novice computer user to follow. All you need is a standard computer with Internet access (no special browsers or software are required). The only gadgets you might need if you want to send a photo to one of our design experts is a scanner or digital camera.