If you are planning on building a new house, converting your loft or extending your house, the best way to start your project is to acquire architectural floor plans.
Architectural plans will help you gauge and visualize your project long before you even decide if you want to ahead with your plan. As a matter of fact, if you are planning on any project, it is best to first invest in a concept package. A concept package will help you understand what your investment can and may become in the future.
If you are thinking of building a property in the next three years, you need to have the sets of designs and construction drawings outlined below that show the concept of your plan in order to acquire the go-ahead to plan your project or legal permission to go ahead with your design and construction. You may also need to check land registry plans.
1. Existing Architectural Floor Plans
This refers to plans that show exactly what the building looks like as it stands at the current moment. Your architect may at times choose to appoint individuals to draw up the existing floor plans but at times it is also possible to come up with existing architectural floor plans from drawings that are already on file.
2. Architectural Design Plans
This refers to your proposed construction design which takes into account your personalized tastes, future needs and the planning regulations in your local jurisdiction. Remember that for certain house extensions you do not need any permission but even in such circumstances, you will still need to acquire a legal permit to carry out developments so that you can prove that your extension was legal should you decide to sell your property.
3. Elevations
This refers to vertical architectural plans that outline the layout of your interior and exterior walls. This includes the placement of your windows and/or cabinets in the kitchen.
After you have been able to secure permission to plan your construction the next most important thing to seek is building regulation drawings. You can get these drawings from your architect. Building regulation drawings basically offer more detailed explanations on your upcoming construction. For example, they state where each thing should go and the type of materials that should be used during construction. During the actual construction project, the contractors can use the building regulation drawings when creating their own work drawings which can include:
• Structural Drawings
Before starting any proposed construction on your property, it is important to get a structural engineer to take a look at the nature of your current property. This will allow them to create quality structural drawings that will take in to account any necessary structural reinforcements and the type of materials that should be used in the upcoming project.
• Electrical Connection Drawings
These drawings will entail all your property needs for optimal lighting. They typically include the placement of sockets and extra lighting needs. It is imperative that you ensure that your electrician walks you through their plans and you agree with their ideas before they are put into effect. This is because getting the perfect lighting can be arduous and expensive. For the reasons above, you cannot afford to get electrical work in your property done wrong even once.
• Plumbing & Sanitation Drawings
These drawings usually show how your bathroom will be designed as well as the placement of pipes and bathroom fixtures. When your architect is coming up with these surveys, they should take into account the findings of the CCTV survey they do before starting on the project.
One very crucial thing that is always overlooked when it comes to planning for any construction is 3D renders. For the best results with your upcoming project, do not forget to invest in 3D renders early.
Though this article is about construction drawings, they do not fully capture all that construction entails. However, if you are planning on adding value to your project and priming your property for sale, pay attention to what has been discussed above!