Pre-purchase architect/contractor consultation?

[Anonymous]

Hello! We are currently house hunting in the Bethesda/Chevy Chase area and think - due to our budget and neighborhoods - we may end up with a house that may need significant renovations (kitchen guts, possibly whole additions, etc). Wondering if anyone has had experience or know of architects or contractors who would do a pre-purchase consultation (for a fee? hourly rate?) to help us figure out what might be possible and ballpark costs. I'm not even sure if an architect or contractor would be more appropriate. Or is this something our realtor might be able to help us with? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I once had this impulse.

If you’re planning to move in and then bid this out, I doubt anyone will do this for you. It’s not worth the time or effort. Maybe a family friend would.

If you want to find an architect and say hey, I want to spend $x on the house and $x on the renovation, before we move in, and we have the cash and we want to act fast and we want to hire you to help us pick the house? Maybe.

It’s almost certainly cheaper to find and buy the house you want.

[Anonymous]

We were in a similar position a few years ago. It actually is not cost effective to do this. Just move farther out to a home that checks all your boxes. A 1.2M house that needs an addition --- well that addition is probably 400/500K. Not only that but you have to live through the construction/crappy kitchen etc, potentially for years. Just buy a 1.7M house instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were in a similar position a few years ago. It actually is not cost effective to do this. Just move farther out to a home that checks all your boxes. A 1.2M house that needs an addition --- well that addition is probably 400/500K. Not only that but you have to live through the construction/crappy kitchen etc, potentially for years. Just buy a 1.7M house instead.

You can’t do an addition for that, not close in bethesda, not on a house with two stories and a basement. OP isnt talking about tacking a sunroom on a ranch in the country.

[Anonymous]

I might not do it for a substantial addition unless there were a specific question.

I might do it if I wanted to make interior alterations. An architect can't know what badness is hidden inside walls, but likely can figure out which walls are load bearing.

[Anonymous]

I've noticed there are some real estate agent + builder/architect power couples out there. Work with the agent and the builder or architect might give some advice about the feasibility of renovating potential properties.

Sagatov is one example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've noticed there are some real estate agent + builder/architect power couples out there. Work with the agent and the builder or architect might give some advice about the feasibility of renovating potential properties.

Sagatov is one example.

This!!!
Our agent’s husband was a contractor and she also had extensive experience renovating homes with him. It was tremendously helpful.