Advice Hub / First conversation
How to prepare for your first conversation with an architect
You do not need to know exactly what you want to build before getting in touch. Knowing what is not working, or having a sense of how you would like life at home to feel, is a useful place to start.
At Built Together, the first conversation is a chance to understand your property, hear your priorities and explain how we might help. A little preparation can make that discussion more useful, but it should not become another project on your to-do list.
Start with the property and your situation
Tell us the address or postcode, the type of building and whether you own it or are considering buying. Location helps us understand the setting and identify the relevant planning authority. Ownership and purchase timescales help establish which decisions are most pressing.
If you have a barn, outbuilding or plot, explain what it is currently used for and what you would like it to become. If there is an existing planning permission, share the decision and drawings if you have them.
You do not need to collect a full planning history before contacting us. Let us know what information is available and what is still uncertain.
Describe the problem before the solution
“We want a rear extension” tells us one possible answer. “We cannot cook and sit together, and the kitchen cuts us off from the garden” helps us understand the reason behind it.
Try writing three short lists:
- What you love about the property and want to keep.
- What makes everyday life difficult.
- What you would like the project to make possible.
Include ordinary things. A place to put the laundry, somewhere quiet for a video call or a door that keeps the dog out of the kitchen can be important design requirements. If different people in the household have different priorities, bring those into the conversation too.
Share a few useful images
Existing floor plans, photographs of the property and a small selection of reference images can help. If you are sending inspiration, add a sentence explaining what you like about it.
You might be drawn to the light in a room, its warm materials or the way a window seat faces a garden. That does not necessarily mean you want the same roof, room size or construction system.
An estate agent’s plan can help introduce a building, although design work may need a measured survey. Do not worry if your own sketch is rough. Its job is to communicate an idea.
Be open about the budget
If you have a budget, explain what it includes. An amount set aside for construction alone is different from the total available for surveys, professional fees, approvals, building work, fittings and other costs.
If you are unsure, say so. We can discuss how to frame the brief and when further cost advice would help. It is also useful to know whether there is a firm spending limit or whether you are deciding what level of investment feels worthwhile.
You do not need to justify your budget. Sharing it helps us have an honest conversation about the next stage of investigation. Our budget and fees guide explains what to include.
Explain your timing and practical constraints
Tell us about any important dates, such as a purchase deadline or a change in household circumstances. Separate dates that genuinely cannot move from preferences that have some flexibility.
Also mention whether you hope to remain at home during construction, whether you have already spoken to a builder and how much time you want to spend coordinating the project. These points help shape the service you may need.
There is no need to arrive with a construction programme. The first step is understanding what might affect it.
Ask questions that help you choose the right support
You are deciding who you would like to work with. Useful questions include:
- What would you investigate first on a property like this?
- What could an initial feasibility or concept stage help us decide?
- What information would you need from us?
- How will the scope, fees and exclusions be explained?
- Which other consultants might be needed?
- How could your involvement continue after planning?
The answers should help you understand the next step and the level of commitment it involves. You can read more in our guide to project stages.
What happens after the conversation?
We’ll discuss your priorities, answer your initial questions and explain how we can help bring the project to life. The first conversation is free of charge.
From there, we’ll arrange a site visit to understand your property in more detail and explore the next steps together. We will explain the arrangements, scope and any charges before proceeding. Detailed investigation, measured surveys and design work need their own agreed scope, so you can understand what you are appointing us to do.
A few reassuring answers
Is it too early if we are only considering an idea?
No. Tell us what stage you are at. The conversation can help identify whether a feasibility study would be useful or whether another question needs answering first.
Do we need to know our preferred style?
No. Describing the spaces you enjoy and the way you want to live can be more useful than choosing a style label. The design can develop through discussion.
Will the first conversation settle planning and construction costs?
It can identify questions and explain how to investigate them. Reliable conclusions may need a site visit, surveys, design work, planning checks or cost advice. We will distinguish an initial view from something that has been assessed in detail.
Ready to talk?
Send us the property location, a little about your ideas and what you would like to achieve. That is enough to begin.
Tell us about your project, email us or give us a call.