Renovating: An architect's guide

1. Undertake a feasibility study
Don't get an architect to just draw up what you think you want - they should take your ideas and build on them. Ask them questions and test their knowledge – they should get spaces in your home to work for you and understand how you want to live in your house. Ask for 3D views of your project – this is crucial for understanding what you're going to get.

2. Consider your key decision drivers
Think about how you use your home – do you use the front door or do you always come in through the kitchen entrance? Consider why and whether this is this something you want to change.

3. Do you like their style?
Get a feel for an architect. What is their specialism? Are they used to doing green builds, contemporary or classic structures? Think about what sort of thing you are looking for and whether this matches up.

4. Think before you start
How you will break up the spaces? Where will your furniture go? How will you arrange things after the build? Careful planning prior to starting your project will ensure that once everything is finished, you don't end up finding that your sofa can't fit in your new living room.

5. Go natural
Try and use existing and natural materials in your home. If you already have a concrete floor for instance, don't cover it up with lino, but find a way to work with it instead.

6. Be creative
Think of playful ways to turn the traditional into something a bit different. Splashes of colour on the inside of a traditional build will make it stand out.

7. Redesign instead of extending
You don't always have to extend to get a new layout. Sometimes you just need to redesign your existing spaces. Be clever with your design. Mosaic tiles open up a space, for example.

8. What's the view?
Think where the best views are when you're redesigning. What do you want to see when you look out of your kitchen window, for example? This will help determine where you want the various spaces in your house to go.