Timing for Renovations

For anyone that has done a major renovation, how long did the design process take? Specifically, if you remember, how long from when you first met with yrou architect, they measured your property, you agreed on drawings etc. until you were ready to file for permits and send the drawings out for contractor's bids?

Any insight would be helpful, TIA!

Re: Timing for Renovations

What are you looking to have done? That will be a bif factor in timing.

Timing for Renovations

The design process took us 18 mos. *before* hiring an architect. Most of that time was me teaching my wife to become aware of what makes a good design and then figuring out what she liked vs. with what she was familiar. Then we had to find a house that could serve as the "canvass" upon which we would make our ideal house. Then it took me about 4 mos. to sketch various concept drawings for her approval; during which she started making a scrap book of houses and rooms she liked. By the time we hired an architect (mostly to engineer the rooflines...which I couldn't do) we already knew what we wanted and why. The architect insisted on doing a couple of his own concept drwgs. for our consideration but we kept to our original plan, except for a couple of "tweaks" here and there. Architect took 4-6 wks. (I think). And that's mostly for the roofline only!

BTW, most architects don't know good residential design since Universities focus on commercial; none know historical residential design.