If you would like a special custom home for your Colorado horse property, be prepared to spend at least a year getting it right! Here's an overview of the process.
Hiring an architect prior to your search for a lovely ranch in Denver, midst Jefferson or Douglas County real estate, or a horse property in Colorado anywhere can steer you away from expensive problems. But if you have already purchased your beautiful piece of Colorado land with great Rocky Mountain views, an architect will assure that the custom Colorado home design and land features will bring out the best.
After the land selection, you and the architect work together to create a house program. This is a list of the requirements such as the necessary rooms and room sizes, how the spaces relate to one another, where you want the best views and sunlight, factors like solar heat, low maintenance, and a special style. Your notes, photos, and magazine clippings can help communicate your desires to the architect who will estimate the size of the proposed home and estimated cost based on your information. If the proposed cost is not within the budget, the program is revised before proceeding.
The architect begins the design process by visiting the site, studying its character, driveway access, solar orientation, views, locations of neighboring homes and any special site features and creating a site analysis. The architect can refer you to qualified surveyors and soil engineers for the site survey and septic requirements and he will familiarize himself with design covenants and other subdivision restrictions.
Based on the site analysis and the house program, work begins on a design, first with a sketch of site plans showing house location and driveway access, house plans showing room layouts and sizes, and elevations showing a rough concept for the exterior of the house for you to review and refine with him. Then the final design is drawn at a larger scale, incorporating structural and mechanical considerations, and a study model may be built so you can view the design from all angles.
Next comes the set of construction drawings, which includes a site plan, foundation plan, floor plans, exterior elevations, building sections, details, framing and roof plans, and interior elevations, and a mechanical/electrical layout. Heat loss and energy calculations as required by the building department are provided, and a written specification is developed covering quality of materials and workmanship. The construction drawings are used to obtain a building permit, for bidding, and by the contractor and sub-contractors. (For the sake of your timelines, be aware that subdivision architectural reviews can be time-consuming.)
A contracted engineer will size beams and detail the structural requirements of the home. This work is coordinated by the architect but billed to the owner as a separate expense. Certain features in a custom home are difficult to specify or bid at this early stage in the project and are handled as allowance items. Allowances are used for floor coverings, cabinets, appliances, light fixtures, hardware, spas and other owner-selected finishes.
During construction the architect makes periodic visits to the job site on your behalf, but the contractor and building inspectors are the ones responsible for the quality of work. You will find yourself making lots of "little" decisions like choosing the color and door style of the cabinets and the light fixture for the front entry; an alternate route is to hire an interior designer to choose, especially if you would also like help with interior furnishings. Landscape usually comes with basics and a landscaping contractor can suggest designs and prices to embellish it with the rock garden of your dreams. The owner is responsible for all financial arrangements, typically both a construction loan and permanent financing.
Some people love getting very involved in the whole process; others find it stressful or too time-consuming. Just know yourself. To do the job right with the enduring results you are looking for, the artisans (yourself included) need the time to do the job right. It is worth it.
