Tutorial 2 - How to Analyse Your Requirements

Think 5 – 10 years ahead. Family Planning!

Setting out your requirements . Most people don't really know what they want, whether agreeing the size of an extension, the way a new home is designed or how to carry out internal alterations. 4 vital points to consider before you start:

1. Be clear about what you are trying to achieve; share this with those involved from an early stage.
2. Take time to select the right home designer; ask to see examples of their work and take up references .
3. Be clear about how you want to live. Consider your lifestyle as it is now, and whether or not you want to make changes.
4. Plan ahead. Think 5 – 10 years ahead.

Where to collect information : I have listed below the main sources of design ideas and information. Also go to www.homedesignonline.co.uk and look at design solutions and the Home Design website directory.

1. Visiting friends, visiting show houses. Have a scrapbook (or a computer file) in which photographs, ideas, articles and snippets of information can be placed.
2. Measure up the furniture you want to re-locate . You will find the templates included within the Home Design Kit give you average sizes of typical furniture for different rooms.
3. Magazines. Go to www.homedesign-online.co.uk to see the various magazines available in home design. It is a good idea to take 2 or 3 magazines on a regular basis.
4. Exhibitions and Seminars. Go to www.homebuilding.co.uk to find out where and when exhibitions and seminars take place. Make a diary note.
5. TV programmes on ‘Home Interest'.
6. Books. Go to www.homedesign-online.co.uk or www.homebuilding.co.uk for links to book suppliers.
7. Your Home Designer should give you lots of ideas and links to useful websites.
8. Shops and builders merchants. Superstores often have great ideas.
9. The internet. Perhaps the most useful source of information! Use the search engines, such as Google.
10. Look at Illustration 2.2 ‘George Baxter's Home Design Ideas Chart' .

Useful tips:

• Don't dismiss your ideals. Remember if you don't identify your ideals there is a danger of never being able to include them in your design.
• Methodically record your basic requirements, i.e. a ‘brief' for the building designer.
• Be aware at the early design stage of approximate order of cost but don't let this stop you writing a wish list ! Ref. Tutorial 4 Design & Building Cost .
• If possible live on a building plot or in an existing property first before you build new, alter or extend.

Suggested Reader Tasks :

1. Start a scrapbook and make diary notes of dates for exhibitions and seminars.
2. Subscribe to several home interest magazines.
3. Visit friends' homes and make notes in your scrapbook.
4. Watch TV programmes and make notes in your scrapbook.
5. Use the internet – see Home Design website directory.

Contacts & reference :

• Go to www.homedesign-online.co.uk and www.homebuilding.co.uk .