You Don’t Have to Be Ready to Start

“I’m not ready to get started yet…”

That was the message I received from a friend I was encouraging to begin the architectural design process for her project.

It got me thinking: how many people are holding back on a construction project because they feel they are simply “not ready”?

If you feel the same way, here are a few things worth considering:

1. How can you prepare for a destination you haven’t defined yet?

It’s difficult to know whether you’re ready—or what you need to do to get ready—without first talking about the project.

What are your needs? What studies will be required? What permits and administrative procedures will be necessary? What kind of budget are we looking at? How long could the project take? What options do you have?

These are precisely the questions that the initial discussions with an architect are designed to help you answer.

2. How much does it cost to simply start the conversation?

In many cases, nothing!

For most architects, an initial discussion and preliminary advice are free, or may involve only a small file-opening or consultation fee, depending on the practice.

But there is an important distinction to make:

Preliminary discussions and advice are not the same as preliminary design studies.

Once the architect begins producing sketches, preliminary designs, or initial cost estimates, you are entering a professional study phase—and that work has a cost.

3. What do you gain by starting early, even if you don’t feel ready?

First, you gain a clearer understanding of the financial picture.

You can begin to understand the cost of architectural and technical studies, permits and other administrative procedures, construction itself, and the resources you will need to make the project happen.

That information is essential for planning how you will finance and execute your project.

Second, you gain a roadmap.

From the first conversation with your architect to the completion of construction, you can understand the major stages involved.

The stages may be similar from one project to another, but the way you approach them will depend greatly on your budget, priorities, timeline, and circumstances.

Third, you can adjust the project to match your reality.

Once you have a preliminary idea of the budget and the different stages of implementation, you can make informed decisions:

• Should the project be smaller or larger?

• Should some elements be postponed?

• Can the project be completed in phases?

• What should be prioritized?

• What can realistically be achieved with the resources currently available?

For example:

1. Start the studies before you are ready to build.

Architectural and technical studies, as well as the process of obtaining the necessary building permits, take time. Completing these steps early means that when you are financially ready to start construction, you won’t necessarily be starting from zero.

2. Plan ahead for materials and prefabrication.

If you cannot afford to start the entire construction project at once, you may be able to begin with certain prefabricated elements or materials.

But to know what needs to be produced—and in what quantities—you first need a clear idea of the project.

That is another reason why preliminary sketches matter.

3. Build what you can finish.

Instead of starting a two-story house that may remain unfinished for years, you might decide to focus your resources on completing the ground floor—or at least making it fully habitable.

The goal is not necessarily to build everything at once.

The goal is to develop a realistic strategy for getting there.

And there is one more thing that should not be underestimated:

Seeing your project take shape can be incredibly motivating.

A good preliminary sketch allows you to begin visualizing the home you want to build. You can start imagining it, planning for it, and ultimately working toward making it a reality.

Sometimes, that first sketch is the very thing that turns an idea into a plan—and a plan into action.

So, are you really “not ready”?

If you have a private residential project on a legally subdivided and registered—or currently being registered—plot of land, don’t let the feeling of not being ready keep you from taking the first step.

You don’t have to have everything figured out before you begin.

Start the conversation. Ask the questions. Explore the possibilities. Understand the costs. Develop the plan.

You may discover that getting ready is actually part of the process of starting.

So, don’t wait until you feel completely ready. Start!