Architects on call

Got a leaky roof, cracked walls or planning issues? A new scheme of fixed price home visits by architects can help you decide what to do next, writes FRANK McDONALD

HOMEOWNERS WILL now be able to get smart advice from architects, for a fixed fee of just €150 to €200, on what to do about such commonplace problems as cracks in walls, leaky roofs or rotting windows – under a Help My House scheme being launched today.

The brainchild of Anthony Brabazon (right), of ABA Architects in Sandymount, Dublin it would involve experienced architects visiting people’s houses, carrying out an inspection of what’s worrying the householder and giving their professional advice on what needs to be done.

It could be relatively straightforward things such as: do I need planning permission for my extension or my building is protected, can I do anything?, Brabazon says. Or maybe there are black dots on the bathroom ceiling or the smell of mushrooms in the back room.

“Of course, architects are a wee bit less busy of late but I am motivated to take this step when I hear of old people in our area being conned by rogue roofers and contractors.

“The first word of the name is ‘help’ – and I hope we are an antidote to the conman,” he says.

There is no shortage of people advertising building products and services, so Brabazon would like his initiative to be seen as “a helpful diagnostic service which can, for a fixed price, give you a site visit, advice and report on next steps”. It’s also very good value.

“Homeowners have to be careful with their budgets these days, so if they think their house needs some building or repair work, they’ve got to be sure about the scale of the problem before they call in the professionals – and potentially start paying out big money.

“Many people simply don’t know where to start to get unbiased advice. So before they venture into spending a few hundred or thousand euro in building or repair works, getting that kind of advice can be of a very high value. It will also be a nationwide service.

“The catchphrase is ‘smart advice for a fixed price’ and for a fee of €150 for urban areas and €200 for rural areas (including VAT and expenses) an experienced RIAI architect will visit people’s houses, inspect issues and give written ‘next step’ advice,” Brabazon says.

“Area architects in the various counties have been very encouraging and my wall map of Ireland is almost fully coloured in. Ivory towers are being abandoned at a rate of knots, and an essential link is being established between houses in need and a body of willing expertise.”

Anyone wishing to avail of the new service can phone Anthony Brabazon’s office at 01-6683519 or e-mail help@helpmyhouse.ie to find out who the local area architect for Help My House is. The relevant architect will contact them within 48 hours and arrange to visit the house.

The issues would then be inspected and discussed on-site during a visit lasting about an hour.

At the end, the architect would issue an “on the spot bullet point list” outlining the next step or steps and be paid his or her fee, in line with payment terms agreed in advance.

More details can be found on the Help My House website, www.HelpMyHouse.ie.