Remodeling? Here are 4 questions to ask architects

Choosing to hire an architect to help you remodel your home may turn out to be your best remodeling decision.

However, when it comes to residential remodeling, not all architects are created equal.

Your remodeling experience will be greatly enhanced if you choose the right architect to get your project off to a good start and take you all the way through the construction process.

By asking a prospective architect these four questions, you will be in a better position to select the first member of your remodeling team.

1: May I see your home renovation portfolio?

Seeing past designs of your potential architect will tell you a lot about them — their scope of work, and if they have a discernable style or the flexibility to work well with you on your project.

Like any creative professional, seeing a portfolio will give you a realistic perspective of what this firm can do for you.

Besides design style, look for the range of size of their projects.

Will they do a small project? Do they have the expertise to do a large project?

Make sure you are looking at renovation projects; building a new home from scratch is quite a different process from remodeling an existing home.

2: How many homes have you designed?

Architectural firms typically focus on commercial jobs or larger custom homes. Before the financial crunch, many firms turned down the smaller residential jobs because there wasn't a high enough profit margin for them.

Now, many firms will take on any sort of project to keep their staff busy.

This is a problem because designing a remodel is a lot different than designing a new commercial building.

There are a lot of details in designing an effective home remodel that you learn only by doing home remodels. If an architectural firm agrees to do your home renovation but they haven't done many in the past, it may be a red flag.

Don't be the guinea pig project — unless they are willing to give you a discount for letting them practice on you.

3: How do you ensure your design will integrate with my home?

This question will help you determine if they know what they are doing when it comes to remodeling.