Pre-Purchase Consultation
Buying a new house is one of the most critical decisions in your life. Before you make an offer: consult — and gain confidence - with one of our registered architects.
Cost-benefit analysis: comparing 2 different configurations for a 4-story brownstone
As seasoned architects and contractors specializing in renovating brownstones and townhouses in New York City, we can advise you on the feasibility and all aspects of a residential project;
Our pre-design consultation typically involves 3 steps:
A. Initial Communication and Client Needs Assessment
We’d like to understand your goals, priorities, and constraints. Also, to get information about the property – whether that is your current home or a property you’re considering making an offer for. This first step usually happens electronically (via email) – or as a discussion during the site visit. (see below).
B. Site walk-through and Property Assessment
We’ll do a walk-through of the property of interest with you to assess its current condition, layout, and potential challenges or opportunities. During the walk-through, we’ll discuss some of the various considerations involving a residential renovation, such as:
Design opportunities and considerations - such as exploring different layouts, daylight, and orientation, and understanding how to deal with historic elements of a home, such as parquet floors, plaster ceilings, or wood moldings.
Building and other codes and regulations - such as Department of Buildings and NYC Landmarks regulations and constraints, and how these could affect what you could do on a property. For example, is a vertical extension allowed, or will gut-renovating the specific property require a new fire sprinkler system?
Building Systems - understanding whether the existing building systems, such as the steam heating or the electrical wiring, could stay or should be replaced. Or how a ducted HVAC system could be seamlessly integrated into the parlor level of a brownstone. And many more.
Schedule—given the property's specific characteristics, understand how long you should plan for the design, permitting/ approvals, and construction.
Constructability and feasibility - Which ideas might be practical for the specific property, should you explore further, and which may be challenging to implement? Our experienced architects can help clarify these questions so you can decide with confidence.
Project Estimation: you’ve heard so many different about how much the project may cost, and you don’t know who to trust. We’ll give you a rough estimate of the project costs based on the current market rates - regardless of whether you’ll work with us or someone else;
C. Post-visit follow-up and project roadmap
Based on our experience, the site visit and discussion will answer most of your questions and might raise a few more—for which our team will have to look into and get back to you soon after. In most cases, this involves giving you more information about the project costs and a timeline and roadmap for the project’s progression from pre-design to construction phases.
“ Themis provided valuable insight and advice during our first consultation. He is patient, attentive, and very knowledgeable about Brooklyn townhouses and their unique needs. I highly recommend a reBuild consultation for anyone thinking about a home renovation. “
Njideka M. - Google review, 2023
Whether it’s a Brooklyn brownstone renovation or a West Village townhouse fixer-upper, here are the 10 things to know before you make an offer:
1
Find out if you need to change the building’s legal use.
Changing the legal use of the property requires design and permitting and likely more construction work because you’ll be required to bring the space and systems up to the current code and safety standards.
Will you be making changes to the exterior of a landmark?
Any changes to the exterior of a structure within a designated historic district will require a permit from NYC Landmarks (LPC), which will likely follow a thorough review. Depending on the work, the project could take longer and cost more.
2
How much do you need the extra floor?
The property you like might have available air rights, but extending a structure in New York City comes at a cost. Aside from hiring an architect to do a zoning analysis of the property, consider how important it is to extend the structure and understand that doing so might significantly impact project cost and schedule.
3
You’ll likely need new electrical and plumbing throughout the house
Unless a proper, comprehensive renovation was done in the past, you have to assume doing any work in the house will require you to have all electrical and plumbing systems re-done.
4
Consider going fully electric
The high-performance HVAC systems (typically heat pumps) are primarily used for cooling, but – with a little extra effort – could also become the primary heating source for your new home. Examine the condition of the old steam boiler and piping, and do a cost-benefit analysis of having that replaced by an energy-efficient HVAC system, or even going fully electric.
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How bad are the floors sagging?
While a brick structure will most likely be strong enough to carry any new loads, sloping floors and stairs require much effort. Look at the condition of the floors to assess whether you’ll need them leveled – which can have a domino effect on the extent of the overall work.
Beware of older work that you might have to legalize.
Properties are often sold having conditions that often do not meet current building codes or with work that was done without the proper permits. If you plan to do work at the property, you might be required to address them.
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Want a passive house? Be prepared for a “gut” reno.
A passive house needs tightly sealed and well-insulated exterior enclosures, high-performance exterior doors and windows, and appropriately integrated high-efficiency HVAC systems. Upgrading to a passive house will likely require almost everything in your house —with the exception of the primary structure — to be new.
8
Restore or replace that old door?
When thinking about replacing versus restoring, remember that, in most cases, replacing is the most cost-effective approach. On the other hand, restoring is often more environmentally sustainable and could be very well worth it– especially when dealing with a historic structure.
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You need more than comps before making an offer.
Before you make an offer, consult a seasoned design professional to assist you in understanding whether the property you found is the right fit for you - and what it would take to transform it into the home you are dreaming of. You won’t regret it.
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