It’s not essential to hire an architect for a new extension project, but it can help you get a good result.
If you’d like to put your whole extension project in the hands of a professional, hiring an architect is a great idea. They’ll work with you to create the design you want, and can manage planning applications and work with building contractors to make sure your extension ends up just the way you want it.
However, if you want to save money, there are plenty of other options. Even if you’ve got good vision, you’ll need a professional of some kind to draw up plans for you. Either hire an architect to only do design work, or hire a design and build company to do the whole thing for you. If you’ve got the skills, you could even commission a design professional to draw up the plans and then build the thing yourself.
There are lots of design professionals out there, with different levels of experience and skill. So, it’s a good idea to pick a professional who has the level of skill to match your needs.