In short: a first consultation with an architect or interior designer is a conversation about your property, your goals, your budget and your timeline. At the end you should know what is realistically achievable, which approvals you need and what the next step is. Here is how it works at LP ARKinnovation, a RIBA Chartered Practice in Chiswick, West London.

Why the first consultation matters

Most of the money in a building project is committed in the first decisions: what to build, where, and to what standard. A good first meeting helps you avoid the most expensive mistakes, such as designing something the local planning policy will not allow, underestimating the budget, or starting interiors before structural and services decisions are made.

Before the consultation: what to prepare

• Photos of the property, inside and outside, and of the rooms you want to change.
• Plans or measurements, even approximate, and any previous planning permissions.
• Inspiration: a few images of homes and interiors you like, and what you like about them.
• Budget range and how you plan to finance the project.
• Timeline: when you would like to start and when you need it finished.
• For flats: your lease, because many alterations need the freeholder’s consent.

During the free 30-minute consultation

We focus on seven points:

1. Your site or property: location, size and condition.
2. Your goals: extension, loft conversion, refurbishment, new build, interiors or return on investment.
3. Your budget range and what it can realistically achieve.
4. Your timeline.
5. Planning and compliance risks: local policy, conservation areas, Building Regulations, biodiversity net gain.
6. Where your project sits in the RIBA stages and the immediate next steps.
7. Whether the best follow-up is a more detailed online consultation or an on-site visit.

Online or on-site design consultation

If you need more detailed advice, there are two options:

• Online design consultation (1 hour, from £110 including VAT): bespoke design ideas, guidance on planning permission and compliance, site constraints and opportunities, build costs and budgeting, and a review of your brief. The fee is deducted from your project if you go ahead.
• On-site design consultation (1 hour, from £250): the same advice, with the benefit of seeing the property, the light, the neighbours and the existing structure in person.

You can book both on the consultation page.

Architecture and interior design together

An interior design consultation is most effective when it happens together with the architectural one. Walls, windows, ceiling heights, lighting, heating and joinery all shape how an interior feels, and they are much cheaper to get right on paper than to change on site. As an architect who also designs interiors, and works with Italian suppliers and manufacturers, Lucia coordinates layout, materials, lighting and furniture from the first sketches.

After the consultation: what happens next

After the meeting you receive a summary of the key points and, if you wish to proceed, a fee proposal for the first stage. For most projects this is our Feasibility & Concept Design Pack: measured survey, design options and a planning strategy, with indicative costs from the start.

Questions to ask any architect

• Are you registered with the ARB, and is your practice RIBA Chartered?
• Do you have professional indemnity insurance?
• Have you worked on similar projects in this area?
• Which stages do your fees cover, and what is excluded?
• Who will be my day-to-day contact?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the first consultation with an architect free?

At LP ARKinnovation the first 30-minute consultation is free. If you then need more detailed advice, a one-hour online design consultation starts from £110 including VAT and is deducted from your fees if you go ahead with the project; an on-site consultation starts from £250.

What should I prepare before an interior design consultation?

Photos of the rooms, any existing plans or measurements, a few images of interiors you like, your budget range and your ideal timeline. If you own a flat, also check your lease, as many alterations need the freeholder’s consent.

Do I need an architect or an interior designer?

If your project changes the structure, layout or exterior of the building, or needs planning permission or Building Regulations approval, you need an architect. For finishes, furniture and lighting only, an interior designer may be enough. An architect who also works on interiors can coordinate both from the start.

How do I know an architect is qualified?

In the UK only professionals registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) can call themselves architects. A RIBA Chartered Practice must also meet the Royal Institute of British Architects’ standards on insurance, quality and continuing professional development.