Google “architects near me” and you’ll get fifty results within three seconds. Sponsored ads at the top. Map listings in the middle. Organic results underneath. Every single one claims to be the best local practice for your project.
How do you choose? Most people click the first three. Look at the websites. Maybe read a review or two. Pick the one with the nicest portfolio photos. Book a consultation. And hope for the best.
That approach is about as reliable as choosing a restaurant based on the front door. The photos tell you what the place looks like. They tell you nothing about the food. At Extension Architecture, we show up consistently when London homeowners search for architects near me and we know exactly what makes people choose one practice over another. Most of those reasons are wrong. Here’s what actually matters.
Portfolio Photos Are the Worst Way to Choose
Every architect’s website shows their best work shot by a professional photographer on a sunny day with the furniture staged and the surfaces spotless. The kitchen looks enormous. The light looks perfect. The garden looks like a magazine spread.
What the photos don’t show is whether the project was delivered on budget. Whether the planning application went smoothly or got refused twice first. Whether the builder had to improvise because the drawings weren’t detailed enough. Whether the homeowner enjoyed the process or found it stressful from start to finish.
A beautiful portfolio means the architect can design attractive spaces. It tells you nothing about whether they can deliver a project competently. Those are two very different skills.
Reviews Need Reading Properly
Five stars and a sentence saying “great architect, highly recommend” is useless information. It tells you someone was happy. It doesn’t tell you why.
Look for reviews that describe the process. Did the architect communicate well throughout? Did they handle planning efficiently? Were the construction drawings detailed enough for the builder? Did they visit during the build? Did the project finish on budget?
One detailed four star review that explains what went well and what could have improved is worth more than twenty vague five star reviews. It tells you the reviewer actually thought about the experience rather than just clicking a rating.
Ask About Their Experience in Your Specific Area
“Architects near me” implies local. But near doesn’t always mean experienced in your area.
A practice might be based ten minutes from your house but do most of their work in a different borough. They’re geographically close but they don’t know your council’s planning policies, your area’s housing stock, or the specific design challenges that come with your type of property.
Whether you’re in Weybridge or Wandsworth, ask how many projects they’ve completed in your specific area in the past two years. Ask which planning authority handles your property and whether they’ve submitted applications there recently. The answers reveal whether “near me” translates to genuine local expertise or just a short drive.
The First Conversation Tells You Everything
Forget the website. Forget the reviews. The most reliable indicator of whether an architect is right for you is the first conversation.
Do they ask questions about how you live? Or do they immediately start suggesting solutions before understanding the problem?
Do they listen when you describe your budget? Or do they start talking about what’s possible without acknowledging what’s affordable?
Do they explain the process clearly? Or do they use jargon and assume you know what a party wall agreement is?
Do they mention potential constraints? Or do they tell you everything is possible and worry about planning later?
An architect who asks good questions, listens carefully, explains things simply, and flags constraints honestly is someone you can work with for six to nine months without losing your mind.
Fee Proposals Need Comparing Properly
When you’ve narrowed your search to two or three practices, get written fee proposals from each. Then compare them properly.
Don’t just look at the total. Look at what’s included. One architect might quote £6,000 for everything from concept to site inspections. Another might quote £4,000 but that only covers planning stage drawings. The detailed construction drawings, tender documents, and site visits are all extras that push the real cost to £8,000.
The cheapest headline number is almost never the cheapest total cost. Compare like for like. What do you get for your money at each stage? Where does the fee stop and the extras begin?
The Search Should Take Days Not Minutes
Finding the right architect is one of the most important decisions in your entire project. It deserves more than ten minutes of scrolling and a gut feeling based on website aesthetics.
Speak to three practices. Visit their offices if you can. Ask specific questions about your area, your property type, and your budget range. Listen to how they respond. Then choose the one that made you feel heard, informed, and confident that they know what they’re doing.
