WWW: We are here today with Donny Ankri, architect extraordinaire for the frum community. Our discussion today will focus on what a person should look for when doing a small addition. We’ll get into specifics and talk about the process. Donny, if somebody’s thinking about making an addition, who’s the first person they should call?
Donny Ankri: Definitely call an architect. Although
you might typically think of calling a builder or a loan officer, they don’t
have the vision that the architect does. Architects are really good at giving
you a good understanding of the big picture. We take the bucket list of what
you’re trying to achieve and show you how it can best fit your house. Once you
have the general framework, you can reach out to other people involved.
WWW: Can you walk us through the process of on-boarding
a new client?
Ankri: The client calls me, and I ask them what
the big picture is. I’m not asking details, like how many windows they want or
which way the door swings. I want to find out how many bedrooms they want to
add, if they want a bigger kitchen, etc. I often meet them at their house to
get a look at the existing layout, and we talk about what options they have. I
will then write a proposal with my cost and everything we will do. If that’s
good to go, we measure the house, we have our meetings, and we get the process
started.
WWW: You mentioned a loan officer, a builder,
and permits/zoning. How do those items fit in terms of priority?
Ankri: You start with the architect. We have our
meetings, we come up with a general idea and schematic floor plans of the
vision. At that point, especially if a client is working with a tight budget, I
recommend taking the plans to a few builders just to get a ballpark price. Are
we talking $100,000, $200,000, or $400,000? Whatever the range, we need to make
sure that the design works with their budget.
Once we get that
feedback, and have a general idea of the cost, we would reach out to a loan
officer. Let’s say you’re looking to do a $200,000 addition. Based on your
finances, what are you going to be pre-approved for? Because, obviously, you
want to make sure that you can afford what you want to do. Once we have the
schematic plans, the ballpark price from a builder, and the pre-approval from
the loan officer, we can move forward with the details and getting to the
permit stage.
There are a few
months of work with the architect to go through with the different designs and
options for inside and outside the house. And once we’re done with that, we
will apply for a permit. That’s done online, and I help coordinate the process.
If the County or City has questions about the project, I help answer them. My
job ends when you have a permit in hand, and the builder takes over.
WWW: What’s the distinction between permits and
zoning?
Ankri: Great question. I look at zoning right at
the beginning of the project. Zoning is concerned with the limitations on how
big an addition you are allowed to build, how high you can go, or how close you
can build to your property lines (these are called setbacks). Every
neighborhood has different setbacks, with different zoning regulations. I
research all that, so as we are having our meetings and coming up with our
design, I can make sure we are staying within our setbacks. Often, to build
what we want, we have to go beyond the setbacks. That’s when we apply for
variance, where you have that white sign in front of your house. Once we’re
done with the drawings and we get approval from the City or the County, that’s
when we apply for the permit. You need a permit to build the project.
WWW: You said you have certain builders that
you’ve worked with in the past. What are some things to look out for when selecting
a builder?
Ankri: The first thing to look for is if you are
compatible with the builder. Builders have different personalities, just like
homeowners. Construction is a long-term process, so you want to find a builder
you feel comfortable with. Another factor is pricing. There is quite a wide
range of pricing, so you want to find someone who will work within your budget.
And you want to find someone who will match the quality and experience that’s
appropriate for your project.
WWW: I know that projects range from something
as small as a bathroom renovation to building a new house. Can you talk about
what the community seems to be looking for these days?
Ankri: We’ve done many project sizes, from the
small bathroom renovation to a basement renovation to an addition or a brand-new
house. The right course of action for you will depend on two things: 1) what
you’re trying to achieve with the project, and 2) and your budget. I find out these
two factors during our initial consultation, and these dictate my advice on the
best course of action. Sometimes clients want to do so much to their house –
they want to change so many walls and do such a big addition – that it’s not
worth saving. Just knock down the house and start from scratch. It really is a
case-by-case basis.
WWW: I’ve heard that if you’re just doing a small
addition, you really don’t need an architect. You could just go to a builder,
and he will be just fine. Is that a myth? Is it true? Obviously, you’re an
architect, so you might be slightly biased; however, what is your opinion?
Ankri: Whenever you’re moving walls around, you
definitely want to get an architect. I’ve seen people doing a basement
renovation or very small addition trying to save a little money on the
architect, and I get the call at the end when things get messed up. When you
have a builder building walls and windows, and they don’t know where they go,
if you don’t have proper drawings, the builder may make a mistake. If a person
doesn’t have proper drawings to show the builder and the builder then makes a
mistake, you have to correct it. If you don’t have proper drawings, it’s a risk
for the builder, it’s a risk for yourself, and the long-term cost of changing
things afterwards is sometimes more expensive than hiring an architect at the
beginning.
WWW: This is a great segue. Maybe you have a
story or two you can share: a positive, success story and a horror story. I’m
sure you probably have at least one of each.
Ankri: Horror stories would be clients not
hiring the right architect to do the job of designing homes for frum families. They’re not thinking
about the kitchen, the proper living space, the flexibility of having the
dining room expand into the living room for big simchas. I get a lot of phone
calls after the project is built, when they realize it will not fit their needs;
they already spent $300,000 on the project and they can’t go back. I also get
cases where the architect didn’t look into the proper zoning, where they
designed the house, only to find out that they needed variance and couldn’t get
it approved because neighbors were objecting. That was a wasted process. The
key is you want to get drawings done properly and by the right person.
The successful
stories are the ones where the people planned ahead properly and got the right
team involved. When you have an all-star team, the process is more enjoyable
and you get an all-star product.
WWW: Let’s circle back to the beginning. We
talked about how people should call you at the beginning of the process and how
it’s a good idea to stay away from someone who does not have an understanding
of what a frum family needs. Any
words of advice for, say, grandparents who have lived in their house for 20
years and decide it’s time to start building so they can have their
grandchildren over. What words of wisdom would you leave them with?
Ankri: The process can seem intimidating. Most
people will only build one addition or one house, so this is very new for
people. I would say, don’t feel intimidated by it. As long as you have the
right people working with you, the right architect, it’s going to be an
enjoyable process. Again, you should plan ahead. People often don’t realize how
much time it takes. You’re working with an architect for a few months, then the
builder takes a month or so to get back to you with pricing. The permits can
take a couple of months. If you have to apply for variance, that could also
take a couple of months. And then you have the construction, which can last
from four to 12 months, depending on the size of the project. My best advice is
just to plan as far ahead as possible. Once you have an idea, give me a call,
we’ll talk it through, and we’ll have a great time working together.
WWW: How can people get in touch with you?
Ankri: They can call my cell, 443-929-2377;
check out our website, donnyankri.com to see our email; or access our Facebook
and Instagram accounts through the website.
WWW: Once again, it’s Donny Ankri Architects. Many
of my friends have used him, and they have been very happy. Thank you, Donny.
Judah Katz is a Baltimore native and a
partner with the law firm of Neuman & Katz, LLC. He focuses on corporate
law and estate planning. He can be reached at jkatz@neumankatz.com.
