How Online Residential Design Works

Nowadays, it’s possible to do nearly everything online.

Booking flights, hotels, and unique experiences for your upcoming holiday getaway.

Ordering healthy organic smoothies delivered to your door weekly or monthly.

Working with a life coach to transform your mindset, health, or business.

So many aspects of our lives have merged into the online world that it’s no wonder design has jumped on the bandwagon too. From online residential design to interior design to 3D visualization design, you can access professionals and resources through the Internet in ways never before available. It’s truly amazing.

Our business has been primarily an online design studio since day one. It’s a totally new concept, and many people wonder how it can be done. I recently wrote about what it means to be an online residential designer and how to know if it’s right for you. However, in this post, I want to dive deeper into how online design works — because it will help you rethink your plans and dreams for your home!

How It Works

When you work with us as your online residential designer, all design documents are delivered 100% online through email, Dropbox, or a dedicated client portal where you can access project documents and design drawings.

Depending on your needs, budget, site constraints, and time, online residential design can include…

• Concept sketches (floor plans and elevations);
• Space planning or furniture layout;
• Detailed architectural drawings for planning permission applications or building permits;
• Single-room designs;
• 3D visualizations;
• Complete set of construction drawings, including plans, elevations, sections, details, roof plan, foundation plan, electrical plans, mechanical plans, plumbing plans, and framing plans.

Through email and phone/video calls on Skype or Zoom, we work directly with you to achieve your goals for a beautiful, functional, efficient home.

All you need is access to wifi and a computer/smartphone to take advantage of our online residential design services. You don’t need to have a 100% clear picture of what you want (we’ll help with that!). Best of all, you won’t end up waiting months and months to see progress.

If you want to know more about what it’s like, check out a few of our case studies:

Why you probably need a designer (like yesterday)

Perhaps you recently purchased a home or residential property, and it needs serious work.

Perhaps you have lived in your home for years, wanted to upgrade a few areas, but one thing led to another and you haven’t yet.

Or, maybe you have a clear idea of what you want, but don’t have the expertise or time to pull it all together, so you need the support and guidance of a design professional.

No matter what, you have reached a point in your life where “the time has come.” You want more space, less stress, and more comfort. You are READY for a transformation to achieve a new look and bring new energy to your home.

Hiring a residential designer or architect – online or in-person – is the solution to your current situation.

Our #1 job as a residential designer is simplifying home design for busy families and couples.

Our approach is very different from standard, decades-old practices. When it comes to online residential design, our mission is driven by passion and accessibility.

First, we want to share our love of architecture, design, and creating a home wherever you live in the world. As a husband-and-wife design team, we have lived (so far) in four countries together. Thus, we know firsthand that defining the place you live as “home” can be hard.

Design is a process, and creating a home you love doesn’t happen overnight. But, working with a designer can help fast-track your journey and give clarity to your decisions. Our passion for architecture leads us to continually engage in learning, researching, and thinking about our field. That way, we can give you our best effort to help you transform your home.

Second, we think high-quality design should be accessible to as many people as possible. Many people go on years believing they can’t afford an architect, that it’s a luxury only for the rich. This is one of the biggest myths we (and many other designers) hope to dispel. When working with us, you get the experiences of educated, professional designers. We bring to your project our insight and guidance on the decisions and choices you need to make and on ones you may not have even considered.

Undertaking a residential project without professional guidance is like trying to buy a car without knowing anything about cars. You might be able to do some research online. However, are you truly confident that you’re getting the best car for your needs and budget?

When is the right time to work with a residential designer?

Whether it’s your first property or your forever home, the right time to work with a residential designer is when you make the decision to create the home you want.

You can spend an entire lifetime saying to yourself…

“I don’t know if we have the money right now.”

“I don’t know when we’ll have the time for a big home project.”

“We don’t know if this will add value to our home.”

The list goes on and on.

You can live forever in this state of “I don’t know.”

It all comes down to committing to decisions in your life…about your home, about the lifestyle you want your home to support, about the way you want to live.

Not making a decision will keep you at a standstill point for years and years.

It will also prevent you from experiencing the life you desire to live.

When you make decisions, it means that you are ready to move FORWARD. This can feel both exciting and really uncomfortable. It will cause your mind to resist change, question your decision, or change your mind.

If you recognize that design is a process, you can embrace your thoughts of discomfort and uncertainty. Instead, replace them with thoughts of, “This will be uncomfortable, but that’s okay, we are open to this process.” In reality, you can decide that NOW is the right time for you to begin to designing your ideal home.

Our online residential services are an opportunity for you to take the small next step forward in the process. Don’t live in “I don’t know” for the rest of your life. Move beyond the discomfort of making a decision. Instead, let’s discover how your home can transform into a space you love.

What you get when working with us

We love to chat with you about your ideas, so we will start your project with a Discovery Call. During the call, we will ask questions to figure out why you aren’t happy with the home you live — the spaces where you eat play, work, relax, and sleep. After that, here is what you get when working with us:

• A complete, detailed design + set of drawings for your residential property or space.
• 1:1 design consultation where you get time for all your questions.
• Regular progress updates, multiple revisions, and timely delivery of design documents.
• 24-7 access to design support via email.
• Expert problem solving, openness to your creative ideas, and PASSION.

Our Online Residential Design Service Options

If you live far away, that’s no problem! We can work together no matter where you live.

Here’s how.

1. Concept Design Package

About: The Concept Design Package is a collaborative 1-week design service which will take you from confused to clarity when it comes to your residential space.

Perfect For: You have a clear direction and vision for your project, but aren’t sure about all of the fine details. You may just need help redesigning specific parts of your property.

How It Works: To get started, fill out your details on our Project Inquiry form, and we will get back to you asap! Next, we’ll book a free 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss your ideas & project scope. After your initial Discovery Call if we think we’ll be a great fit, we’ll send over a proposal, contract, & invoice. Once we have you scheduled and booked, you will receive details to guide you through the next steps.

2. Planning Drawings Package

About: The Planning Drawings Package is a collaborative 2-week design service which will take you from ideas to plans when it comes to your planning permission and building permit needs.

Perfect For: You need a full detailed set of planning permission drawings (UK) or building permit drawings (USA), typically for a residential extension, renovation, or conversion. You have a solid idea of what you want, but you need someone to help translate your ideas into the required drawings.

How It Works: To get started, send us details about your project on our Project Inquiry form. Then we’ll hop on a free Discovery Call to discuss your needs / wants for your home. Once the project has officially started, we will send you a design questionnaire to dive deeper into the proposed design. If you’re interested in our design team creating 3D visualizations alongside the drawings, there is an option to add this.

3. Custom Home Design Package

About: The Custom Home Design Package is an intensive 6-week virtual design service which will take you from overwhelmed to extraordinary when it comes to your future home design.

Perfect For: You want a completely one-of-a-kind design for your home to make your every day extraordinary. However, you’re stuck with overwhelm and indecision. You need a designer to help translate your ideas and sort out all of your needs and wants!

How It Works: To get started, send us details about your project on our Project Inquiry form. Then we’ll hop on a free Discovery Call to discuss your needs / wants for your home. Once the project has officially started, we will send you a design questionnaire and create an inspiration board to dive deeper into the proposed design. The design process is highly collaborative. We work closely with you through several design stages to create the best result.

4. Quick Expert Advice

About: When you are in need of design direction from a professional designer to get clear and focused ideas for one space or even multiple areas of your home, then a 1:1 Quick Expert Advice session is perfect for you. Want to talk about your biggest struggles with your current property so I can suggest how you can redesign things and/or what to do? Then, let’s hop on a call and explore your design options! The hour is yours!

Perfect For: You have a vision for your project, but aren’t sure about all of the fine details and have tons of questions. You may not have a need or budget for a full-service design or set of concept drawings, but just need some expert guidance.

What Is Included:

– One-hour phone or Zoom/Skype call with me.

– Design Advisory Report, detailing everything we discussed in our conversation.

– Personalized design tips, links to key resources or relevant inspiration, and answers to all your questions from the call.

How It Works: To get started, send us an email or fill out your details on our Project Inquiry form, and we will get back to you asap! Next, we’ll book a time/date for your call, where we’ll discuss your needs/wants, ideas & biggest dilemmas.

FAQ: What If You Need Stamped Drawings for Your Local Planning Council/Building Department?

If you are ready to move forward on a home build, extension, renovation, or remodeling project, hiring an online residential designer can be the perfect solution for you to help you bring your vision to life. Then, if your local planning/building department requires residential/construction drawings to be stamped by a local registered architect or engineer, our plans can be sent to and reviewed by someone in your specific location so that the designs are covered. We will provide a full set of PDF and DWG files, so you are able to do this and meet your local requirements.

A Final Note! How do you get started?

Send us an inquiry by clicking here or email us at hello@daesci.com. Choose the package that best fits your needs, and let’s start the conversation by hopping on a Discovery Call so we can learn more. Once we have you scheduled, invoiced, and booked, sit back and relax! It’s time for us to get to work designing until we have a space you truly love.

We can’t wait to get started with you!

If this post helps you in your home design process, be sure to check out these other related posts!

• What is Online Residential Design + Is It Right For You?
• How To Create An Inspiration Board For Your Next Residential Project