We had a lot of time to kill over the winter, waiting for some legal complications to finalise the sale. We went through our photos and video clips, read books about conservation and renovation, and watched plenty of old 'Grand Designs' episodes(!). We developed our first ideas about how we might extend and drew up some rough floor plans and elevation sketches (without any precise measurements).
3D architectural drawing software was a real help here. Modelling different scenarios, moving walls, openings and windows, even taking virtual walkthroughs, meant we could 'try out' different ideas in virtual reality. It helped us learn about some architectural principles too (and saved us money on concept development fees).
We used Home Designer Suite to create several different versions, until we had the main elements of an idea in place. We then used Windows Movie Maker to stitch together site photos with 3D drawings and simulations into a 'before and after' video. It was just a bit of fun really but helped us work out some first ideas so we could explain them to designers and planners. However, we changed our minds later and there are always more constraints in reality than virtual reality!
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