Homeowners across Northern Ireland have been urged to partake in an initiative which offers professional advice from architects ahead of the deadline tomorrow, 31 May.

The Ask An Architect initiative sees architects across Northern Ireland volunteer their time to give professional advice to the public in return for a donation to help the fight against cancer.

Famous broadcast known for Grand Designs, Kevin McCloud has joined the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) in calling for the public to get involved in the scheme.

Kevin said: "At this time of year most of us get thinking about what we could do with the house - maybe create a bit more space, improve the connection between the inside and outside, or maybe you're thinking it's time to build something new. Whatever your project, now is the time to take action if you want to get some expert advice and at the same time help a fantastic cause through the Ask An Architect initiative.

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"Until the end of May you can book a chartered architect to come to your house for an hour-long consultation in return for a £40 donation to the Friends of the Cancer Centre. It's an opportunity not to be missed. You can find out more and book at askanarchitect-ni.com."

Ciarán Fox, Director of RSUA, added: "Feedback over the last few years has been so positive with people telling us that they really appreciated the practical advice and the ideas that they got from their architect. We've had some people save themselves a fortune by realising they didn't need that expensive extension, others have been able to make small changes to their plans that increased the long term value of their property. People are genuinely delighted to get this expert advice with no-strings attached in the knowledge that they are also helping a wonderful charity."

The deadline for booking is 11.59pm on Friday 31 May.

Bookings for the Ask An Architect initiative must be made before the deadline but the consultation with the selected architect can be held in June or beyond at a suitable time.

(CM/MH)