This will help you steer clear of a lot of the mistakes people make when walls are opened up, mechanicals changed, kitchens redesigned, etc. 

This project is essentially a complete gut that will include addition of roughly 700 SQF, new roof, siding, landscaping, privacy fence, hardwood flooring installation, interior re-design into an open concept floor plan, upgraded kitchen with granite counters, new cabinets, stainless steel appliances, etc.

When we rehabbed his studio the carpet install guys insisted we needed a hazmat cleanup team & literally walked off the job.We got the place & within 30 months (& after a LOT of work & some structural redesign) we got the property approved as a legal 6-plex & the rents are currently $4900/month.

The owner is all set with re-zoning, but the parking lot was a pain to re-design to maximize the units we can add in.  

My partner is the money guy, and I'm great at re-imagining & redesigning a space to make it function better.Let's connect & see if we can help each other out.

You shouldn’t need an architect unless you’re raising the roof or redesigning most everything.Start looking for a well-recommended GC who can walk through and see what you’re thinking.

It had good bones but it needed to be redesigned and completely remodeled inside and out. 

Also leave a comment about your favorite aspects of the re-design or what you would have done differently.Keywords * Smyrna, Atlanta, Marietta,*

It's all give and take and cost/benefit analysis you need to consider/decide upon.As others have said, go to local REI meetings, meetups, or just try to connect with people here and see what value you can provide these people in exchange for their help.Maybe you can re-design their website for them, or do some bookkeeping, or clean their office, or whatever skill you have that you think they might benefit from. 

The city just redesign the main road.