The verdict in three sentences
A website redesign for an architecture firm in Gothenburg runs from EUR 7,000 to 22,000 with a local agency in 2026 (about SEK 80,000 to 250,000), and from EUR 2,700 to 8,200 on Kolonell's fixed grid. The budget matters less than cutover timing: going live during a competition deadline or in the middle of the July holidays can cost more than the whole redesign. With a cleanly migrated portfolio, a 301 redirect map and email that never drops, the project takes 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready.
Which signals show a redesign is due?
In Gothenburg, many practices launched their site around a first housing scheme or an industrial riverside conversion along the Göta älv, then left it alone. The signals tend to repeat: project pages taking more than 4 seconds to load on mobile, uncropped images, an unfinished English version while hiring happens in English, a contact form asking for drawings as attachments, and a WordPress theme nobody dares to update.
Another common signal is titles. In Sweden, the title 'arkitekt' is not protected by law. The mention arkitekt SAR/MSA should therefore only appear where the firm's architects actually hold it through Sveriges Arkitekter. A redesign is the right moment to check every bio.
What does the redesign cost, and what does each option include?
2026 ballpark, based on typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages. SEK amounts are converted approximately into EUR.
| Option | Indicative budget | Typical timeline | Often included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gothenburg freelancer | SEK 30,000 to 90,000 (approx. EUR 2,700 to 8,000) | 6 to 12 weeks | Adapted theme, partial migration |
| Local agency, standard redesign | SEK 80,000 to 160,000 (approx. EUR 7,000 to 14,000) | 8 to 14 weeks | Custom design, CMS, basic SEO |
| Local agency, full redesign | SEK 160,000 to 250,000 (approx. EUR 14,000 to 22,000) | 12 to 20 weeks | Workshops, identity, photography, bilingual |
| Kolonell Starter | EUR 2,700 | 3 weeks | Brochure site, project pages, minimal form |
| Kolonell Growth | EUR 4,500 | 3 to 4 weeks | Filterable portfolio, blog, analytics, 301 map |
| Kolonell Premium | EUR 8,200 | 4 weeks | Multilingual tier (languages set in the quote), animations, advanced SEO |
All three Kolonell tiers include a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. SEO work beyond the migration is on quote. For Swedish and English, choose Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote); a review by an independent Swedish-speaking translator remains a third-party cost.
The following stay on quote, linked or embedded, never rebuilt inside a fixed-grid site: BIM viewer, project extranet, client portal, tender document room and CRM integration. Drawings and documents never go through the contact form: a separate secure channel is available on quote.
When should you cut over, and how do you avoid breaking things?
This is the blind spot of most redesigns. The table below ranks the risks by cutover moment.
| Risk | Why it matters for a practice | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Cutover during a competition | The jury or client checks the site in submission week | Freeze go-live 2 weeks before and after every known deadline |
| July holidays | Team away, nobody to approve, bugs left open | Go live before the end of June or after mid-August |
| Poorly prepared DNS | Site unreachable for hours | Lower the TTL to 300 seconds 48 hours ahead, switch on a Tuesday morning |
| Email outage | MX records overwritten, client emails lost | Copy MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC before any change, send and receive test on the day |
| Press kit missing | Journalists and partners hold the old PDF link | 301 the old press kit URL, lighter PDF with updated photo credits |
| SEO traffic loss | Ranking project pages change address | URL inventory, 301 map, Search Console monitoring for 6 weeks |
| Unchecked marketing content | A price, certification or client named without approval | Compliance review before go-live, each project cleared with its photo credit and client permission |
On portfolio migration: every project keeps its URL or gets a redirect, images move to WebP or AVIF with lazy loading and responsive sizes, private houses are shown without addresses. Bygglov procedures with the municipality are described generally, never as advice. Awards, distinctions and sustainability certifications appear only if real and supplied by the firm. On data, the GDPR applies and IMY (Integritetsskyddsmyndigheten) is the supervisory authority: the form collects the minimum (name, contact, project type, location area, rough budget). This is not legal advice.
Do not forget the careers page: open roles for architects and technologists, in English if you hire internationally.
When is a local agency the better choice?
To be honest, a Gothenburg agency is the better pick if you want in-person workshops with every partner, a full visual identity overhaul alongside the site, a coordinated photo shoot on your sites, or if your project extranet must be rebuilt from scratch. If what you need is a fast, bilingual site with a well-migrated portfolio and an uneventful cutover, the fixed grid of the international offer is often enough.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Questions to ask any provider: who produces the 301 map? Who touches the MX records? Which go-live date do you suggest given our deadlines? What happens if a bug appears during the holidays?
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Kajskjul Studio, a 9-person practice specialised in restaurant and hotel interiors and buildings, runs a 2018 site with 40 project pages. A competition closes on 6 June and the team leaves for the holidays on 4 July.
Calculation: Premium tier EUR 8,200 (Swedish and English, languages set in the quote) + a local photographer to refresh 6 projects, about SEK 20,000, or approx. EUR 1,800 (third-party cost) = EUR 10,000. The local agency quote the firm received is around SEK 180,000, approx. EUR 16,000. Difference: about EUR 6,000. Schedule: content ready on 12 May, go-live on Tuesday 17 June, after the competition and before the holidays, leaving 2 weeks of fixes before the team leaves.
FAQ
How long does a redesign take once content is ready?
At Kolonell, 3 to 4 weeks. With a Gothenburg agency, expect 8 to 20 weeks depending on the workshops.
Can every bio say 'arkitekt'?
The title is not protected in Sweden, but SAR/MSA only appears if the person holds it through Sveriges Arkitekter. Checking every bio takes about 1 hour for a team of 10.
How do we avoid losing email during cutover?
Copy the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records before any change, lower the TTL to 300 seconds and test sending on the day. It takes under an hour when prepared.
Is the project extranet included in the EUR 4,500 Growth tier?
No. Extranet, BIM viewer, client portal and CRM stay on quote and are linked or embedded, never rebuilt inside the site.
How long should we watch Google after launch?
At least 6 weeks in Search Console, with a weekly check of 404 errors and project pages losing positions.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of project pages, your languages and your next competition deadlines, and we will propose a scope, a tier between EUR 2,700 and 8,200 and a safe cutover date. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
