Hello dear forum,
House planning should be something enjoyable, right?
Unfortunately, I feel that choosing our architect was a total mistake, and apart from wasting time, money, nerves, and lost child construction allowance, nothing has come of it. :-(
As the title says, after almost ten months, we realized that our architect has led us in a completely wrong direction. Last week, I terminated our contract, and now it is uncertain whether we will agree on the installment payments already made.
I am interested if anyone here in the forum has had similar experiences and how they resolved them.
Our issue is that from the start, a construction budget was set, which also appears in the contract.
After ten months of collaboration, it is still not being adhered to, despite several reminders.
I have now paid installment payments amounting to 11,000 EUR (around 11,000 USD) – foolishly – out of a total of 18,000 EUR (about 18,000 USD) for service phases 1 to 4…
Here is a brief timeline excerpt:
- 01/20 – Architect contract states a maximum construction budget of 450,000 EUR (about 450,000 USD) – excluding building site, architect, special features (this should have been enough for a nice single-family house)
- then design planning until April – first installment payment
- 04/20 – Architect’s cost estimate 546,000 EUR (about 546,000 USD)
- redesign of design planning
- reminder of max. 450,000 EUR (about 450,000 USD) budget – second/third installment payments
- 09/20 – Cost calculation 593,000 EUR (about 593,000 USD)
- confusion, as we realized we were moving in the wrong direction
- revised calculation 539,000 EUR (about 539,000 USD) – mainly due to adjustment of price per square meter and smaller windows
- loss of trust and termination of the contract by us
Looking forward to your feedback!
Best regards,
Johann
House planning should be something enjoyable, right?
Unfortunately, I feel that choosing our architect was a total mistake, and apart from wasting time, money, nerves, and lost child construction allowance, nothing has come of it. :-(
As the title says, after almost ten months, we realized that our architect has led us in a completely wrong direction. Last week, I terminated our contract, and now it is uncertain whether we will agree on the installment payments already made.
I am interested if anyone here in the forum has had similar experiences and how they resolved them.
Our issue is that from the start, a construction budget was set, which also appears in the contract.
After ten months of collaboration, it is still not being adhered to, despite several reminders.
I have now paid installment payments amounting to 11,000 EUR (around 11,000 USD) – foolishly – out of a total of 18,000 EUR (about 18,000 USD) for service phases 1 to 4…
Here is a brief timeline excerpt:
- 01/20 – Architect contract states a maximum construction budget of 450,000 EUR (about 450,000 USD) – excluding building site, architect, special features (this should have been enough for a nice single-family house)
- then design planning until April – first installment payment
- 04/20 – Architect’s cost estimate 546,000 EUR (about 546,000 USD)
- redesign of design planning
- reminder of max. 450,000 EUR (about 450,000 USD) budget – second/third installment payments
- 09/20 – Cost calculation 593,000 EUR (about 593,000 USD)
- confusion, as we realized we were moving in the wrong direction
- revised calculation 539,000 EUR (about 539,000 USD) – mainly due to adjustment of price per square meter and smaller windows
- loss of trust and termination of the contract by us
Looking forward to your feedback!
Best regards,
Johann
Alessandro schrieb:
Why do you keep focusing on the floor plan thread? It’s basically obsolete now.
As long as the original poster doesn’t share their ideas, it’s all just pure guessing here.
And yes, I also believe an architect should clearly state upfront if the budget is insufficient before charging the client.
That’s really bold...
@Bookstar: Even if I go to a Porsche dealer, they have to tell me immediately that my budget won’t cover a Porsche before charging me a hefty fee for consultations, test drives, etc. None of us were there, right? The original poster clearly gave the impression several times that they didn’t want to listen. Also, it’s obvious to me that they are not sharing the necessary information now. You get what you deserve if you don’t want to listen—that’s something we all learned as children.
S
saralina8712 Oct 2020 12:27Bookstar schrieb:
None of us were really present, right? The original poster has often given the impression of not wanting to listen. Also, the fact that they are now not providing the necessary information is obvious to me. Those who don’t want to listen have to learn the hard way, that’s something we already experienced as children. That’s nonsense.
A professional architect simply states that the expectations and the budget don’t match and doesn’t start planning right away.
We had a similar experience with our first kitchen – the budget was set at 3,000 euros (about $3,200), as we were renting and unsure how long we would stay there. Yet, a sales assistant at the furniture store planned a kitchen costing 5,500 euros (about $5,900). That really made me furious because it was a waste of time. When the assistant then suggested we might ask our parents if they could contribute because of my frustration about the budget being ignored, we just got up and left. That’s unacceptable. Just say upfront that nothing is available at that price or that you don’t see a kitchen fitting that budget, and that’s fine – but scheduling another appointment only to be presented with that kind of offer is very poor practice.
saralina87 schrieb:
That doesn’t make sense.
A professional architect would simply say that the expectations and the budget don’t match and wouldn’t start planning right away. We don’t know, right? So far, no response has come after asking. That’s where the ignore button is.
But let’s wait and see: maybe something will still come!
S
saralina8712 Oct 2020 12:37ypg schrieb:
We don’t know, do we? So far, no response has been received despite inquiries. There it is—the ignore button.
But let’s wait and see: maybe something will still come! Well, the original poster mentioned several times that they communicated the budget. If that’s true, then the architect simply planned beyond it. Whether that’s the case, we probably won’t find out, but saying that even if the budget was communicated, it’s the client’s own fault for having unrealistic expectations—that’s just nonsense.
Life is not a bed of roses, in my opinion. You also have your own responsibility. Getting information has never been easier than it is today.
An architect is an artist and, in a way, a perfectionist. If you want strict price calculations, you should go to a developer.
And ultimately, an architect wants to make money...
An architect is an artist and, in a way, a perfectionist. If you want strict price calculations, you should go to a developer.
And ultimately, an architect wants to make money...
Alessandro schrieb:
Why do you always get stuck on the floor plan thread? It’s outdated by now. No, it’s not outdated, not at all: it’s the most current basis the original poster (OP) has shared with us so far. It hasn’t changed in any way that would suggest improved satisfaction, and whether there have been any significant changes at all is questionable: otherwise, the OP could have already specified where (I asked which specific approval for expensive details justifies the expectation that the next draft would be more affordable). So currently, this is the only house design we have to work from, and from that we understand that the desired price is not met. What might have been changed since then remains lost in the deep sea of uncertainty.
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