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
From a good architect, I expect them to either tell me this right away or to present two alternative designs alongside their too expensive proposal that at least come close to the budget. For example, one that meets the space program but with fewer features, and another that meets the features but not the space program, or any mix in between as long as it stays within the budget. That way, I can make a decision.
By the way, this is what I expect from all professionals doing their jobs, including my employees and colleagues who support me...
By the way, this is what I expect from all professionals doing their jobs, including my employees and colleagues who support me...
G
Gerddieter24 Oct 2020 09:10Hello
I’d like to share my problem with you – I had already considered starting a separate thread anyway... Thanks for the offer!
But not right now – it’s still too fresh, the process is ongoing, and besides, I don’t hold the copyright to the plans since I didn’t want to pay for them...
Just this much – if it really is the case that an architect can do whatever they want after signing the contract (and in fact very little), yet still get paid for all agreed phases – then as a private client you can unfortunately forget about the architectural profession altogether... In that case, I’d rather go with an employed architect from a general contractor or a prefab house manufacturer, at least they do what they’re supposed to...
I’d like to share my problem with you – I had already considered starting a separate thread anyway... Thanks for the offer!
But not right now – it’s still too fresh, the process is ongoing, and besides, I don’t hold the copyright to the plans since I didn’t want to pay for them...
Just this much – if it really is the case that an architect can do whatever they want after signing the contract (and in fact very little), yet still get paid for all agreed phases – then as a private client you can unfortunately forget about the architectural profession altogether... In that case, I’d rather go with an employed architect from a general contractor or a prefab house manufacturer, at least they do what they’re supposed to...
Tolentino schrieb:
From a good architect, I do expect them to tell me that upfront.Well, it also takes character to admit that the budget isn’t enough, and that needs to be communicated as well. Showing off has unfortunately become quite common nowadays.Tolentino schrieb:
From a good architect, however, I expect them to tell me that straight away No one said that good architects have more rights than bad ones. Even a bad architect has the right to have their invoices paid.
Tolentino schrieb:
From a good architect, I expect that they either tell me straight away or provide two alternative designs alongside their too expensive proposal that at least come close to the budget. I expect an architect to only start practicing independently once they have become competent and gained enough experience in translating budgets into actual buildings, so they don’t begin "sketching" if the wish list and wallet don’t match. This means they should tell a stingy client they need to loosen the purse strings, and if the budget isn’t sufficient even without stinginess, that fewer wishes can be fulfilled for that amount of money. Every wish costs something—not just the ones you pick. A sloped site costs money, often more than marble or facing bricks, so this must be compensated elsewhere by cutting wishes. I can’t build my friend’s single-story house on my sloped plot for the same price. It simply doesn’t work that way.
ypg schrieb:
No one said that good architects have more rights than bad ones. Even a bad architect has the right to get their invoices paid. The owed performance from even a good architect is only the design that can obtain necessary approvals; it doesn’t have to please the client—and if it does, that’s basically “customer service for marketing purposes.” On the other hand, staying within budget is not a bonus but a fundamental part of the service that a layperson can reasonably expect in good faith from a professional. The architect is not responsible for rock or clay layers in the building ground, but they must consider typical material price increases and should not act completely surprised that a custom design costs more than standard DIY store products. After all, “architect” is a protected professional title—you can’t just sit at the drawing board like a cobbler or locksmith. Simply drawing and invoicing a client who says they only have the money for a “Santa Claus house” for a “Santa Claus Die-stel-mei-er house” instead is not acceptable. Freelance work is not a free license to deliberately or grossly negligently provide a consumer with a faulty or inadequate service.
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