Architect search - financial differences

Hello everyone,

we have a plot and are now looking for an architect. I was thinking of initially commissioning one (or two?) architects only for service phases 1/2 to see if it fits before commissioning the remaining service phases.

But I have some questions about the service phases:

Since the architect’s fee is derived from the total costs, it is in the architect’s interest to plan a particularly expensive house – or to include a large buffer, whereas I want to reduce the costs as much as possible. Or is it the case that he cannot bill beyond our budget limit because that would violate our contract?

Is it then also likely that architects will reject our project because it is not lucrative enough? I am mainly thinking that there might be established architecture firms with a special reputation that only want to build single-family homes above a certain budget vs. “ordinary” architects who like to build any standard here in our city? Is that so?

Strictly speaking – assuming they accept the commission and the building budget is the same – would both bill at the same rate (according to HOAI)?

And finally: Through HOAI the architect gets a quasi fixed price for the service. But when do I decide that the service has been rendered? I could send him back to the drawing board 10 times because I am not happy with the design yet. With very intensive joint planning, his hourly wage would become quite small...

Thank you all! Looking forward to a great house-building phase with you here in the forum!
Best regards
Bob

You ask questions! Of course architects have a profile, and GMP, the firm that built Berlin's Hauptbahnhof, will not want to design your Ytong hut. Expect refusals. If you annoy the architect with 3000 drafts, please shift the toilet 14 cm more to the right... then he will say, finito, we don't fit together. If you're afraid it will be too expensive with him, then build without him with a general contractor. K

Yes, you've already recognized that correctly. Regarding your final point: what Leistungsphase 1/2 includes can be found online. In phase 1, you basically clarify things like, "yes, 5 rooms, large living room, yes, it should have big windows facing south, a flat roof would be cool, I like clinker bricks and the Hamburg style... blah blah." The architect then gives you a summary of this, and you pay him. Then he makes you a sketch based on these points. If you don't like small details, the architect will revise them, but if you simply don’t like the house as a whole, you can either come to an agreement or terminate the architect, and if you suddenly decide you want 8 rooms instead and the living room facing west and a wooden facade after all, you have to pay him again.

Mschet with GU

Find an architect who listens to you. Explain how you want to live. Preferably with pictures. If he is interested in your project (not just interested in the money), commission him to create a design. If he cannot listen, does not understand you, or you do not understand him, then look for the next one. If the design is good, then ask him for a fixed price for further collaboration and take the next steps up to the approval planning. It’s all quite simple when you combine heart, insight into people, and reason.

Thank you very much, that all makes sense. So the worst thing that can happen to me is that I want to build with him, but he declines because it's not interesting enough for him.

, the draft already costs a few thousand; it would be a shame if it were already wasted. My concern was that the price would only be stated at the end of the draft and the top architect would then come around with HOAI for a 1 million euro project. But it doesn't seem to be the case; if I give him my budget, he probably has to stick to it or decline from the start.

So I will first have the talks with my top candidate and if it doesn't work out between us or he doesn't want to, I'll go to the next one on the list.