Finding architects - but how?

And he was very happy that we didn’t come with self-drawn plans yet . But we did have a detailed room program with our wishes

When he is ready, you will present your draft before the building application, right? It is so much fun to work out small mistakes and improvements

Regards Yvonne

Good evening,

In terms of the process, he counts the initial consultation as acquisition. The next step would now be for him to create a first draft including views and sections. He would charge a flat rate of €2,000 for this, which we would only have to pay if we do not commission him afterwards. We find that fair.

Do you have any experience with this on your side? Is this common? Is it too much?

Net amount?

That is a good litmus test question; for this, answers to Wanderdüne's questions are needed.

Rhenish regards

First of all: it certainly is not too much.

The crucial question is what scope this "first draft" is supposed to correspond to. In terms of price, it could just about fit within HOAI phases I and II, then it is a preliminary draft with a cost estimate, which only provides a very rough direction. But views and sections that go beyond a general sketch will probably violate HOAI.
And what if the collaboration works and could be fruitful, but the "first" draft does not convince?
What is then to be paid?
By the way: what service is actually owed as the basis for an approvable plan?

Flat rates can work and be HOAI compliant, but it can also quickly become complicated.

Hey Wanderdüne,
I don’t know if I understand your answer correctly, I’m just not very familiar with the topic.

It’s only about a preliminary draft, to see which direction it could go. But it will already be drawn properly and not scribbled as a hand drawing on paper. It’s about a basis, a first idea, on which we can decide whether we can imagine working with the architect. I think that when the first draft is presented, we can better see whether a collaboration will work or not. I imagine that the architect will explain quite a bit about the plan, so that one can judge his way of thinking, arguments, etc. After just the one-hour preliminary talk, that’s really difficult.

If we decide to collaborate, he would conclude a normal architect contract according to HOAI with us. I don’t know if it’s regulated there what happens if the first draft does not convince at all, I’ll ask again.
From the feeling, I would say that 2-3 attempts should be included without charging extra effort, or am I wrong?

We only pay the flat rate as compensation for effort if he does not get a contract from us. I come from marketing and know this from advertising agencies as a "pitch". You let several agencies design something and pay them compensation for effort, although they don’t get the contract.

In my opinion, it can’t yet be a basis for an approvable plan anyway. There is neither a soil survey nor surveyor documents available. We also haven’t talked much about technology; insulation etc., on which, among other things, the wall thickness depends.

- of course, I’ll upload plans as soon as I have a first draft, after all, I want to use the combined experience of the forum

- I have to ask, he didn’t say.

There is neither a geotechnical report nor surveyor documents available.

Not good! A soil report is among other things important for the decision yes/no basement; a preliminary site plan is important for dealing with heights depending on the frequently used level of the finished floor surface ./. exhausting eaves and ridge heights. Also not insignificant to know is the location of the sewer, respectively the depth of the invert. If I had known this beforehand, I would have urgently recommended that you commission this first. Everything the current architect can present now is nothing that can necessarily be implemented later; should the first draft by chance be convincing. You need both anyway, regardless of which architect or later provider you decide on. Rhine regards

I know!!! I would have liked to have done that a long time ago too. But my husband said we should wait until we have an architect. They often have people they like to work with.

Since there used to be a house with a basement on the property before, I just hope that the basement will work out. [Weiße Wanne] or something like that would not be a deal breaker for us. I know, hoping is not knowing.

There are so many good home construction companies, whether prefabricated houses or masonry, with countless houses/house designs/roofs, etc. One can almost design the complete floor plans themselves, there are many reference houses, the companies know what they are doing, the quality is right - so why insist on an architect-designed house? It’s not supposed to be an extraordinary 2-million villa, right? No offense - just my opinion...