I have doubts...

Hello everyone,

my construction project somehow isn’t progressing and I’m gradually starting to doubt whether it was even a good idea. :-/

-Short Foreword-

I want to build a house or an extension on my parents’ or our property in cooperation with them. The brother-in-law of an acquaintance of ours is an architect, and so we talked about building a house. Since we had a good relationship with said acquaintance and the architect was recommended to us by her, we thought it was a good idea to hire someone we know personally.

Since I have zero knowledge about construction projects myself and my parents basically renovated our house alone 30 years ago and also don’t know much about the legal aspects, we thought it would be nice to have someone who takes care of everything, especially since he is practically an acquaintance.

We sat down together from the start and agreed that the whole thing should not exceed the limit of €150,000. That would be no problem, the architect said. We then received new plans at regular intervals of about 4 weeks, and eventually we were all satisfied with them and waited for things to get started.

We began planning in December 2015; the construction was supposed to start around April this year. I then started looking for a loan. It quickly became clear that banks need a cost estimate to work out the loan in detail. But I don’t have a cost estimate. Still don’t. I pointed this out to the architect several times, that I haven’t secured any money yet and won’t do so before I know how expensive this fun actually will be. I am aware that it will always be somewhat more expensive in the end, but it would be nice to have an approximate sum to come to terms with the bank. At one of our meetings, only the site manager was present; he and the architect know each other personally and have apparently worked together many times. While the architect always said that €150,000 would be no problem, the site manager said nothing will happen for less than €200,000. I find that somehow strange. And I can’t afford that.

We also can’t start building yet because the building permit is still not there. We also had some problems with the building authority, which one often hears about. But we have been waiting since March. Again and again something had to be remeasured and this and that. A few weeks ago, I called the building authority and asked why it’s taking so long. Contrary to my expectations, the gentleman was very reasonable and did not fit the horror image of the “evil building authority” that takes forever for everything and approves nothing. Rather, he made it clear to me that as the builder I pay the architect and it is my job to put pressure on him, because the building authority is not responsible for the delay. That made me even more suspicious.

Anyway, I’ve been sitting here for almost a year looking forward to taking the next step in my life and nothing is happening. I have also somehow lost trust in the whole thing, but above all in the architect.


The question is now:

1. Is it normal that things proceed this way? These delays and price inconsistencies?

2. If you have lost trust in the architect, what should you do? What happens if I cancel the construction project now? What do I have to pay him then?

3. How do I know that the architect won’t leave me in the lurch halfway through? Does he have an interest in me finishing the house? Or does he say: “I don’t care if you can afford it or not, it got more expensive, I want to be paid now even if you’re stuck with a construction ruin.”

4. Does it make sense to start over again? This time with a lawyer and/or general contractor and everything that goes with it?

5. Is the whole thing even worth it with capital of €150,000? According to the current plans, it’s about 100m² without a basement. (We already own the property)

I am a little frustrated and had to vent ;-)

Best regards
Roccat

yes, what does the architect contract say, normally something like the budget is clarified right at the beginning, and is surely documented there in writing? Even if it's an acquaintance of an acquaintance, you would probably have to follow the regular legally correct procedure, setting deadlines etc.

If it's starting like this already, I would quickly change the architect. By the way, the construction manager is right, with all the additional costs, etc., it will probably be tight.

It's always difficult with acquaintances.... Nothing has happened either and I would think twice about borrowing money and tackling the project with him.

What problems have there already been? A few problems with the building authority are a few too many

Good morning,

The brother-in-law of an acquaintance of ours is an architect and so we talked about building a house.

That was already the first mistake; never ever commission an acquaintance with building a house!

1. Is it normal for things to go like this? These delays and discrepancies in the prices?

What else should I answer but: one sits at the desk and the other is a practitioner? Basically, it _should_ not run like this, but that’s probably the "price" you pay for the favor from a friend.

2. If one has lost trust in the architect, how should one proceed? What happens if I cancel the building project now? What do I have to pay him then?

Only he can answer that for you, and it depends crucially on the agreed fee.

3. How do I know that the architect won’t abandon me halfway? Does he have an interest in me finishing the house? Or does he say: "I don’t care if you can afford it, it’s gotten more expensive now, I want to be paid now, even if you’re sitting in a building ruin."

You know him, not us!

4. Does it make sense to start again from scratch? This time with a lawyer and/or a general contractor and everything that goes with it

Lawyer?

5. Is it even worth it, with capital of €150,000? According to the current plans, it is about 100m² without a basement. (We already own the plot)

To answer that, plans and knowledge of the existing conditions are needed; an on-site visit wouldn’t be so bad now either.

Rhenish regards