Step Two: Hire Architect
Step Three: Fire Architect for thinking that you are stupid
After his initial self-imposed deadline of a week to a week and a half, Mr. Andrés took over a month to finally get us our plans. And these weren't the 3-D plans like we were promised. He was also short two bedrooms and a bathroom from what we had asked for. He had also made it way too expensive. He had also thrown out everything we had given him and gone his own direction.
So we fixed some things on his plan on Sunday to which he replied that by Tuesday morning we would have the finished plans, including 3-D.
I emailed him Thursday morning asking if he was ok. Thursday night we got a 3-D view of the front of what he wants our house to look like (not even close to what we asked for) and the plans. In his plans there is a very nice view of the pool from our walk in closet window, but not from anywhere else. FYI, these plans are for somebody much richer and dumber than we are. Friday morning he sent me an estimated cost for the wall around our property. This should have been very easy for him and was also over a month late.
All I really wanted was a materials list. That's what I had told him many times. I have my own construction workers and I have contacts to buy materials. I just wanted to know so that I could set up a budget and a timeline and get started.
Instead of sending me a materials list, he sent me a budget which included $800 for him to supervise the wall, $11,000 in materials and $6000 in salaries. For the same price I could pay my workers for 32 weeks and my wall better not take that long. One of the things he supposedly brought to the table was cheaper materials through his wholesalers. My own estimate based upon prices I can get locally (who have everything trucked in for them) comes in around $8,000 including salaries for three months.
Everything combined led me to the unfortunate for him conversation about why we no longer require his services. It had to be done gracefully because Guatemalan men are as sensitive as girls (it doesn't help if you mention that comparison) and because he is a friend of a friend...and he knows where we're going to live.
Big sigh...I need to pray more about this...it is Dad's and I prayer that God would provide as safe a home for you all as well...we know He can and trust it is all in His timing and plan.
ReplyDeleteGoogle's Sketchup program might be of help in your house building project. At least you would have a good mock up of what you want that was in the form of a hard copy, fewer misunderstandings.The program is free and does Metric and the old English system we use in the US. I use the program when I pull building permits and need a drawing to get my permit.
ReplyDeleteThanks Norm,
ReplyDeleteLast I checked, the Mac version was still pending but I'll check it out again. My brother has several design software programs and is apparently working on something. We'll do everything in metric of course so my albañil can understand. I am happy to have a very talented and very trustworthy albañil that can do anything I can show him. We are about to take a tour of restaurants and hotels on Flores to show him bits and pieces of our house.
I highly recommend just drawing up your house the way you want it, then talk to the abañil. He'll tell you exactly how much material you need and then you can price it yourself. After all, a wall doesn't really need an architect! Start with that, then move on to the house.
ReplyDeleteI designed our house and while many abañiles (we went through several) thought I was very odd for designing a home without a garden in the middle, they were able to build it to my specs. While I would change some things (rippled cernido, sideways lightswitches, etc.) I am very happy with the place that I designed and it wasn't that difficult. And it was literally a sketch on a piece of paper, freehand, with numbers beside the walls.
Good luck! Don't go too insane!
Sketchup is certainly available for the Mac and has been for some time. Check it out.
ReplyDeleteRemember you really need very high walls and you will want to run barbed wire and hot wire around all of the walls.
ReplyDelete