We came across this architect because the previous owners had hired them to draw up plans for what…read morewe were thinking of doing, a deck and a lot more. Since they had measured everything, and the plans for the deck were already there, we thought it'll be an easy an efficient transaction.
According to Mario Buzzelli, who works at this office though, deleting most of the previous plans and adding a door must take them more than 17 hours, according to their flat rate and hourly rates. I can even live without a deck, but will not be swindled. Afterall, they've already charged the previous owners the full price for these plans. Had they asked them to modify the plans, they say it would cost a fraction of that quote.
At that point, I started wondering how much more money we should expect to be swindled for every little thing. I asked a specific question: if we just ask you to submit a plan that only includes the bathroom, which they had already designed, how much will that be. You'd think I'd get a straightforward answer. But no, what I heard was that it depends if you want to add a room, garden, ... Sophism is what swindlers are good at.
In our interview at the office, Mario couldn't let go of the past. We were asking about architectural plans, while he'd go on a tangent about what the previous owners did with each of the rooms, where they had coffee or a lot of other stuff that first of all, a new owner doesn't care one bit about, and second of all, it's the previous owners' private business.
The previous work done for the previous owners seems detailed and professionally done. But hey, that's the minimum I'd expect of the architect.