arusha
15-06-2007, 10:34 AM
Hello,
Can I have some opinions on my architect?
Firstly we agreed on some plans for a loft conversion and cellar conversion on my house which is three converted flats. Planning was agreed but building regs came back with a huge list of things that were wrong. To cut a long story short anything that would have meant it would have got building regs approval would probably not have got planning permission. I now have realised that the architect just didn't have any experience of this kind of property. (Plus he was suggesting all kinds of illegal and dodgy ways of getting around it like making the loft into an extra dwelling to get building regs approval then putting it back to a maisonette after it has been signed off)
After lots of letters backwards and forwards building regs were rejected and now the architect has submitted new plans for the building regs (and amendments to the planning permission) without even showing them to me and now I have seen a copy they are not acceptable at all. He has the bathroom coming off a bedroom, but it's to be a 2 bed maisonette! That would totally put buyers/renters off.
I called him and he said 'sorry I had forgotten it was the main bathroom, what I suggest we do is leave it as it is and then let us get the conditional building regs agreement then we'll do an amendment to redesign the layout'.
Why would we do it that way round? I feel like I am being tricked and he just wants to send any old plans so that they get agreement so that he has fulfilled his obligation to me his client. He seems to me like he just wants to wash his hands of it. I am sure he hadn't 'forgotten' I think he purposely did it that way as it is more likely to get approval. He answered far too quickly as if he expected me to complain about it.
Any thoughts on what I should do? Should I tell him to withdraw that new building regs application? Perhaps I should cut my losses and get a new architect who is good. If so I should probably be asking for my money back from the first one. (not to mention the hassle that he has caused me and the lost rent from all the wasted time).
Can I have some opinions on my architect?
Firstly we agreed on some plans for a loft conversion and cellar conversion on my house which is three converted flats. Planning was agreed but building regs came back with a huge list of things that were wrong. To cut a long story short anything that would have meant it would have got building regs approval would probably not have got planning permission. I now have realised that the architect just didn't have any experience of this kind of property. (Plus he was suggesting all kinds of illegal and dodgy ways of getting around it like making the loft into an extra dwelling to get building regs approval then putting it back to a maisonette after it has been signed off)
After lots of letters backwards and forwards building regs were rejected and now the architect has submitted new plans for the building regs (and amendments to the planning permission) without even showing them to me and now I have seen a copy they are not acceptable at all. He has the bathroom coming off a bedroom, but it's to be a 2 bed maisonette! That would totally put buyers/renters off.
I called him and he said 'sorry I had forgotten it was the main bathroom, what I suggest we do is leave it as it is and then let us get the conditional building regs agreement then we'll do an amendment to redesign the layout'.
Why would we do it that way round? I feel like I am being tricked and he just wants to send any old plans so that they get agreement so that he has fulfilled his obligation to me his client. He seems to me like he just wants to wash his hands of it. I am sure he hadn't 'forgotten' I think he purposely did it that way as it is more likely to get approval. He answered far too quickly as if he expected me to complain about it.
Any thoughts on what I should do? Should I tell him to withdraw that new building regs application? Perhaps I should cut my losses and get a new architect who is good. If so I should probably be asking for my money back from the first one. (not to mention the hassle that he has caused me and the lost rent from all the wasted time).