Our 9th secret tip about how to deal with an Architect focus on money and respect.
If you have just landed here do not miss our previous tips:
- Take 1 – Stages
- Take 2 – Fee Proposals
- Take 3 – The Brief
- Take 4 – Your Budget
- Take 5 – Be Honest
- Take 6 – Build Trust
- Take 7 – Enjoy the Process
- Take 8 – Be Aware of Time
9. Pay on Time
Everybody likes to get paid for their work- it is fair, it is simple. Normally you and your Architect will agree staged payments at the start of the project. Many times the payments are due after the work is complete and this may have involved many many hours of hard work from your Architect – think about Respect. If you do not pay promptly the Architect cannot proceed to the next stage of your project and this can have multiple implications depending on the stage of your project.
Hot tip: Once you pay one stage make sure you start organizing funds to pay the next stage as it may be just a matter of weeks between payments. If the payment schedule proposed by your Architect at the outset does not suit you just ask to be changed.
Go to Take 10 – Provide Feedback
Excellent conclusion to this series! With my work at Cantrell Crowley, I would recommend that you always utilise this step. It’s important to organise your funds to pay for the next part of the project. Being organised as a client in advance, in my opinion, is the difference between a good project and a great project. Having excellent communication with your architect allows for a smooth overall project and nearly always results in a project running on time. Looking forward to reading more articles like this one!