architect costs

[ade]

Dear Nigel,

Sorry to bother you but we would like your opinion on the payments so far to our Architect.In May of last year he asked for 1720cyp to start the drawing of the plans for the renovation of our village house this we payed.This month,9 months on he has finally completed the plans,filled in all of the required paperwork but has yet to submit them and is now asking for a further 2300cyp or equivalent in euros,before he submits the plans.We would like to know if this sounds about right for what has been done.As i have said it is for a renovation not build of an old village house could you also recommend any companies who are good at this type of work as we have yet to find a company to carry out the work.Look forward to hearing from you.

Paul

[Nigel Howarth]

Hi Paul & welcome,

Your architect's fees should be somewhere in the region of 4% and 6% of the building cost. In addition, you'll pay a further 1.5% - 2% for the structural design & supervision (either to your architect or a structural engineer).

You'll pay the money in stages as he completes his work:

• 20% - Outline Proposals
  5% - Scheme Design and Town Planning Application
  35% - Detail and Structural Design and Building Permit Application
  15% - Working Drawings and Tender Documentation
  25% - General Supervision and Contract Administration

Without knowing what the overall renovation costs are likely to be, or whether he's applying for a Town Planning or Building Permit Application, it's a bit difficult to say whether his charges are reasonable or not.

One of the things your architect will do is invite tenders from building contractors who could undertake the work. And then it will be up to you and him to decide which one to use.

I don't have any contacts with building contractors that specialise in the work. But I do know of a Limassol-based renovation architect (she worked on the Lanitis Carob mill in Limassol among other things). If you'd like her contact details, let me know and I'll send you a pm.

Regards,