The Process Before You Build a House

Oh boy, I completely forgot to write about what we went through before demolition started. It took more than a year before we started any work on the house. The first step of finding the right architect took us several years. We were scared of hiring the wrong one since a lot of people have shared horror stories on YouTube about getting scammed. 

Here are the steps we went through after finding the right architect (those I can seriously recall):

Step 1. The first thing we did really was to get to know each other. Our architect interviewed us about how we live, what's important for us and we talked about the planning process. When we decided to proceed, the architect sent us a proposal which included professional fees and a detailed bill of materials.

Step 2. After paying our downpayment, we sent a wishlist to the architect and a copy of the title of the house. We also had on hand the site survey since we had one done for the donation of the property. 

Step 3. The architect then made an initial design. We went back and forth on this until we agreed on the design. We took our time since we were also waiting for the new title of the property which is required to file a building permit.

Step 4. Once the design was done, the architect involved his team of engineers and other experts in putting together the detailed blue print required to file a building permit. 

Step 5. We then reviewed the blue print and once it was signed, architect's assistant did the back and forth in getting the permit. We were stuck here for awhile since the city engineers required a lot of changes. One hold-up was also getting a CAAP permit* which got delayed because of the original site surveyor. We ended up hiring another geodetic engineer to help get the CAAP permit. 

Step 6. Together with filing the building permit you need to also get approval from your barangay and homeowners association. Ahh, this also cost a lot of money to do but this was already included in the costings of our architect (whew!). 

Step 7. The building permit also required trips to the Bureau of Fire and purchasing fire extinguishers. By this time we were really grateful we hired a professional architect who had an expert in getting the requirements completed. 

Step 8. Once you get clearance from your barangay, HOA, CAAP, Bureau of Fire, and make the building official happy about your plan, you'll finally get your building permit (it took us 6 months including delays). 

Step 9. But, there's more. Before we were able to start, we had to file additional requirements of the HOA. They required a list of the workers, their NBI and police clearance, and individual photos for their ID. Aside from that we also had to pay for the required demolition bond and construction bond. 

Step 10. And just before we started, we paid for the next 10% of the contract for the mobilization fee. So, that's what happened before we started on day one of the demolition.

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How We Chose an Architect

For the longest time, we lived in rented accommodations. We eventually got a condo unit as our first owned home. My sister advised me early on that you can always change where you live. It was sound advice because we moved as our situation changed. We're now on our 8th home which we thought would be our permanent home.

During the pandemic we'd watch videos on houses for sale and architect videos. I remember mentioning to Sweetie I wish one of the architects we were watching would become our architect. That did not happen immediately and we got to work with several architects before we found the right one. 

Original plan of my childhood home made by Tito Bert Apolo, c1969 (before I was born!)

Last week, I posted about red flags when hiring an architect/contractor. We have a fair share of horror stories and that's how we learned through the years. We've also reviewed several proposals. Oftentimes, there were more questions than information that would put our mind at ease. 

We put our plans to build a house on hold because we felt we had not found the right people to work with. I was also grieving the loss of my Mom and clearing the childhood home was very overwhelming. My Mom had meter deep cabinets and she packed a lot of stuff in it. 

With home building on hold, we thought about investing some of our savings and that's how we met our current architect. We felt that our values were aligned. We shared with him what we experienced and he gave us a lot of advice. 

I was a program manager and details are very important for me. I used to make and review a lot of proposals/quotations/contracts, and over a year later we started the house build. Here's what we liked about our current architect:

• We started with a business relationship
• He was very patient and generous in answering questions
• He got to know our lifestyle, needs and wants before he started planning
• He adjusted the plans as needed and has been flexible throughout the project
• Most importantly, he's the only architect that gave a detailed costing which included professional fees (architect + a number of engineers), cost of materials, other building costs, and a list of owner supplied materials

With everything above board, we also felt that we had the same values as the architect. I personally dilly-dally whenever I need to make a big purchase, so I took my sweet time deciding. Mind you we started looking for an architect even before the pandemic. It took a lot of prayers and reviewing to find the right architect for our needs. I think the most important thing is finding one with the same values as us. 

The big bonus? We're working with the architect we wished for during the pandemic :)

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Red Flags When Choosing an Architect/Contractor

It took us a long time before we finally chose an architect for our home project. We learned a lot in the past few years since we had a lot of stuff fixed in our current home. Here's a list of red flags from our experience:

1. The over eager supplier who blinds you with drawings and lay-outs.

2. The one who promises the moon, but under delivers. 

3. The one who cannot stick to the costings and you end up paying 2x more than the proposed cost. 

4. The one who ghosts you when you discover errors with their work. 

5. The one who cannot produce a proper contract.

6. The one who uses substandard materials that puts your family in peril.

7. The one you have to report to the city building official for not doing things right. 

8. The one who does not provide the right materials for their workers to do their job properly.

9. The one who says they'll set a meeting and then you bump into them in the mall during the supposed meeting date and time.

10. The one who doesn't have reliable contacts. 

These are just a few of what we've experienced the past few years. I probably have more bad experiences at the back of my mind. Next week, I'll write about how we chose our architect. 

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