Building a house is often seen as a dream, a promise of happiness and comfort. However, behind this beautiful facade sometimes lies a much harsher reality. The story of a half-finished house, with a budget exceeded by 50%, plunges us into the heart of a betrayed trust towards an architect. Initial commitments, filled with hope, turn into disappointments, raising questions about the management of the works and the promises never kept. What could have happened to arrive at such a situation?
A half-finished house and an exceeded budget
When embarking on a construction project, trust in one’s architect is essential. However, this trust can be undermined, as experienced by a couple who decided to renovate their home. After an initial compromise on the budget, reality proved to be much more complex. A renovation project that was supposed to cost €100,000 quickly rose to €150,000, leaving the homeowners perplexed and disconcerted. Promises of quick completion were followed by accumulated delays, making their dream of a personalized home increasingly distant.
Management errors on the construction site
Inconsistencies in the management of the construction site multiplied. Unsuitable materials were chosen without any consultation with the homeowners, trapped in a spiral of unilateral decisions. The first invoice revealed additional costs for elements that, according to the architect, were necessary, but which had not been included in the initial budget. This situation led to growing tension between the homeowners and the architect, resulting in a complete loss of trust in their expertise and judgment.
The search for solutions and the outcome of the project
Faced with a half-finished house and a budget already exceeded by 50%, the homeowners had to consider alternative solutions. With an urgent need to negotiate with the workers and the project manager to avoid further overruns, they set up regular meetings to closely monitor each advancement. Nevertheless, these efforts were not enough to restore the lost trust. In the end, they had to enlist a new architect to reassess the project. This new approach allowed for a correction of the construction trajectory, although the road ahead remained fraught with obstacles.
