The good client and why beards are dangerous

Think very carefully about dealing with anybody with excessive facial hair.

It's true!

Sounds ridiculous we know but between us we've half a centurys experience of dealing with the building trade and guess what? They think everybody talks their language.

And the worst culprits? Blokes with big beards. Which isn't to say men can't be good architects but in our experience women, or men who think more like women, make better architects. It's obviously up to you whether you want to employ an architect with a beard who is also a women - we just don't have any experience in that direction!

Alright that’s a bit of an exageration but the principle stands. If the person you're talking to can't, or won't, put it in laymans language then go somewhere else. There are no secrets really but a lot of folk take a lot of pride in making you think there are and leaving you looking foolish and vulnerable.

If its an architect, ask to see some introductory drawings. Bit daunting are architects drawings aren't they? Well if they cant make them simple and easy to read then forget them and find somebody who can. Of course they'll need to do some detailed annotated ones for the builders and you'll need detailed info for the contract but when they're showing you their proposals their drawings should be clean and clear so that everybody understands them.

We've been in design meeting with say ten people and we'd put money that a good half of them staring at the dawings thinking, "I don't understand what I'm looking at but I daren't say in case I look daft"

Remember, you're the client. If you don’t get it, say so and if your builder, architect or other consultant can't explain it, or gets all technical or 'blokey' with you ( that's where the beard tends to start coming to the fore!) then wave them bye-bye………to be continued…………….

the sourcerers