What is making them double the budget?

Maybe you don't need an architect if you know exactly what you want. Maybe you need a good general contractor who can connect you with someone to do construction drawings.

I used an architect for a project and it was a great experience but i needed ideas and direction. She came up with great ideas, some I took, some I rejected and it went both ways.

The other problem may be that what you want simply can't be done within the budget you have set. A good general contractor can tell you that pretty quickly based on some very basic discussions.

If your vision isn’t matching your budget, that’s not the architect‘s fault. You might be killing the messenger here.

Sometimes it is not obvious that the cottage should have been torn down and start from scratch until the paint has dried in the addition. How much time has the architect(s) spent with you finding out what your needs and wants are and familiarizing themselves with the site and existing structure? Sometimes it can be determined if the existing structure should be saved or not without having to produce drawings. Adding on to and/or remodeling an existing structure can be very tricky and a lot of experience is required for a good project results.

It might be helpful if you offered specifics re your budget - i.e. Actual numbers. And then hopefully those who have real knowledge of the costs involved with the specific renovations you are planning can chime in and offer some insights as to how realistic your budget is, etc.

Is this normal client behavior to keep repeating the same unrealistic program and then crying budget when they are given what they ask for? Architects are not magicians who create half priced spaces.

It’s not the any of architects fault that you don’t have the money to go with your wants, is it? You’d think you’d have gotten the message by now. But maybe someone just needs to flat out tell you that you that your budget expectations aren’t realistic.

Bulldoze that old thing that’s causing you to go over budget, and start over. New builds are cheaper than remodeling and trying to keep some mistakes and fix others. You’re already building a whole house. Stop trying to keep the old. And come up with more money. The costs are in the major site issues. Which your back of the envelope husband doesn’t seem to realize. 50% of the budget is probably dealing with that challenging site.

Numbers. As I said above. Specific numbers.

You only seem to want to complain but I can tell you there's nothing normal about your project otherwise architects wouldl be doing something else for a living.

It sounds to me that the architects have not gathered enough information, or you have not provided enough information, for an appropriate design to be created. Perhaps you need an architect that can drag the information out of you.

We have no clue about even your budget. I would say what you want and what you can get are at odds. If your really want our input you need to share the budget , some pictures and floor plans. And for sure your budget. I often have clients whose budget just won't do what they want and that requires work on both our sides to get the job done. IMO you are building a new house so think about that instead of in your mind an addition.

“The house backs up to a steep cliff that leads down to a creek. And surrounded by very mature trees. Basically it’s a tree house.” This sounds very VERY expensive and may be an engineering nightmare. Your vision might be unfeasible without an extremely large budget.

" We are building on a master suit, 2 bedrooms and a guest room, garage, and family room/dining room, demoing a bedroom and current garage. "

That's a lot of addition. getting it to match the current homes architectural style so that it doesn't end up being the neighborhood eyesore will likely be very expensive given your site's limited space and difficult terrain. If your hubby can draw the whole thing you want to do, then take those rough drawings to three different contractors and see what they rough quote you for the build, and compare to the architects estimates. If the budget disconnect remains, there is your answer.

You've been to three architects with the same results each time?

Is it time to look in the mirror?

I assume the question is rhetorical. because there is no way anyone could answer it.

Also, is it normal homeowner behavior to buy a teardown, think they can DIY design anything because there’s a “graphic designer” in the family, and then gripe about everything being unaffordable for 7 whole years? Wouldn’t the project have long since been abandoned, or the scope have changed by now if someone were processing information correctly? Couldn’t it have been 100% DIYed if there were any actual skills in house that seem to not to want to be paid for?

The price of the scope has only almost doubled in 7 years time. Wasn’t it enough when the bank told you that your desired end result could not justify the huge costs and they wouldn’t give you the 203? Wasn’t it enough when the comment to every single portion of the project was that it was “too expensive”? If you cannot DIY the whole thing yourself, then maybe it’s time to sell that teardown to someone with the cash budget to create something.

Or it’s past time to have collected the tools and skills to make something happen yourself. Pros do not decline work that they are interested in doing. And that’s it in a nutshell. The common denominator in 7 years of failure is not the many pros that have declined to be involved.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2303806/architect-price-sky-high-and-then-reconsiders-after-we-do

live_wire is the best!! Loved the reading the OP complaints about "sky high" fees from 6 years ago. Well, OP is consistent: still the architects' fault.

“We are building on a master suit, 2 bedrooms and a guest room, garage, and family room/dining room, demoing a bedroom and current garage.”

While you didn’t give us any numbers, this scope of work is effectively building an entire house. I mean, what you’ve described is an entire 4-bedroom house added on to your existing house. What does a 4-bedroom house cost to build in your area, and then add on to that any twists and turns to fit it with your current house, its foundation, roof, the geography (“the house is backed up to a steep cliff that leads down to a creek”), and what appears to be your intransigence about paying what it will cost to build such a project.

One architect backing out, OK, that happens. Two architects, that can happen. But four? I am aghast that you are asking at this point “what gives?” You are evidently unwilling to pay what this magnitude of project costs, and also unwilling to change the scope of your project. Therefore, you will continue this pattern to infinity.

Well, they're gone. Guess they didn't like the posts.

LMAO, guess the internet was not the warm safe place she thought it would be....................................................

Ironically, a thread entitled “Post has been deleted” will be irresistible to open, so the OP will get a lot more traffic for this post, as well as for the older one that LWO linked.

I am glad that several people (and I) quoted the OP or referenced her specific complaints so that people can get the gist of why the responses were what they were.

As was stated above (or below depending on the order of the posts) sometimes the mirror is the best problem solver.

What does anyone being a graphic designer have to do with having architectural skills? 3D spatial relationships are entirely different than 2D. That might come into play with color perception for interior decor choices. But engineering a new home structure to cantilever into a ravine? No.

Maybe this was the cliff in question.

Well, poop. The original post from 6 years ago has also been deleted. Just the OP, not the comments. I didn't think it was possible to edit, much less delete, an OP that was written more than a week ago...

Well, I hope I was helpful. I find myself at times being in the position of telling clients things they do not want to hear. It is easier let someone down on the internet. I make a point of telling my clients in person if I have what may be perceived as bad news. I word it gently and make sure they are not armed.

I'm a bit boggled that someone could hang around this forum for 6+ years and still be surprised to get answers that were not those clearly wanted.

I'm also slightly sad that I apparently missed the fun.

Do they still get alerts regarding new comments if they deleted the post? Hmmmm....

I am so surprised that you can delete an old post. That is a new thing. Houzz changes are mysterious.

You used to not be able to edit an original post after an hour had passed. Because it ruins a thread to have the premise disappear. It’s beyond shocking that someone could edit a 7 year old post. That needs to be fixed ASAP. That ruins the entire value of a forum as an archive of past experiences and solutions to problems.

Yep..I missed the party too.

That is weird that you could go back and delete from 6 years ago.

Are other posters going to have to start copying/saving the original post just in case it needs to be pasted/quoted further down the thread ....

And I don't think the post was actually "deleted", but rather was edited to remove all the content and replace it with the words "delete post."

Perhaps this is another one of the "upgrades" being foisted upon us by Houzz IT, much like Schroedinger's comment order - you never know whether newest or oldest will be at the top, nor whether you'll be able to change the display until you open the thread.

As to notifications, I suspect those continue as well. And the OP has either stopped logging in or is twitching slightly every time someone adds yet another comment to this now "deleted" thread.

"Schroedinger's comment order." Very funny.

This reminds me of the time years ago when I was trying on different eyeglass frames. I could not believe that every frame I tried on was crooked. I brought it to the eye doctor's attention and he expressed his bewilderment also. I continued trying on frames until we (I) came to a realization that it could be my face that was crooked; he sheepishly agreed. The difference here is that I will not delete my post.

I am probably showing my age, but this reminds me of a Richard Nixon tape erasing caper.

Nothing good on TV and now this. Damn.

I had to google Schroedinger. Yep, changes dynamically in time is an apt description for the comment order.

Just opened this thread. OMG lol

I had to google Schroedinger.

Whippersnapper. ;-)

Anyone who has watch The Big Bang Theory knows about Schrodinger's Cat.