Fliperati

Much has been said about the ramshackle garage on this property that needs to be torn down and replaced, but I’m just now getting around to finding an architect to draw up plans for the new structure.  Without a better alternative, I simply scrolled through the phone book (online) and looked up a few local architects with the hope that someone from the area would be familiar enough with the township rules to get the plans approved on the first try.  What I found was mostly a bunch of individual architects who seemed to already have more projects than they could ever need.  I suppose this is not out of the ordinary — especially for early summer when everyone is thinking about the projects they had on hold all winter, but it’s still a little discouraging.

I had a bit more luck when I expanded my search beyond the township where the property is located and started calling other firms in the county.  I currently have three different architects reviewing the survey of the property and preparing a quote on what it will cost me to have plans drawn up.  Actually, I’m only waiting for two of them to get back to me — one guy told me it would be $500 flat unless there is something really crazy about the project.

I’m leaning toward the last architect I spoke with because she seemed very familiar with the township regulations and she even went to college with the head of the buildings department.  She sounded very busy when I spoke to her, but I’m hoping she comes back with a reasonable quote and is able to squeeze me in because she sounds like a great asset to have on the rehabbing team.