Anne's blog: From the architect's notebook

  Why your architect can't give you a simple answer "How much will it cost?" It's literally the million dollar question - though my clients are usually hoping for an answer that doesn't run to seven figures in sterling or dollars. Architects are not costing professionals, though they'll have an idea of typical costs in your area, based on experience. They'll have asked broad questions about your budget before getting to work on designs. But it's difficult to establish costs accurately at the outset of a project, in a variable market with many factors that can affect cost considerations. If you want to get an accurate costing for a project, you could employ a quantity surveyor - a building cost specialist. Some quantity surveyors will give you a broad-brush estimate for the build cost that you can use as a benchmark for comparison with tenders. If you want very accurate prices, they can also do a more detailed assessment, but this can cost a lot. Your a