# RTE Room to Improve



## RMCF (20 May 2010)

Not sure if this is the name of the programme (the one where the skinny architect redesigns folks houses).

The OH watches it all the time and I have now caught maybe 10 shows over recent months, but I was wondering do *any *of the projects *ever *come in on budget?

As someone who is considering building in the next 3 - 5yrs, its scary that so many of them seem to need up to an additional 50% spent (admittedly lots are down to unforeseen problems which wouldn't, hopefully, affect a new build).


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## PyritePete (20 May 2010)

+1 every project seems to be 40k over budget & he tries to imply its the owners fault


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## RMCF (20 May 2010)

I'll say one thing for him, the finished results normally look the business.

But if that guy came to me and said €80k, I'd budget for at least €100k.


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## Sue Ellen (21 May 2010)

The only problem that I would have with his layout is that they all look the same in respect of the kitchen and dining area.  The space whilst airy etc. seems to be too big and looks as if it would be quite hard to heat.

Would agree about the budget aspect, always way over.

He mentioned this week about being a designer.   Is he definitely an architect also?


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## Caveat (21 May 2010)

Give me a good builder with taste over the average architect any day.


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## Graham_07 (21 May 2010)

Sue Ellen said:


> He mentioned this week about being a designer.   Is he definitely an architect also?



This is the presenter I believe.

[broken link removed]


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## RMCF (21 May 2010)

Agree with you Sue Ellen, the designs always tend to look very samey.

Nice. But samey.


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## Superman (21 May 2010)

He's an Architect alright.

One thing that gets me (and anyone involved in Construction I've spoken to about it) is that the prices he gets stuff done for is a lot lower than I would expect.

I agree that he should be building in larger contingency sums into his projects - since they are normally 10% out, he should have learnt by now. That said, extensions and alterations are inherently more difficult to price than new builds since builders find unexpected problems, or clients having changed one bit decide they now must change their mind about something they were going to leave out etc.


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## tiger (21 May 2010)

I think the Designs for life program was very similar with appalling budget management.
[broken link removed]
Neither program very good advertising for architects I think.


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## z104 (21 May 2010)

Would that be typical of every architects . approx: 50% over budget


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## Superman (21 May 2010)

tiger said:


> I think the Designs for life program was very similar with appalling budget management.
> [broken link removed]
> Neither program very good advertising for architects I think.


Frankly I thought this was a far worse advert for architects - the cost control was truly appalling. I suspect that the was due to the nature of the intervention by the television show requiring sufficiently "wow" designs.
What I saw happen was clients coming in with ideas of €700k houses but with €300k budgets.  In real life, one designs to the budget and quickly kill the idea that they can go with the €700k dream.  Instead the architects ran with the €700k design, the clients tried to keep costs down and the entire thing ended up as a mess.



> Would ath be typical of every architects . approx: 50% over budget


No!


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## ludermor (21 May 2010)

Caveat said:


> Give me a good builder with taste over the average architect any day.


 Can wait to see ONQ response to this


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## Betsy Og (21 May 2010)

myself and the OH always take the proverbial about whether he'll knock a few walls to let the light in......... its a real cliffhanger....

He has a love of kitchens that wouldnt look out of place in Intel or some pharma lab. He was recently giving out to people who wanted presses in their kitchen - dunno how arty it would look with cornflakes boxes and loaves of bread strewn around.

So overall I find him impractical and generally whingey. Wouldnt be my type of guy.

My advice, as someone who had their own house built from scratch, is look at loads of houses, take photos, find one you really like. Draw out the rooms you'd like inside the windows of your favourite house. Think about whats southfacing, westfacing etc., generally kitchens facing south/east are good for light in the mornings. West facing good for sitting rooms/dining rooms in the evenings.

Once you know/think you know what you want, ask the architect for his advice or to just draw it up properly. Going to them with arms  a swinging is useless in my experience. When you do get a spec go through it in great detail to try to think of everything because its extras later that jack up the price.

In all these shows they love open plan everywhere, having lived in those type of things in college I dont like the idea of sitting room and kitchen in 1 as a) always looking at messy kitchen & b) theres never any quiet because if its not an extractor fan going its pot walloping or cleaning up or some such that isnt conducive to relaxation.


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## becky (21 May 2010)

I agree the kitchens seem a bit samey/boring - has put me right off islands in the middle of kitchens. 

I only see it now and again but thought he did a good job on a house in Clare that was back to front so to speak and the house owned by a woman who had a dual carriageway in her back yard.


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## PyritePete (27 May 2010)

anybody catch it last night ?


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## RMCF (27 May 2010)

Yip, came in under budget (well the one I watched on my Sky+ did anyway).

Typical, just when you say every single one is over budget.


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## Welfarite (28 May 2010)

RMCF said:


> Yip, came in under budget (well the one I watched on my Sky+ did anyway).
> 
> Typical, just when you say every single one is over budget.


 
I watched it and it was way over budget! was it the one with the childless couple; air hostess? Either that are those Sky boxes are great yokes altogether; I watched it on terrestial telly!  THink they started with a budget of 118l and ened at 159k with ehr hiring a personal designer without telling your man!


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## Vanilla (28 May 2010)

They ended up at 275000 I thought.

I like Bannon's designs, but not his overruns ( though in fairness the lady who worked for aer lingus( why assume air hostess)/her husband made the cost overruns on that one.


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## RonanC (28 May 2010)

Estimate of the build was 159,000 which included kitchen and other bits i think and it came in at 145,000 ? But then the owners went mental on the fit out and brought it closer to 250,000


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## Staples (28 May 2010)

Vanilla said:


> the lady who worked for aer lingus( why assume air hostess)


 
In fairness, she had a number of green uniforms hanging up in one of the closets.  AFAIK, you're not required to wear uniforms in AL if you're not crew.


Plus, she looked like one.


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## Vanilla (28 May 2010)

Could be a pilot?


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## Staples (28 May 2010)

AFAIK, pilots' uniforms are not green. (They were black-and white in 1977)

[broken link removed]

Regardless, there's far more likelihood, statistically, that a female AL employee required to wear a uniform is a hostess.

Shouldn't be the case of course but that's a wider issue.

And she does look like one.


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## Vanilla (28 May 2010)

[broken link removed]

She IS an air hostess, alright. Agree she does look like my idea of an air hostess- groomed and good looking.


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## RonanC (28 May 2010)

well we all know what the hubby does...

_"Well i'm the CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER with the Beacon Medical group"_

Do we really care who you are and what you do?? 

NO!


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## Vanilla (28 May 2010)

In fairness they seemed nice though and I'd imagine the chief financial officer bit was plugged because of the financial overrun later ( ie it makes good tv).


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## RonanC (28 May 2010)

Vanilla said:


> In fairness they seemed nice though and I'd imagine the chief financial officer bit was plugged because of the financial overrun later ( ie it makes good tv).


 
No I totally agree, they did seem a nice couple and the house the got was lovely too, loved the staircase and the opening (atrium??) created in the middle of the house.


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