In a message dated 98-08-03 00:38:38 EDT, Bruce writes:

> the difficulty I had in finding clients
>  who were able to understand and accept that it was a necessary protocol to
>  spend money first on assuring the structural integrity of their house
>  before putting it into cosmetic details; or find clients who thought that
>  it was valuable or useful to pay me for my time spent investigating their
>  structure, researching the details of its probable original  condition or
>  documenting my work.

This is still puzzling to me. I have heard it from others too. But in my
experience over the past two decades I have found clients to whom this was
important. At first it was just a part of my trades work. In my trades work
investigation and documentation (etc.) supported itself because it made me
more effecient and made my proposals more refined. The hands-on contracts paid
for it all. But them clients were willing to pay me more than I could get for
trades work just  to do these very things: investigate, research, plan, etc.
It amazed me for about the first 15 years, that they were willing to pay
someone just to explain things to them and educate them so they could make
good decissions. I doubt if it is happenstance that I just lucked into such a
long series of clients. These past 5 years I accept it and suspect it has more
to do with marketing. Exactly what with marketing, I'm not sure. Still a
puzzle. Psyco-analysis may be needed to solve this one.

John Leeke, Preservation Consultant