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