When it comes to home renovations, even seemingly minor delays can end up costing homeowners a significant amount of money. Just one contractor failing to show on the right day can initiate a domino effect that might put your entire project out by days, weeks, or even months.
It’s vitally important that all but the most minor building projects are overseen by a competent, knowledgeable manager with excellent communication skills, so it pays to be honest with yourself from the outset. If you don’t have the skills, the time and the know-how to project manage your renovation then employing someone who does is going to save you a great deal of heartache further down the line.
Project management isn’t confined to booking in the glazier and ensuring your builder has purchased the right tiles for the splash back. It requires, above all, outstanding organisational skills. If spreadsheets are your thing then you’re already in with a fighting chance, and if you’re the kind of person who can juggle – metaphorically speaking – several balls in the air at a time, even better.
Before the onsite work even begins you’ll need to have sourced all your contractors, completed a Health and Safety plan for each trade, taken out building insurance, completed a full risk analysis and your Code of Compliance certification, plus you’ll need to have all the requisite contracts signed, the first subbies booked in, and your building consents signed off. Sound like a lot of work? That’s because it is!
Successful project management requires both construction knowledge and familiarity with the Building Code, along with the ability to manage all of your subcontractors, not all of whom may take kindly to being told what to do, so excellent communication skills are a must.
It is important that you are consistently on site in order to keep up to date with your build’s progress – or lack of – and to ensure that contractors who are frequently late or don’t turn up when they say they’re going to, are brought into line. Time is money, and having to halt proceedings while everyone waits for the electrician to make an appearance has the potential to set your project back by weeks.
When the inevitable design curveball gets thrown up, as can happen when architect and builder aren’t on the same page, a knowledge of design and construction will also be worth its weight in gold, and of course ordering materials in a timely manner is vitally important. Have your gib delivered too soon and you’ll have to find somewhere to store it (out of the weather and out of view of potential thieves). Too late and you’ll force a halt on all interior work while your builder waits for it to arrive, potentially throwing out your painters, stoppers, electricians, and plumbers.
So, while managing your own renovations might sound like an easy way to keep costs down, unless you have a lot of spare time and are prepared to put in the hours of homework required, project management is unequivocally a job best left to the experts. Here at Pearson Built we can manage your entire project from commencement to completion. We organise the contractors, so you don’t have to, and we dedicate ourselves completely to your build for the duration.
From renovations to landscaping to new homes, we do it all, so call Mark at Pearson Built today on 027 505 5995 or email pearsonbuilt@gmail.com and start planning that new extension before the spring rush begins.