By making the right choices in the beginning you can
save money on your building works. However, after saying this you must be
realistic! We all have a DIY demon inside us, especially when we are trying to
save money, thinking we can do just as well as the professional ourselves. This
is not always the case and DIY disasters can lead you to the nearest A&E
dept. at your local hospital! Be realistic, can you manage the task at hand or
should you employ someone to do the work for you?
Employing a professional could potentially save you
thousands if you get it wrong trying to complete the job yourself, and a lot of
headaches too. There is no point in trying to attempt a job that is simply
outside of your capability, better to leave it to the professionals.
If you have decided that you will be doing some or
all of the work yourself then be realistic in terms of time, even a small a building project can take weeks or even months to complete, especially if you
also, hold down a full-time job. Consider the time you have available and be
honest with yourself about how much time you can dedicate to DIY.
For smaller more manageable DIY jobs, you should do
your research before attempting something for the first time; there are lots of
videos on the internet for guidance, tap into them. If you do not feel
confident after your research then simply do not do it! Same goes for
overconfidence; this can be just as disastrous and dangerous, remember the old
saying ‘don’t bite off more than you can chew’!
For bigger jobs involving building works, note that
you will also need the services of an architect, and yes although architects do
have some knowledge about how to build they are not builders. Do not make the
mistake of over-relying on your architect to guide you on how to build your project;
this is not their specialist subject. Professional builders will tackle your
project with ease.
Make a Plan! Before starting any sort of building or
renovation work you need to sit down and plan it, not just of how you want the
finished project to look but also how the work will affect your everyday life,
and prepare for it. When it comes to design, start planning early and put
together a file that you can add pictures and articles to and build up a visual
representation of what you want to achieve. If you are good with computers,
create excel or word file laying out all the rooms you are going to renovate or
extend. Then list the jobs you feel confident in doing yourself and the ones that
you will be employing professionals to complete. Don't create your lists from
memory, go to each room and look carefully at it to see what changes are needed
or wanted. This will help you see what work needs to be carried out and where
things like furniture will go once the work is completed. For renovations,
sometimes it’s a good idea to declutter the space before you start making your
lists, creating a blank canvas, so you can see exactly what space you have to
work with.
Do you have the right tools for the jobs you intend
to carry out? Building tools can be very expensive and a pain to store
afterward if you’re not intending to go into the building trade! You can hire
tools but not everything and once the work is finished you may find yourself
with a much-cluttered garage. Again, make a list of what tools you will need
and how much they will cost to buy or hire. You need to add the cost of your
tool to your budget.
If DIY is not your forte then here is a short list of
points to consider when hiring the services of a professional builder:
1. Always ask for a written quote. You can refer to
this and it saves confusion later.
2. Do they seem professional and does their company
have structure? Stay away from cowboy builders! Research your builder before
employing them, company websites are a good place to start but don’t rely
solely on them, ask to see previous works or even speak to past clients.
3. Ask when they can start the work, most good
reputable builders are usually very busy so plan. If they say they can start
today, be very cautious!
4. Persistently calling and pestering you to gain
the work could be a sign of a cowboy builder, best avoided. Ethical and
reliable building companies will contact you to discuss your needs but will not
pester you once you have spoken, they don’t have the time!
5. Does the builder seem passionate about his work,
and not just out to make a quick buck? Builders who take pride in their work
will spend time discussing your project with you and make suggestions, like,
best materials to use to improve certain design aspects.
6. Do you like this person? Remember your builder
will be in your home for a good length of time so it’s important that you feel
at ease with him, and (more importantly) that you can work with him.
7. Late for the appointment? If the builder has
contacted you about being delayed for your appointment then they should not be
penalized for this, building sites are unpredictable and any number of issues
could have arisen on the day causing the delay. However, no call / no show
would mean alarm bells should be ringing.
8. Are they local? – Local builders are easier to
deal with especially if they need to come back to correct any issues later,
they also know the area better when it comes to planning advice than out of
area companies.
9. Will the builder provide you with a contract to
cover the work period? This should be a YES! A contract will protect both
parties so it makes sense for a builder to provide you with a contract to
protect you and himself.
10. What guarantees/warranties will you be given?
Most reputable builders will come back to fix something within a reasonable
period, even if it falls outside of the guaranteed period, their good
reputation is often based on satisfied customers. Guarantees are usually for
around 12 months for general building works.
10. How do they want you to pay? – Ask the builder
about their payment terms and how they want to be paid. Cash payments are the
least safe mode of payment as there will be no official proof of any payments
made; instead, it would better to arrange bank transfers to complete any
payment requests. Some companies will allow you to make payments at set stages
of your project.
Hope these tips help! Please follow my blogs for
future posts. Thank you.
Bishop
Ltd – Bespoke Builders and Developers – Covering Kent and Essex
Contact
us for all your design and build needs: 0208 926 2010 |
info@bishopltd.com
We are a leading reputable and experienced bespoke
construction company covering Essex and Kent. Our services include all aspects
of commercial and residential building works. We also offer a completely the managed turnkey construction process for complete hands-off clients, spanning
the Pre- Construction, Construction and Post-Construction phases of your
project. This includes Architecture and Construction, Project Feasibility, Cost
Analysis, and Site Management. Our two offices are located in Loughton Essex
and Aylesford Kent and we operate across most of Essex and Kent.
