Background Reading

"Does anyone know a good builder?"

 

This has become a common question when embarking on home refurbishment projects. We all know someone who has asked, or we may even have asked the question ourselves. It is usually then up to you to find an architect and/or builder via recommendation or by searching locally on the internet. It can sometimes feel a bit like the wild west. The construction industry has developed where appointing a separate manager for a refurbishment project is not the norm as managerial responsibilities are traditionally taken on by the main contractor or the lead architect in the roles described below. We are disrupting that norm however and are increasingly seeing that home owners are seeing value in having a representative from the very start of the project prior to appointing any technical professionals. We look solely after your interests to help you make sensible informed decisions from the very outset. This is normal in the commercial world of construction and there is a very good reason for it. Getting things right from that first contact will have a huge bearing on the success of your project.

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We are not architects or designers

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If an architect is needed they will create a design and provide a planning and building warrant application service to get you to a point where you can approach a contractor. This may involve navigation around heritage issues should your property be listed or in a conservation area. They will also offer the role of contract administrator where they will oversee the work in relation to the building contract. For this they will issue instructions to the builder and certify that the work is completed at different stages for payments to be made. They will take the lead during meetings to check on progress and resolve any issues. They will have experience in cost control, value engineering, contract law, dispute resolution and management of consultants. This is a vital role and can be done poorly if a check isn't kept on what they are doing. If an architect isn't needed then all these roles fall to you as the client. This can be a daunting and frustrating task if there is a lack of experience of the process involved. This is where we can advise, bringing technical expertise to all the decisions you as the client would need to make.

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We are not construction project managers

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In most residential projects the main contractor will act as the project manager. But, and this is the critical part to understand, only once they are on site. They will be responsible for managing the project once it starts, overseeing the build, health and safety, hiring tradespeople, procuring the materials needed, scheduling the works and dealing with building warrant or planning compliance. The contractor is held accountable for delivering the project to a specified time, to the promised quality and to budget. Getting to the point where a contractor walks on site however is left up to the client to organise, often with little understanding of the process and little time to manage the steps to get to this point. 

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What we are is your representative through the process

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This is our skill. We act as your representative from the moment you decide to embark on a project. We work with you to educate you on the process and to understand what it is you want to do, to plan, schedule and manage your role in the project. We work with you to decide what it is you actually want from the initial design right down the type of finishes. We work with you to understand the expectations required of you from the process, undertake activities that can save you time and cost, providing value to you as a client from the first page of your refurbishment story. See us as not the manager of everyone involved in the project but as the manager of you alone.