Renovating is a big financial, time-consuming, stressful, and emotionally taxing decision. Knowing what to expect before the project begins will help you make better decisions and balance your expectations. So, what is the most important question to ask before Renovating?
This question is the most important to help you navigate the best avenues to complete your renovation
The most important question to ask before Renovating
DIY, Builder or Renovation Project Manager?
Most people wanting to renovate are either busy working (paying the mortgage), Tradespeople who take time off to Renovate and manage the project or DIYer who want to tackle a bigger project.
Either way, the time spent managing a renovation (minimum time 6 weeks) costs money. If you don’t have Trades experience or aren’t at managing people, expectations and negotiating, a renovation can be a much harder experience than you expected.
A third option is to enlist the services of a Renovation project manager, who manages the project, coordinates the Trades people, ensures timelines are met, and handles the confrontations, frustrations and negotiations on a fixed fee. This allows you to continue with your existing life and get regular updates, make key decisions on key items, design changes and the final outcome. All at a fixed known price
Why would you consider a Renovation & Design Project Manager?
First of all, Tradespeople are usually running multiple projects at the same time as your Renovation. If there is a missed deadline, caused by poor scheduling, renovation loses priority and slips down to the bottom of the cue. This has a flow-on effect on other Trades and can delay your project timeline, increase costs, impact your design and generally frustrate you and your family.
An example would be your Kitchen. Scheduling Trades and Supplies delivery is essential. The Kitchen cabinet lead time generally determines the key timeline for all the other Trades. First, there’s a Demolition team, followed by Electricians, Plumbers, Carpenters, Gyprockers, Flooring, and Stone cutters and then there are your product suppliers. Tiles, appliances, lighting, sinks, tapware and you haven’t even considered the Design!
Often it’s expected your Builder will manage these aspects. But being at construction does not necessarily mean they are good schedulers, people managers, supplies coordinators and designers This is where Renovation cracks start to appear.
A good Renovation & Design (R&D) project manager will save your money!
They can do this because they have Trade price access on supplies and share these discounts on Retail prices with you, unlike your Builders who add their margin (10-15%) to all the supplies they provide. R&D project managers also have a trusted team of Trades people who provide ongoing referred work that’s well project managed, supplies coordinated and managed by the client. This means Trades typical don’t have to add their built-in contingency (5-10%), so this is reduced or removed totally. This aspect reduces the overall cost that R&D project managers can deliver.
If an R&D Project Manager costs you the same as a Builder, but saves time, reduces stress and …………would it be worth it? A different way to think about this is, that a good Renovation, done well and appropriately, can increase your property value by 10%, if this costs you an extra 5-10% and decreases the stress on you and your family, it produces a better over the result and reduces the time of your Renovation………..is it worth it?
Book an Obligation-free Design Consultation to learn how you can achieve your property outcomes.
Please contact our team today to see how we can help you.
Sue Irving – Interior Designer
0402 219 267
sue.irving92@gmail.com
John Butel – Renovation Project Manager
0411 622 556
jbutel@organisedsolutions.com