Building and Construction do’s and dont’s

The holiday season is winking and many industries are in the process of slowing down in preparation of the festive season. But then, of course, one cannot ignore the buzz and the scrambling of smaller service providers, especially those doing construction and home renovations, to complete their projects.

Many of the latter, delayed perhaps because of owners changing their minds midway about what they wanted or not?

To prevent this, and save yourself a lot of frustration and stress, it is imperative that you are clear about what you want before you start planning and budgeting for the project.

If this is where you currently find yourself, please continue reading as we offer some important tips that will ensure that you find the right contractors and don’t run out of budget.

But perhaps first, this important observation, “A wise man once said: proper planning prevents poor performance – or execution, if you want.” It is not uncommon, to once you start a renovation or building project, to stumble onto more challenges than was originally foreseen – so be warned!

Here are those tips:

• As said before – be absolutely clear about what is it is that you want – see that final picture in your mind.
• Next will be the budget. To get the nitty-gritty for this, you will need to get quotations from potential contractors and service providers. Be sure to give each of these the same brief and specifications, this is the only manner in which you will be able to truly compare the various quotations. Be wise, budget an extra 20%. You will not regret it.
• Check the credentials of those contractors that you decide to employ to do the work. Ensure that builders, electricians and plumbers are registered. Of particular importance, make sure that have adequate liability insurance should something goes belly-up.
• Be careful when selecting your service providers. If they are overcommitted with other projects, you might just spend Christmas, if you do the project over this time of the year, in an incomplete house or a hotel room. But then, the latter might not be so bad, that is, if you have budgeted for such an eventuality of course?
• Plan the process and the deadlines for the various stages of the project. Consider things like where you will stay for the duration and execution of the project, on-site building rubble management, and safe storage of material and equipment, to name but a few.
• This is quite important. Speak to your broker. Are you adequately ensured for any damages, lost of property that may occur during this build or renovation process?

Let us conclude with another nugget: Ensure that you at least have a basic understanding of building regulations and your local council’s requirements. Once a cable or pipe is underground, not properly isolated or sealed, the problem will bite your down the line. And the repair bill will be costly.