TAKE YOUR TIME

As a quantity surveyor, I am often asked why projects cost more than a client expected. When I have looked into these projects, it is often quite clear to me why – clients have started work too quickly in their enthusiasm to get their house transformed into something that they have dreamed of.

When you are planning building work to your home it does pay to take your time – this should mean that you get what you are looking for without any real surprises – and whilst surprises are great at Christmas, they are not what you want when carrying out a building project.

So, before you go far with any building what do you need to consider?

How much money would you be willing to spend – or can afford

A realistic budget is essential – very few of us have limitless funds. You need to consider what you are planning to spend and also will that mean that your house will go up in value by at least that amount. You don’t want to spend say £40,000 on your house to find that it has only gone up £20,000 in value. Speak to a designer, on larger projects a quantity surveyor or if you have one a friendly builder. Sometimes even if you have a friend who has had work done on their house they may be willing to let you know how much it cost.

What are you looking to achieve – what are the must have’s and what are the nice to have’s?

Sit down and make a list of what you would like done to your house – this will enable you to brief your designer about what you are looking for. Prioritise and focus on the things that will make a difference to you and to the value of your house. If you find you have more money available, then you can look at the things which are not so high on your list of priorities.

Before you ask builders to quote on your project you should have finalised what you are going to do and have a good idea of how much it is going to cost you. This should mean that there should be no surprises when you get the quotes back and as you have decided on what you want the chances of you changing your mind or realising you have forgotten something are reduced considerably. Change on a building project only leads to two things – additional costs and delays so the more thorough you can be in planning your build the more confident you can be that you won’t face any unexpected costs.

Is my house suitable for what I would like to do?

You might dream of converting your loft into a master bedroom suite but is there sufficient headroom available, are your existing foundations sufficient to take the extra weight of the additional floor, with extensions do you have sufficient space available to build what you would like, does your existing boiler have sufficient capacity to heat the additional floor space?

If you don’t know the answer to these questions and others – it is best to speak to someone who can help you, an architect/designer, building surveyor or even a friendly builder. Ask for their honest advice to see what is possible and if appropriate it may be a worthwhile investment to get them to survey your home so you can see what issues you may have before you commit, or dream to far!

In building most things are possible but only if you are willing to spend more money and more time on your project – and if you follow these three key steps then you should be on the way to transforming your home whilst keeping costs to a minimum.

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