Friday, November 21, 2014

Feeling Confused? Frustrated?

If you're feeling confused or frustrated about how to proceed with a renovation or any building project, you're in good company.

Without taking the time to prepare for the project you also include everyone who would like to help you too.

Forget Free Estimates, because they have an accuracy of plus or minus 120 percent.

Before contacting anyone to do anything, you need to:
  • Identify your requirements
  • Know your budget
  • Be realistic with your expectations. 
Let's face it, building a house is expensive, and renovating an older home even more so. In order to properly move your project successfully from napkin scribbles to where nails are being driven, you need to spend time preparing an accurate scope of work.
Your scope of work identifies:
  • The type of material used
  • How the material is stored, handled, and installed
  • Crew size required to do the work 
  • How you will evaluate the work performed.
Your scope of work also forms the foundation of the agreement between you and your contractors. It provides everyone with a clear and concise set of expectations enabling you to get a price for work and materials you want rather than what people think you need.

Here is a high level outline you might find helpful as a framework to use to help you prepare for a renovation or construction project:

1. Do a feasibility study to see if: your zoning allows you to do what you want, your existing services are up to snuff, and the expectations for your project are realistic.

If all is good, then:

2. Identify your budget
3. Develop a design/plan to suit

Use the budget and plan to:

5. Determine costs for upgrades to your existing systems
6. Create a scope of work and set of specifications based on the design and/or plan
7. Solicit and pay for a detailed cost analysis based on the scope of work, specifications, and plan
8. Assess and adjust the budget and/or design and/or project scope of work to give you what you need
9. Go back to step 1 and repeat as often as required.

Only when your budget, pricing and plans all align do you go to the next step:

10. Tender your project for bids

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