Whether you are building a project from scratch or renovating your home how can you ensure the process doesn’t become daunting? Use the below tips to help you plan and prioritise to ensure your project runs smoothly.
1. Project Planning: 12 months before you’d like to start your project.
The first step is to sit down and create a plan that states the goal of your project, this should include:
You should use this time to investigate local regulations, if applications need to be approved then this should be done before you look to hire a team or build a project timeline.
What your finished project should look like, this can be done in sketches or blueprints.
Your inspiration for colour schemes, and materials – creating mood boards is a great way to do this.
You will need to detail all the necessities and the “good to haves” for your project. Breaking this down will help you when it comes to budgeting.
Divide your project steps into those you can complete yourself and those that will need a professional.
2. Set your project budget: 8 months before starting your project.
Now it’s time to understand your financing, which will need to include costs for building materials, labour costs, and cosmetic touches. Things to ensure:
Get in touch with your material suppliers for quotes and lead times.
Ensure you set aside at least 10% of your budget for unexpected costs.
This is when you will be able to refer back to your plan if cost estimates do not fit in with your budget. You can eliminate some of your “good to have” as a low priority and look at completing these at a later date.
3. Timeline: 6 months before starting your project.
Once you have the above in place, it will then be time for you to put together a timeline of the different activities that will be taking place or an expected completion date. Remember, especially in today’s climate many things may delay your project, which is why it is important to plan ahead and understand different companies’ lead times.
Once you have these 3 essential steps in place you should feel more comfortable going into your project. Be sure to remember, every project will be different, and every job throws up its own challenges. The golden rule with any project is to make sure you tightly control your costs with all the unseen but essential works, like groundworks, foundations, pipework, drainage etc. because the value of your property will always be on its final appearance and finishes externally and internally. As the hidden things will be taken for granted. Running out of money to do these things along with landscaping will prevent you from getting the most value out of it if you decide to sell at a later date because that is what estate agents and prospective buyers will be looking at.
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