Jan 21, 2022
In this episode of the podcast,
part 3 of this three-part series on how Frances designed and built
her Forever Home, this episode explores how Frances managed the
build of her home.
She outlines how she did it, what
she’d do differently, and the opportunity cost of project managing
your own build.
Shownotes
:
Tender process
Usually, building designers will
manage the tendering process. This means that they are responsible
for engaging with the builders, sending out all the tender
documentation and specifications, reviewing the quotes, and
liaising with the builders throughout the process with queries and
follow-up.
Frances managed the whole
tendering process for her build.
- She engaged with the builders to
check availability, gauge their interest, and arrange site visits
to see previous work.
- She also liaised with the
builders to manage expectations on the turnaround of the quote and
answered any queries.
All builders quote differently,
so it was up to Frances to check what was in and out of each quote
to form a consistent comparison
Frances created a spreadsheet so
that she could make a clear comparison about what was in and not in
the quote.
Build Process
For the Forever Home, the builder
they used was one they had worked with in the past at their
previous home. It was also decided that Frances would manage the
build from the ‘Lockup’ stage as she had her own tradespeople, (her
builder and her shared many trades), and then the builder would
come back at the end for fit off.
As she had a good relationship
with the builder, and he knew how meticulous and organized she was,
he agreed to go down this path with her, but he also challenged her
and told her if she was going to manage the ‘Lock up’ phase, that
she won’t be in by the deadline of Christmas 2014, but Frances is
determined and moved into the house prior to Christmas of that
year!
Once everything had been roughed
in and plaster was in, Frances then managed all the trades that
came in after that.
- Tiler, cabinet maker, caulker,
painter, electrician, stonemason, garage doors, range hood
installation, shower screens, delivery of all supplies, plus the
landscaper and pool people.
- She was on site every day to
check progress, manage to change schedules and answer queries. Each
day there was something else that changed, and the schedule was a
moving beast due to supply delays with trades, equipment, and one
small change had a huge knock-on effect for other trades and their
schedules with all their projects..
Why did Frances manage
the project?
- She had the right
contacts.
- Her skill set and experience
gave her the confidence to do it.
- To save money as she was not
paying a builder’s margin on top of all trades.
However, the stakes were much
higher as she was building her own ‘Forever Home’.
- The finish had to be
higher
- It represented her business and
the work she can do - an example of what she can achieve for her
clients
- A sustainability
showcase
The ‘costs’ of managing
the build herself
- It was difficult for Frances to
work on her business as normal as she was required daily
on-site.
- Managing multiple trades could
sometimes lead to grey areas on who was doing what.
- She had to consider the
opportunity cost as she was not able to work on her own
business.
- Stress, the long days, and the
toll on her family
- It involves a lot of
negotiation- even after the builder was back on-site, Frances was
still negotiating with the builder and landscaper for access,
timings for driveway pour, etc.
Things that she would have
done differently:
- It is easy to make rash
decisions on-site when stress levels are high.
- If she had her time over,
Frances would have been stricter with her builder and insisted on
the finish being as per plan, and not the easier option. She should
have stuck to her guns. Some compromises made she regrets
are;
- Mitered edges on all the windows
in the ensuite – not some.
- Cut of the shower waste not
matching with the grout line.
- Plumbing for shower not in the
right location. She couldn’t get more tiles in the same batch, so
she had to live with it.
Other changes she would make if
building again;
- Square set door frames – no
architraves
- She would get an architect to
oversee the building project and manage the builder.
- Not manage a build
again
- Her partner would have a smaller
house, but Frances feels that they use every single room in their
home, so it’s a well-used space, on a daily basis.
- There were many decisions they
wanted to make, that were not possible then, but if building today
they could achieve more given access to current technology,
knowledge, or supplies.
- Would not go with their own
advice about not having shade provision for east-facing
windows.
- Learning: Make sure that you
have got the right people working for you and that they really know
about what they do.
- Would have gone for dispensation
to have higher ceilings in the kids’ bedrooms and have larger kids’
rooms.
Find the right people for your
build or renovation project
- They need to understand what you
want
- You need to have a great
relationship with your renovation or new build team
Resources
available:
Unsure how to find the right
people for your renovation or new build?
Download this FREE
guide- How
to Find your Renovation or New Build Team as
this gives you the checklist and process on how you find the right
people for your team.