Project Preparation

Project Preparation

This article was written and distributed by the Federation of Master Builders, the building industry's largest trade organisation, representing over 13,000 small and medium-sized companies throughout the UK. If you'd like to know more about the FMB, or would like to find a reputable builder, try the Find a Builder web site at: http://www.findabuilder.co.uk.

The preparation portfolio - Having building work done?

The key to a job well done may well be homeowner homework! Builders aren't mind readers so make sure you brief them carefully from day one with exactly what you want. Your latest home improvement may be the biggest undertaking you'll have made since buying your home. Whatever the job you want done, familiarise yourself with the practical facts before having fun with colour, style and design and you’ll smooth the way for your builder and your budget. Smooth operation Forget what you've read in the press. Finding a reliable builder may not be so difficult if you’re prepared to do your research. Use a website like www.findabuilder.co.uk to help you begin your search. This site will put you in touch with a selection of vetted builders in your local area. Then meet them and decide whether you can work with them – after all they could be in and out of your house for the next few months if it’s a big project. You may have to wait for them though – good builders are usually busy. Once you've found a builder you can trust make some firm decisions about what you want so you can brief him well. Use all the information and advice you can get hold off – to help you, the FMB has produced an Essential Guide to Home Improvement which has everything you will ever need for completing a successful project. Phone for your free copy on 08000 152 522, or download from www.findabuilder.co.uk Try NOT to - Be unprepared – lack of preparation before a major job starts can leave everyone confused particularly if the design is incomplete. John Pass of JP Construction in the North West says: “Many homeowners fall out or dismiss their architect once they have obtained an outline design and look to their builder to carry on and fill in any gaps. Good design and a good working drawings might not be cheap but they can save money. They help to avoid expensive alterations or variation work during the building stage and the project is less likely to run over budget or time.” Misunderstand – There is no point in simply nodding when your builder is trying to explain, for example, the latest indirect water heating system to you. Admit a lack of knowledge and get them to clarify everything in layman’s terms. It’s good marketing for them if you know what they are doing so you can recommend them later. Work alone – keep talking - not only to your builder but your partner too! Tony Wilson, a builder from Kent says that being given one story from the wife and another from the husband is destined for disaster. Builders aren’t marriage counsellors! Keep shtoom - if you're unhappy about the work, say so! But do it the right way. There's no point moaning at the tiler about his tiling or the painter about his paint splashes. Save your comments for the main contractor. Don’t go overboard though. Tony Wilson says the most irritating interference he’s had from a homeowner was when they kept checking their DIY manual as the job progressed! Most builders have great relationships with their customers. Here are a few things that keep them smiling: Trust. You shouldn't have to be there every five minutes to monitor the job. Make regular arrangements to meet the main contractor and ask how progress is going. Trust and money go together and John Pass says he’s a much happier builder when the homeowner pays – on time! If you’ve agreed payment terms, stick to them. If unforeseen circumstances affect your finances let your builder know. They’ll be happy to come up with solutions, rather than be told: “I’ve run out of money.”Communication. You’re going to be living and breathing with your builder for several months so keep talking, says John, and make sure you get on with them. As Tony Wilson puts it: “Be open and frank.” Tell them if you don’t want smoking, radios, cars parked on your drive, and so on. But do bear in mind that compromise is the key.Peace. Okay, so they're the ones with the power tools. But if you have kids or family pets, it is a good idea to keep them out of the way while work is going on. If nothing else, this will prevent distractions - and accidents.

Britain wastes millions on home improvement

UK homeowners spend far longer sorting out a holiday (35 days) or buying a car (99 days) than planning home improvement work (24 days). Indeed we spend four times as long planning a car purchase as a major home improvement project, such as a loft extension or a conservatory, according to the latest independent research, the Federation of Master Builders The new report revealed that we are a nation of stubborn DIY-ers - still far too keen to do the work ourselves rather than get a tradesperson in - with 40% doing all building work, including major building projects, themselves. Only one in three (29%) homeowners said they would hire a tradesperson. The homeowners confessed that as a result of poor planning and trying to do it all themselves, their home improvement work took far longer (36%), cost more (17%) and they didn’t get what they wanted in the end. People definitely learnt from their experiences however. After the problems of their last building project, 34% said they would now always use a competent tradesperson for any building work and 47% said they would use a competent builder for larger jobs and continue to DIY smaller jobs and a stubborn 16% said they would continue to DIY all jobs themselves. “People rush headlong into home improvement projects without preparing or planning it, with the result that they change their minds, realise they don’t have the right permissions, tools or materials and leave it half finished,” said Richard Diment, director general of the FMB. “ "Our FMB builders find themselves picking up the pieces from unfinished DIY-jobs or having to adapt to endlesst changes because homeowners have not planned their project well and change their minds as they go along. Those homeowners in London and Scotland are by far the worst for changing their minds,” he added. Planning not only involves preparation and thinking through what the work entails, it also involves dealing with planning authorities, building control officers, party wall surveyors and building contractors and understanding what approvals, permissions and consents are required for the work, according to Richard Diment. The FMB recommend planning whether to and when to get the builders in and what to do yourself. If it’s a small manageable job such as taking down bathroom tiles, putting up shelves, putting down patio slabs, then it’s perfectly reasonable for homeowners to do it themselves. However larger jobs such as fitting a new bathroom, knocking down walls, re-plastering, then the FMB recommends that you get a professional in to do it right. To guide homeowners through the building process, the FMB has joined forces with Sarah Beeny of Channel 4’s Property Ladder to provide a practical guide through the building process from initial research to completed project, entitled "Practical Tips for Building Success." In starting out, it covers from remodelling existing rooms to adding a conservatory, whether or not to use an architect, what to do if your building is listed and what to tell the neighbours. In preparation and planning, it covers planning permission and building regulations, both in England and Scotland and Party Walls. In choosing the right builder and working with your builder, it covers drawing up a contract and tips for before and during the build and on completion. Finally it covers ways of protecting your investment For a copy of Practical Tips for Building Success, just call 08000 152522 for your free copy or download it on www.findabuilder.co.uk.

Please be aware that information found in any article is the opinion of it's author. Before embarking on any project, it is your responsibility and in your own interest to check the viability of any advice given. Diytips4u.co.uk are not responsible for any consequences of what you may read on this website.

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