The building process
What to expect when the hammers start swinging.
What to expect when the hammers start swinging.
Unless you’ve been through it before, the building process is quite foreign.
Don’t worry, there’s a general formula your renovation should follow. Once you know it, you’ll be able to keep tabs along the way
Your builder will probably give you an estimate of how long the job will take. The start and finish dates should be in the contract. These are likely to be flexible because there can be delays outside the builder’s control. It is not always a straightforward matter of 12 to 16 weeks.
Builders should know about some likely delays and be up-front about them (for example, commitments they have elsewhere). You need to take a reasonable attitude to delays outside of anyone’s control, such as poor weather.
Before anything takes place, ask for a construction plan. A version must be in digital or physical form and not just inside your builder’s noggin. It should cover everything from start to finish with the time frames of each step. Any critical tasks need to be highlighted where work needs to be completed before other jobs can begin.
The timings for subcontracted trades also need to be in there. This is handy for keeping you in the loop as to what’s happening on-site and for holding tardy tradies to account.
As your job progresses, the plan will need frequent updating to track delays or changes.
There’s no such thing as the perfectly planned renovation. Inevitably there’ll be changes that need to be made so the job can continue. It might be a deviation from the building plans – sometimes what you’ve got on paper doesn’t come off like you expected, or modifications are required so you can use the space as intended.
You might just want to change things once your walls are cleared out and you get a better understanding of the space. A kitchen window might be better if it were moved to take in more of the view, or you might want some built-in shelving around the telly.
More often than not, there’ll be issues exposed on demo day. This usually entails uncovering a bit of rot, dampness or someone’s dodgy building practices of yesteryear. For the job to continue, and for your family to be safe in the house afterwards, they’ll need to be repaired.
These changes – known as variations – are a fact of life once things get under way. They probably won’t be included in your original contract, so you’ll be paying for extra materials and your builder’s time to get them fixed up. Make sure you have a contingency fund squirreled away to account for this.
You have some important choices to make when it comes to running a reno project. You can manage it yourself, your builder can take care of it, or your architect can for an additional fee. You can even rely on a specialist construction company to run things for you.
You stand to save the most money by doing it yourself, but it could prove too much if it’s your first rodeo. Most people will choose to rely on the main builder or architect. This doesn’t mean you won’t be involved along the way – you just can let someone else drive things, contact the council and arrange inspections, and, if necessary, put pressure on anyone holding up the project. They can also pay the right people at the right time and come up with solutions to issues along the way.
Whoever is managing the project needs to track key things before, during and after the job.
There are numerous things which you need to keep a tab on. Even if you aren’t managing the project, you can still make sure things are being done right and on time.
There are shortages of some building materials and products at the moment, which you need to factor in. Your builder may need to order materials way in advance and you should either be prepared to substitute like-for-like products or you might have to wait.
Building materials may be in perfect condition when they’re delivered to your site but, by the time they become part of the structure of the house, they may have gotten damaged due to their storage and handling on the building site.
Practices that can damage materials include:
If you see any of this unfolding, take it up with the builder or project manager immediately.
If you aren’t living at your place while the job is under way and want to visit, you will have to arrange access. Most builders close off their sites to public entry, including owners.
It’s a good idea to whip out your phone and take regular photos and videos while the reno is progressing
The reasons for doing this include:
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