How to Simplify the Construction of Your New Build or Renovation - and stay sane! - Episode 2 (PRE-XMAS SEASON 2018)

Are you starting the build of your new home or renovation soon and worried about it not going well?

So many homeowners walk blindly into signing contracts, not realising how significantly they obligate themselves ... in time, money and by law. They don't protect themselves or understand what should happen next.

To be frank, it's where things begin to go seriously wrong in projects.

This, followed by not having an understanding about the sequence of construction, and working with a builder who doesn’t have systems in place, or shows any accountability to timelines and budget, or keeps communication open and regular … well, it’s not long before things go pear-shaped during the build or your new home or renovation.

So, in this episode, I’ll be talking about how to avoid that when overseeing construction of your new home or renovation.

WANT TO JOIN MANAGE YOUR BUILD? Head here >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/

SHOW NOTES:

Manage Your Build is a self-study, online course to help you simplify the construction of your new home or renovation, and maintain your sanity!

Working with me in this course is Duayne Pearce. Long-time listeners of the podcast will be familiar with Duayne … he’s been a guest here in Season 4, and he also co-hosted with me for Season 7. He’s a fantastic guy, a builder with extensive experience in building and renovating family homes, and loves sharing his knowledge to improve your experience as a homeowner, and the building industry overall.

Manage Your Build covers the construction phase of your project. From the point of signing your contract with your builder, through seeing your new home or renovation get constructed, to the builder finishing and you being able to move into your finished home!

Homeowners focus a lot of attention on that construction phase, and they often mistakenly think it represents the whole process. There are actually 4 stages to any project … regardless of where you’re located, how much you’re spending, and what type of project you’re doing. They are:

1. Before you begin your project
2. Getting your design right
3. Before you build your project
4. Getting your project built

Manage Your Build dives into the nitty gritty of Stage 4 - Getting your project built.

I see homeowners get really focused on this stage when thinking about their new home or renovation project. They’re thinking about

• the builder they’ll choose
• how they’ll find one that’s reliable
• How long the construction process will take
• Where they’ll live in the meantime - especially if renovating - and cover that cost whilst paying for construction
• How they’ll not get ripped off with a poor quality build or a dodgy builder
• What materials, fixtures and finishes they’ll choose
• What their finished home will look like

And in that process, they leave behind some really essential considerations that can cause massive headaches and budget blowouts on site, and expose them, their project, and their finances to huge risk. And they can be boxed into a corner, with a half-finished home and a builder holding them to ransom.

I see homeowners get themselves in a lot of trouble, not knowing who holds responsibility, how legally they might be obliged because of the contract conditions, and leaving it all too late to do anything about the situation.

When you’re in the construction process of your new build or renovation, time is of the essence. The whole nature of construction is that it’s a sequence of activities and people that need to occur in a specific order, within specific timeframes.

If work gets delayed, if things get done in the wrong order, then you can not only run into cost and time issues … you can lose the opportunity to have things the way you want them in your home. And there are SO MANY moving parts and people … it is a complex process, particularly if yours is a one-off project.

Other potential expensive and stressful headaches during construction include:

1. Thinking your builder is also your Project Manager
2. Your builder not having solid cashflow for your project
3. You and your builder not understanding or following the contract
4. A project doesn’t have structure to it … so no weekly meetings, no communication systems and no regular reporting on cashflow and timelines.

I’m super passionate about you being who you need to be, and knowing what you need to know, as you build or renovate your home. Confident, in control, able to be proactive, feeling informed and in the driver’s seat for your project. So you can know how to ask for what you want, be sure you’re getting what you’re paying for, and reach that beautiful home you’re dreaming of - saving time, money and stress.

If you’d like to find out more about Manage Your Build, head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ … and if you have any questions about the course, don’t hesitate to email me on [email protected]

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