Tackle Building Project Nightmares

Tackle Building Project Nightmares

 

Building project nightmares come in many guises. 

If you’re an avid watcher of residential property shows it can be easy to think that carrying out a construction project is a fairly simple exercise. You simply draw up a design, get a friendly local builder on board and hey presto you move into your beautiful home.

The reality is somewhat different, and in this blog, we will help you tackle building project nightmares you may encounter……

Building project nightmares – what can go wrong

Construction project problems generally start when you start to encounter one, or more, of the following issues:

• Builders’ quotes too high
• Spiralling construction costs
• Poor or inaccurate build quality issues
• Lengthy project delays
• Deterioration of relationship with builder

Here at CLPM we aim to you build in smarter and more sustainable way. We usually aim to begin our relationship with you at the start of your project – often when you’ve got some initial architectural designs.

However, we can also help later in the process. We typically get involved if things are starting to cause concern. In this case we aim to help you get your project back on course.

• Builders’ Quotes Too High

You’ve probably got a budget for your construction project and have hopefully shared this figure with your architect or designer. However, have you checked that your budget matches the designs you have set your heart on?

Often the first sign of your building problem hitting a problem is when you start talking to builders and get unaffordable quotations.

If the scope of your designs or specifications have increased, then so will the costs.

An independent consultant can help

If your costs are too high, then often what’s required is a review of your drawings. Value engineering can establish where the costs can be trimmed. CLPM’s Quantity Surveying team can give you a detailed estimate of your construction costs. This will help you understand what you can afford for big ticket items. It will also tell you where to focus your attention on when sourcing some of the materials. And if necessary, it will help you determine how best to engineer out the overspends.

It may help to employ an independent consultant to carry out a professional tender. This is when a short list of builders are approached to tender for the work. A professional company can then analyse the results to see which builders are quoting too high or unrealistic prices.

• Spiralling construction costs

Construction budget problems can also happen mid-build.

The current economic situation has seen substantial price rises in certain materials. Brexit, the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis has seen some items double or treble in price. Labour has also been an issue as the work force has shrunk.

There can also be increased costs due to changes to the scope of the building works onsite.  Such as amending specifications versus the contract or if additional works are added. This will result in the builder charging ‘extras’ to the invoices.

If you have an independent project manager acting as your Contract Administrator in place, then he or she will be monitoring these changes (known as variations). In this case they will assess the variations before querying or signing them off.

• Building quality issues

We have had clients approach us as they thought they had done everything right, until they moved into their new home. Our blog – a cautionary tale explains the story.

Unless you are an expert, you are relying on your build team to build correctly. Use the right materials and carry out jobs in the right way.

Sometimes, as our example above shows, it isn’t until much later in the process that errors start to show.

By using an independent project manager throughout your project, you can avoid these dangers. Weekly, fortnightly, monthly or virtual help can provide the level of support you need to watch out for problems.

• Lengthy delays

Sometimes things just happen which cause a project to fall behind. Other times, it is just bad planning and bad management. If you have contracts in place, it will only be frustrating to you, but if not, it could be very costly.

CLPM have a programming service, which can demonstrate the importance of hitting deadlines. It will also highlight the impact on timescales when timings are missed.

Our quantity surveying team can also help with ensuring you have the right contracts in place. This means you will be financially protected, should situations arise.

• Deterioration of relationships

Sometimes when things go wrong, it is hard to stay calm. If your builder is not answering the phone. Or doesn’t turn up. It can be enormously frustrating.

It is easy to imagine how relationships break down.

This is when an independent consultant can step in and help. CLPM pride themselves on providing bespoke services. This means that whatever the situation, and whatever level of support is required to get a project back on track. Our team can help.

 

If you are experiencing problems, CLPM can Help

Our highly qualified construction project management team can provide a wide range of pre-construction and onsite support services. Each one is designed to suit every project type and budget. We aim to help you build or improve your property in a smarter and more sustainable way.

Our experience and expertise will enable you to get a better result. Protect your financial interests and save you time and money along the way. This will result in a stress-free experience for you.

For more information, please get in touch on 01923 896550 or email us at info@cl-pm.com