While pre-planning and pre-preparation to some constructors might seem like a waste of time, it’s actually crucial for a successful building process. If there’s no solid plan in advance, it’s highly likely you’ll end up wasting a large portion of your budget and breaking through all the deadlines. A well-devised pre-construction project plan is like a good foundation of a home and an assurance that you’re off to a good start.
Here are five essential pre-construction steps you need to take to ensure a successful building process.
Choose a design professional
Choosing a design professional involves hiring either an architect or interior designer, or both. Many designers don’t get involved in major structural work but do offer help in choosing materials and colour palettes. Architects, on the other hand, may take on much more or just limit their work to the floor plan, leaving the electrical work, bathroom and kitchen design to the interior designer.
Set up an in-person meeting with these professionals so you can get the opportunity to discuss in detail the services they offer and see if that matches your expectations. It’s also crucial you have at that point a clearly defined budget so that the design firm can plan within its limits.
Make a pre-construction plan
Your next step is to start making your plan. It’s also called a schematic design and it includes a rough floor plan and simple views of the exterior. This is a step that demands patience as it does take the designers a fair amount of time to produce the design and then another couple of weeks for you to approve of it all and make necessary changes or adjustments.
Find a reliable contractor
When you have a general idea of what the project will look like regarding the exterior and interior floor plan, it’s time to involve a contractor. It’s not always easy to find a reliable and experienced contractor to look over the schematic design and provide you with a preliminary cost assessment, so it might take a couple of weeks. Use the time at the interviews to let potential contractors produce their estimates, so that you can check their references afterwards, visit job sites and do some additional research before making your final decision.
Another clever decision on your part would be hiring a quantity surveyor to provide an additional construction cost estimate and make preparations for property depreciation schedules. Working closely with these experts will guarantee you go through a smooth process from start to finish and get the service delivered to the highest standards.
Go shopping for materials
Most people are thrilled with the idea of shopping but fail to realize just how overwhelming it can be. The amount of materials and options is endless and often people realize they need professional help. Your best course of action is to select all the materials, from tiles, countertops, light fixtures to doorknobs ahead of time, at least a month or two. This will allow your contractor to produce a more correct cost estimate and properly schedule material purchase.
Get the permits
Depending on the location of your project and its scope, getting the necessary permits might take a day, a month or, in the worst case, years. This is why you should have an idea in advance of how long your project will take so you could determine a possible start date. You also need to consider permit fees which can easily range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
By the time you’ve completed these five steps, it might be six months since you’ve started planning and talking to the professionals. Even though this planning process may be a long one, it’s crucial to the success of your building process and the realisation of your vision. And, all the time, money and effort you invest will be worth it in the end.
