An increasing number of people are deciding to build their own homes. Why? Buying a house, for some, is becoming unattainable with house prices skyrocketing in recent years.
Instead, people are now opting to build their own homes and taking the project management of the build into their own hands to reduce costs further. Project managing a self-build home is no easy task. It will take a lot of time, planning, patience, problem-solving and dealing with a lot of stress but it can be a lot of fun and rewarding too.
If you’re planning or thinking about building your own home and project managing the build, here are 4 tips before you get started.
Plan Thoroughly
When it comes to a self-build project there is no such thing as planning too much. It’s better to have thought about everything and plan for it than get caught out. That’s when real problems start to occur.
Spend a significant amount of time planning everything including layout, materials, design options, structural systems, finishing materials and the contractors you wish to use. Some people might even suggest spending the same amount of time planning as you do building the home itself.
Be patient in your research, don’t settle for anything less than what you really want and make sure you discuss your plans with professionals and experts also.
Set out a Budget
A realistic and well thought out budget is essential to your self-build project. You can only spend the money you have and under budgeting may hit you hard along the way causing delays and further loss of money.
Always include a contingency, you would do well to find a builder who comes under or on budget when it comes to building a home. Problems arise, ideas change and the unpredictable happens. It’s best to plan for this too. Your contingency should be at least 10% of the total budget.
Select Your Tradesman Carefully
One of the biggest bumps in the build of a home is being let down by a tradesman or their poor standard of work. Therefore, make sure you research all your contractors thoroughly, get references from previous clients and always get a minimum of three different quotes for each task. The cheapest isn’t always the best and neither is the most expensive. Make sure you consider all aspects of the company before hiring.
By doing this, you can give yourself some confidence that you have hired the right people for your self-build project. Hiring the right people saves time, money, stress and any unwanted issues.
Use the Right Gear
When building your home it’s important to make sure you and your tradesman use the best gear possible in the build process. It’s easy to get tempted to cut corners to save money or time but this may lead to more issues further down the line.
Instead, when exploring cost-cutting ideas think more about liabilities. Do you need to spend a small fortune on tools or can you hire them? If you need a truck for the project then why not rent one from Flex Fleet commercial fleet rentals instead of buying a brand new truck you will only use for 6-12 months?
Renting gear, tools, vehicles, and machinery is one of the best ways to cut costs out of the budget and can be applied in many areas of the build.
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