From long experience I have come back to, time and time again, the need for proper planning.

To quote Kevin McCloud from Channel 4’s Grand Designs “It is better to take 4 years to plan [...]]]> Today lets look at some of the things you need to do to give yourself the best chance for an easy build.

From long experience I have come back to, time and time again, the need for proper planning.

To quote Kevin McCloud from Channel 4’s Grand Designs “It is better to take 4 years to plan and 6 months to build, than 6 months to plan and 4 years to build.”

Now that may sound like an exageration but the truth of the quote is proved over and over, across the world, in all projects, large and small.

Although you may want to start, the natural excitement propels you towards an early start date, it is better, by far, to wait until most of the basics are in place before you start.

Later when the project is in full swing you will not have either the time or the energy to piece together the things you ‘missed out’. So lets look at what you need to get started.

Planning, Plans and Planning. In a nutshell that is the sum of it. So what plans do you need?

Firstly the design of your project, is it what you want? Designing a space for you and your loved ones to live in for a good amount of years is a process that is so often glossed over by outside design and architecture companies.

The things you need now may not be what you need in 5 years time. Will you have some/more children? Will your interests change? Will you switch from working for an employer to being self employed? Is there a loved relative that may come and live with you? Are your lovely children about to enter the ‘teens’ and want to have a soundproof room for entertaining their friends? Will you want a soundproof room to ‘escape’ to after a long day at the office?

The list of possible questions is pretty much endless, however in a family situation it is fairly straight forward to get everyone to sit down and write out what they want.

Everyone should be as explicit and hopeful as possible. Try and look into the future and visualise what may come into your life, be as inventive and open as possible, you can cut back some of this stuff later. It is much harder to add in later when the process has started to gain momentum.

A good motto to go by for this is – ‘Aim for the stars and land on the moon’ meaning that at the beginning of the process everyone should put forward their dream requirements.

The process that folows will include compromise for everyone, yes, everyone! So you all should start by aiming for the stars and all of you will end up somewhere short of the stars but still getting a lot of what you need and desire from your project.

The process after this point is a juggling act of quite significant proportions. Don’t be afraid of it though, break it down into bite size chunks, plan for when you can devote 100% attention to the task.

The task is to take all your ideas and gel them into a workable, affordable and exciting design. I am not expecting you all to produce drawings to build from, although if one of you has those skills do just that, no it is absolutely fine to have written notes and sketches organised in a folder. Or a collection of work stored on someones computer (back it up on a DVD though!). 

This is going to produce a design that you can all feel part of. This approach to designing anything is so personal that it cannot be done by an outside agency at a one off meeting. Of course there are some fantastic designers and architects out there, however there are also some terrible ones.

Like a lot of builders, project managers and self builders, I am and have been all 3, I have grown to view some architects and designers with caution. That is not to say I have a general attitude of ill will towards them its just that based on my personal experience I have ended up this way.

We all know what we want; its inside us and needs to drawn out and expressed in ways that a designer can translate into a working plan. The only way he or she can do this is to have you tell them what you want, and in as much detail as humanly possible. They will enjoy the work as its an ideal situation for them, to have a clear detailed breif – every designers dream starting point.

So go to it, take it easy, allow everyone the opportunity to contribute, without judgement, and allow the process to run its course.

It is so much a fundamental part of the project that by taking the time to do this properly you will save money (changes of heart after the build has started are very expensive), save emotional stress (the exclusion of someone from being an integral part of the plans and therefore the project will at some point come round and bite you on the bum) and save time the most precious commodity we all have.

If you want to leave a comment or ask a question please feel free to note it below and i will try and answer them as quickly as possible.

For now though i say good luck and next time we will look at the details you need to collect that go with the architectural plans.

Take it easy

mark.

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As a long time project manager and builder I have seen many a construction job go off course through lack of proper management.

Quite often this happens when the buck starts to get passed around!

The architect says ‘its not in my brief’ [...]]]> For those of you starting out on the road to building your dream home I applaud you.

As a long time project manager and builder I have seen many a construction job go off course through lack of proper management.

Quite often this happens when the buck starts to get passed around!

The architect says ‘its not in my brief’ so the site foreman says ‘well i’m only here for the day to day running of the site’. So the main contractor has to try and find out what is happening and try, somehow, to fit his schedule in with ‘the plan’ – assuming there is one.

Chaos reigns supreme and costs spiral and moral drops and ….. well we’ve all seen ‘grand designs’ and ‘ the property ladder’.

If you are going to self build, anything – house, extension, bathroom whatever it is you NEED information, guidance and support.

I am going to give it to you, over the coming weeks and months I want to show you some gems and insights that I have gleaned over the years. Information that is based in reality and fact not books and guesswork.

Follow me as we wander through the quagmire of planning, schedules, start dates, contractors, architects, health and safety and so much more.

if you want to comment that would be great, better yet if you have questions that you would like me to answer then post them here and I will try and get to all of them.

I look forward to passing this information on to you – together we can build on time and in budget!

mark

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The ultimate goal of anyone running any project. For many a goal that seems so far away. To learn this stuff we all need support and guidance, i know i did. To soldier on without the correct methods and systems in place just leads to a demoralising state of running to [...]]]> Easy Stress Free Project Management!

The ultimate goal of anyone running any project. For many a goal that seems so far away. To learn this stuff we all need support and guidance, i know i did. To soldier on without the correct methods and systems in place just leads to a demoralising state of running to catch up and unecessary stress.

markwatson project management have developed a program of telephone and email guidance for any size project that cuts the cost of hiring an onsite project manager. Personal weekly access to someone thats done it before and can guide you through the minefield of start dates, 3rd party liaison, contractors, planning, architects and the rest.

The money saved will more than pay for the costs and lead to a positive learning curve that you are in control of not your contractors.

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