Builders in house - Dos & Don'ts

[TarfHead]

We have planned extensive changes to the house and soon the work will commence. We are meeting with the builder and architect this week to finalise the details and, fingers crossed, the work will commence at the end of the month. We're moving out for the duration of the work.

As far as it goes, I trust the builder to do a good job. The architect will provide project management and will handle stage payments. My anxiety springs from my absolute ignorance of the building trade or DIY and don't want to be taken for a mug. In addition, we wish to remain on good terms with our neighbours.

I would appreciate any advice from anyone who has been through this ; advice along the lines of "if I'd known then what I know now, I'd have .. ".

Thank you

 

[Sherman]

Agreed a fixed price if possible. Doubled the timeframe. Doubled the stress of dealing with unreliable builders. Not trusted a word out of the mouths of various plumbers.

 

[oirish]

use your architect
he is the middleman between you and the builder
be careful of making changes and only request in writing with the architect and allow changes to go ahead when received
ANY CONCERNS NO MATTER HOW SMALL - call the architect - THATS WHAT YOU PAY HIM FOR
he signs off the build
he is really the only person you need to talk to -

best of luck
oirish

 

[Deirdra]

Concur with Oirish about using your architect to the maximum. Visit the site as often as you can. Get the builder to keep the exterior as clean as possible - this will help keep your neighbours happy also. keep in touch / keep a good relationships with your neighbours.

Skips - I found I was providing a free for all dumping service - can you get any skips you need located in your driveway and the driveway entrance sealed off every evening? Also, hide away your black/green bins if you have any.

 

[oirish]

spot on deidre BUT skips should be priced in advance by the contractor and accepted on your behalf by your architect, as should all other costs. My civil engineer always alllows or expects client change [eg. 'i didnt know it would look like that we'd better change/ can we get one more of that etc..] to add 10% minimum to the total bill.

YOUR ARCHITECT! USE HIM WISELY[... dont 'wreck' his head]

 

[Toby]

use your architect
he is the middleman between you and the builder
be careful of making changes and only request in writing with the architect and allow changes to go ahead when received
ANY CONCERNS NO MATTER HOW SMALL - call the architect - THATS WHAT YOU PAY HIM FOR
he signs off the build
he is really the only person you need to talk to -

best of luck
oirish

God! Find a better architect than we did then. Our guy was RIAI certified and everything but we have had to watch over every tiny detail of the build ourselves, he allowed small but annoying design mistakes to slip through and even when we found problems we had to hound him to help us do anything about it. Best to get a referral from a friend if you can I'd say.

Moving out is best decision you can make if getting building done.

I hear its possible to get contracts that bind the builder to a time frame with financial losses for him if he runs over. That would be nice.

Be prepared for tonnes of arguments with your partner because there are decisions to be made on a daily basis.

Don't start worrying about the final details too soon or it'll wreck your head. I was merrily out picking kitchens and stressing over flooring issues a year before the thing was built and put way too much pressure on myself. By the time we needed either loads had changed in the build and my taste so it was all wasted energy early on.

Don't trust what builders say - EVER!! (No offence, but seriously). They are all under massive pressure and will say anything to get you off their backs and while they may answer your questions early on they only seem to make decisions the day before something has to be done.

Oh, its all bringing back unpleasant memories.......