Guidelines for a Successful Building Project – Part I

When renovating or building a home you put your trust and financial hopes and dreams into the design and building teams to craft your new residential life. They can make or, if not chosen wisely, break your experience. From decades of knowledge we know at Fortem Projects there are ways to help you stay on top of progress, make more measured decisions and smooth the path to a successful build.

So, what are the keys to a successful build? Over the coming weeks Fortem Projects will bring to life a series of guidelines to help you make the dream a reality. Keep reading to learn our first guideline.

Choose your builder early as possible during the design process

Why? Designing and building require very different skills. Simply put, one is to design your home and the other is to bring it to life by constructing the design. By having a builder engaged early in the process, the project becomes a three way collaboration.It is a blend of skills that gives the best chance of a great robust building outcome.

An experienced builder can provide insight into, and advice on, a design’s practical and functional application including possible alternative ways to meet the design intent and budget. If a design has implementation issues, it’s in the homeowners’ best interest to know as early as possible so agreed amendments can be made before final drawings are completed. This reduces stress during the build phase as it minimises unknown circumstances that may appear, especially in a major renovation.

When it comes to town planning a builder can provide budget estimates, so the homeowner is aware of what to expect as early as possible. This helps close the gap between a beautiful design and budget expectations.

Working with a builder as early as possible also allows you to get to know the builder and to build mutual trust. You also can better understand projects issues, the methods used by the builder and allow the builder to better understand your hopes and dreams.

How do I select a builder early?

You may need to pay a fee to have a builder involved early so choosing one comes down to in-depth research. A personal recommendation from those you know is very helpful. A builder who has built similar scale projects in similar regions, can prove their bona fides with a past build portfolio and where you can meet the decision makers all make for a robust process. An architect can also input here as part of your research. It’s your home, your dream, so you need to do the leg work to get comfortable.

Stay tuned for Part II of our Successful Building Series – site communication – coming soon. If you’re interesting in learning more about the best time to contact a builder, get in touch with the team at Fortem Projects today.