Money saving tips from Building Solutions (Midlands) Limited
Everybody wants a top quality job done in no time without any disruption and for FREE!
Unfortunately in the real world this is not possible, the best we can hope for is a top quality job done as quickly as possible without cutting corners with the minimum disruption and for the best possible price.
Where to save money?
1. The number one money saving tip might sound too simple, do you really need and want to do the job?
Before you undertake any building or maintenance job ask yourself do I really need to do this, is this what I really want to achieve. Is it worth spending thousands pounds on a new top of the range deluxe bathroom if you might be considering moving in two years?
2. So you have made your mind up the job needs doing and it needs doing right.
The first thing you need to do is plan the job out no matter how large or small. Ask yourself the right questions, “Do I have the knowhow to run this project?”
If it’s just a matter of booking an electrician you probably do, or do you?
Did you know that if you carry out some electrical works on your own property you are actually breaking the law? Lots of small landlords often fall foul of this recent change in regulations and there are of course the insurance issues to consider.
3. Now we have established that you may or may not need some professional advice, next question is how much?
Most reputable building companies can offer you the guidance required. What if a project requires a little more planning, well the average cost of a project manager is around 15%. I know what you are thinking 15% of say £10,000 that’s £1,500 why should I pay someone £1,500 for something I can do myself. Well a good project manager will already have good contacts with local trade’s people and suppliers that in its self could save the 15%. Also there experience tells them what to order and when, if you cannot get say a £25 plumbing fitting you should have ordered a week ago and the plumber charges you for two men for two days. The only thought on your mind should be “Why did I not pay for a good company to project manage this for me”.
4. So you have the right advice but you still want to do at least some of the work yourself
There is nothing wrong in that is there? No but be very careful that you choose the right areas to have a go. Electrics should only be undertaken by a part P qualified electrician it’s just not worth the safety risk, a wise man once said “You can’t see it, you can’t hear it, but it can kill you,” that reason enough not to get your handy and good meaning friend or relative to save you a few quid.
Plumbing, let’s face it we all know that plumbers are not cheap; neither is replacing a ceiling or redecorating a room if there has been a leak. We have been into people’s properties after a leak has happened up stairs when they have been at work. Within minutes thousands of pounds worth of damage can occur.
So apart from electrics and Plumbing, I can nip down the local D.I.Y and get stuck in!
Well does any of the work you are considering require local authority Building Regulation control? People are often a little apprehensive of contacting building control, they should not be, yes they might be a fee but you are paying for someone to make sure that you and your builders do a proper job. If you don’t does it really matter? Yes if you do say a loft conversion on your property and you do not get a completion certificate you may find it more difficult to sell your house. It can even knock value off the price so it really is a false economy. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE JUST GIVE THEM A CALL THEY ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO OFFER ADVICE.
5. So you have sorted out that you probably need at least some qualified trade people, you have building control in hand. So it’s off to that cheap web site or discount store to get the bits.
Sourcing materials that can’t be that difficult?
Well if you have to pay your contractors an extra £300 to fit that cheap shower that did not come with the right pump and he had to “nip off”, and get the right part. You could of course wait two weeks for them to replace it while you are asking your work colleges “can I come round again tonight to use your shower”.
So there are a few places that you should at least consider taking a longer term view.
6. Great you’re off! You have seen some lovely tiles for the bathroom floor but they are some of the most expensive in the shop. Well that could be good value if you are only tiling a few square meters with them, compared to the overall cost of the bathroom, they could be the wow factor that make your friends and relatives green with envy.
7. Keep your design simple the more complex it becomes with the extra gadgets the more costly it becomes.
8. Pick out and plan for the long term, we have seen people buy lovely single mixer taps for their bathroom sinks. Really beautiful pieces of modern design, that one of their clumsy guests have broken because they were not sure which way to turn it on, or every morning they bang there head on it washing their face, not the best way to start the day!
9. Once you are sure you have planned the project out to the finest detail, stick to your design, last minute changes can be costly. They also can often cause problems with things like the position of light switches and other predetermined fixings. We often put additional timbers in stud work if we know that a shower screen or other item is to be fixed in that position. If you know that a certain part of a stud wall is having a bath or shower in that position we would recommend a water resistant plaster board or cement based boards. If then the position of these items is changed it all adds further expense. If a project is not fully planned out people often move radiator positions to where a double socket was going to be positioned and that means further expense to reposition it. So think your project out thoroughly and stick to it.
10. So you have started, and you have decided to have a go at the tiling. That’s not a bad choice if you are handy but you must be a very patient person, if you are, there is no reason that you will not do a good job. With the money you have saved on the tiller, why not invest it in some good quality tools, that way you are set up for next time. If you don’t want to pay out for good tools and equipment, you have got to ask yourself, are you really going to do as good a job as a professional trade’s person who has all the right kit as well as all the experience. D.I.Y can be fun and very rewarding if done well. Are you being realistic about the all tasks you are undertaking ?If you are not entirely sure do a bit of research find out how long it would take a professional and add 50% more time after all we do this kind of thing every day. If you only have say eight hours every Saturday, is this really what you want to be doing for the next eight weeks?
We hope we have helped you to save a little time and money,
that is what we try to achieve for all our customers.
We up date our web-site regularly we will continue to offer more free advice so next time you are starting a project perhaps we can help.
