With your Designer selected and their Fee Proposal agreed you are now at the point to make a start with your project, but before you push the GO button there are a few things that you should have very clear in your mind.
Finance; this can be the Elephant in the Room that no one wants to talk about! Up to this stage budget project costs have been very much left on the back seat, but you do need to have a indication what the likely cost could be before heading head long into this venture. Equally you need to know how much you wish to spend and how you are going to finance this; it no good having the vision of a nice shiny red Ferrari when you only have the money for a Ford!
When thinking about the overall costs of a project don't forget to factor in VAT. When Designer and Contractors talk about project costs they will usually always be net of value added tax; so for example a 100k project cost is really 120k at today's UK 20% VAT rate. If this was a Commercial project undertaken by a registered company VAT is not really going to be an issue as most of this cost will be reclaimed back, but as a private home owner there will be no opportunity to do this. You need to make sure that both you and your Designer/Contactor are both talking about the same thing here when it comes down to cost, you are likely to have "gross figures" in your mind but other will no doubt have "net figures" in theirs!
There are a number of "non-construction" costs that also need to be added into your budget and these will vary depending on the type of project being undertaken. Design & Architectural fees have already been talked about, but there could be Structural Engineer fees along with Planning & Building Control application and inspection fees and all of this could add 12%-16% to your budget plus the VAT on these fees. So that net 100k project is more like 140k when looking a gross figures included "non-construction" costs.
You should also be adding some form of contingency amount to your project budget and 10% would be the normal rate, which now brings the net 100k up to 150k, half as much again from our starting point. So you can start to see how easy it is to "blow a budget" if you have not factored in all elements in and out of the basic build cost.
Before the Designer commences with any Conceptual Design the two of you need to have a clear understanding of your budget foundations and your Designer will be able to help establish these with you.
There is another cost issue that can come up for clients particular with extensive house refurbishment and this is the ability for them to remain in the house while major works are being undertaken. Quite often clients will move out of the house into rented accommodation while the work is being carried out, and there is likely a significant costs associated in doing this. You need to know very early on if is this a real possibility as it needs planning in as to not only its cost but also the overall timing as to when you will likely have to vacate.
Please remember that a Budget is exactly what it is "A BUDGET", it's not fixed and is forever changing and that is usually in an upwards direction. However you are going to finance your project make sure to allow plenty of wriggle room between an initial budget figure and whatever is likely to be the final spend; if you want your final spend to be i.e. 200k then half this straight way to get a net build budget.
Programming; this is another area that can be completely underestimated. As a basic benchmark from the outset you should be allowing somewhere in the region of six months from the start of the design progress to contractors commencement on-site. This duration of course will be subject to the type of project being undertaken, but anywhere Planning & Building Control applications are required this is generally a good rule of thumb.
The on-site period is very much subject to the size and complexity of the project, but for example with a net build value of between 100k - 150k, twelve weeks/three months is about the time scale you should be thing about.
On completion of the site work there will be a point where "Handover" will takes place, that's when you get your house back, but this is not necessarily the end of the work. There may be a number of outstanding job to complete and snagging of work that is not up to standard. This part of the project should not be underestimated, it can be the most challenging time for everyone. If there is one point in the project where relationships breakdown this is it and can be a very frustrating time for all. Clients just want the work finished and the Contractors out and the Contractors don't want to be there, they would rather be on the next new project. For the Designer they tend to be court in the middle between the two parties and have to act as an intermediary to get these issues resolved, and this can carry on for weeks and weeks.
There may also be a six months defects period in the terms of the contact where the Design will re-inspect the work and list any item or areas of work that requires attention by Contractors/Suppliers. Again this can drag on over a number of weeks until all matters are concluded. So although only three months was spent "On-Site" the overall duration of a project from the very start to 100% completion can take well over a year.
With Budget & Programming matters clearly on your radar I would suggest you have a meeting with your Designer before he puts pen to paper so that you can establish with him the boundaries that need to be set for the project. This should not be about a battle of views, each of you will bring something valid to the table which needs to be mutually understood and agreed on. This may be the first time that you are embarking on such a project, but for the Designer he would have been there before, so use his experience and knowledge of similar situations to arrive at the correct Budget & Programme foundation for your project.
On the basis that all has been successfully discussed and agreed you should now be ready to give your Designer the "green light" to commence the design process with - Stage One - Conceptual Planning & Design, which will be covered in the fifth article in this Home Design Clients Guide series by Chris Page.
Christopher R Page has been active within the Interior Design industry for over 35years with a wealth of knowledge in not only the creative process but its delivery into a three dimensional working reality. As a long standing Fellow of the Society of Chartered Designers he has shared his views and insights on TV, Radio and numerous articles, talking not only about his work but the Design Business in general and its relationship with clients. His well respected design studio is based near Rochester, Kent, UK, where he and his team undertakes all aspects of Commercial & Residential (Home) Design projects for wide and diverse customer base. More can be found out about his activities and portfolios of work at http://www.cpd-design.co.uk/
View the original article here
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
No comments:
Post a Comment