It doesn’t matter whether you are planning to build your dream home, covert an old barn or renovate your semi-dilapidated home, there is a reason why building projects have a reputation for guzzling money: nothing is ever plain sailing when it comes to construction. Nothing. Hurdles pop up out of nowhere, obstacles swing in from leftfield, the unexpected becomes impossibly common and, to top it all off with a big glazed cherry, you start to develop a money-migraine like never before.
It doesn’t matter how big or small your project may be, you always end up spending more than you hoped you would. Of course, that sort of information doesn’t sit well with most people, which is why we wanted to find out whether or not it is possible to complete a building project to a high standard without breaking the bank.
Read on for our top tips on how to enjoy a budget-friendly project, no matter how big or small it may be:
Spend to Save
Sometimes, just sometimes, you need to spend big in order to save even bigger, which is no easy feat, to say the least. But once you know where it’s worth spending a little more, you will find your budget doesn’t get hit by any unexpected price tags. It’s things like buying good quality materials, paying a premium for the best local contractor, enjoying the benefits of architectural consulting so that planning permission doesn’t become a problem and thinking ahead so that you don’t have to spend more repairing a bodge job. Spending more upfront can be a tough pill to swallow, but it could be the very thing that saves your budget.
Always Shop Around
When your knee-deep in a building project of any kind, it can be so tempting to go with the more hassle-free option, no matter the cost. Don’t fall into this trap. We know this can be hard because buying all your building materials, an entire kitchen or a whole bathroom suite from one supplier is the simplest way to do things, but it’s very rarely the most budget-friendly. It’s a much better idea to shop around, see who is offering the best price for what and saving yourself what can be a very large chunk of change in the end.
Be the Project Manager
If money is no issue, hiring a project manager is always the obvious option. But when you need to stick to a tight budget, it makes total sense to pull on your project manager’s hat and oversee the build yourself, hiring the different tradespeople as required. Of course, the role of project manager is not one you want to take lightly. It’s intense. You will need to make decisions, have some idea of what you are talking about and dedicate a large dollop of time to the challenge because it’s a pretty time-consuming gig. That said, there is an upside: acting as your own project manager gives you total control over your spending. Labour, materials, everything. It’s all up to you.
