Three Different Approaches To Taking On Construction Projects

Residential construction projects include individual room remodels, apartment renovations and house builds. There are several ways to take on such projects, you can carry the work out yourself, manage individual tradespeople or hire managers such as an architect, project manager or builder.

The choice depends on a few factors, the owner’s expertise, skill level, budget and the amount of time the owner has to invest are all important components.

Regardless of the kind of involvement, owners will spend a lot of time in front of a laptop screen, hopefully with an ad blocker to make the experience more pleasant. Having a clear vision for the project, keeping accurate expense logs and managing your team efficiently will aid you in your goal of a successful, budget-friendly and well finished construction project.

Read on, to find out more about the three approaches.

Doing Things Yourself

This way of getting construction work done suits those with sufficient time and an inclination for technical work. If done correctly, it can save owners money.

Purchasing your own tools for jobs is recommended, especially if those tools can be re-used for future work. Watching YouTube videos and reading insightful articles will help you figure out the detailed steps to a variety of construction methods. Being able to find the best ones and digesting the information provided, will allow owners to make the most of the content.

Pro Tip:

1. Most established material suppliers, such as cement manufacturers, tile adhesive suppliers, paint producers and others have dedicated technical support lines. These can be used to double-check product applications and methods of use.

2. Hiring tools can be more cost effective than purchasing them, especially tools that will be used for once-off specialized jobs such as core drilling of large holes for plumbing work. Be sure to keep an eye on the amount of time each tool is needed for, as the day cost often seems inexpensive, but keeping tools for weeks at a time will add up quicker than you might think.

3. Traditional tradespeople will often use hand tools rather power tools. These are a great option for owners doing work themselves, as they are noise free, inexpensive and sometimes make jobs simpler. Be careful of purchasing or renting expensive jackhammers to take down walls and laser levels to create square work. Sledge hammers and a chalk-line can often achieve the same results without the cost.

Hiring Tradespeople

Employing a team of tradespeople will push up your cost, but should also reduce the amount of time a project takes.

You have the option of hiring the tradespeople directly, one on one, or hiring a company that specializes in a particular trade.

Tradespeople include plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters, cabinet makers, dry wall specialists, skimmers, plasterers, roofing installers and builders.

Pro Tip:

1. Hiring tradespeople directly will most likely save you the company’s mark-up, just be aware that employing tradespeople one on one will often mean that you are the one that needs to drive around for materials as well as supply some of the tools required. Taking this role on is a great way of getting to know suppliers, learning about materials and negotiating directly for discounts.

2. Each trade has its own standard. Some painters charge per square meter and others charge a day rate, plasterers and skimmers work the same way. Electricians and plumbers charge per point, one lighting point, one switch, on faucet. Do not pay electricians and plumbers the full point price once the raw work has been done, keep half back, as they need to return to fit the downlight, switch or toilet. Get to know the payment standards and work out, job for job, which model best suits the type and size of work you have.

3. Interview tradespeople diligently. Call references, visit previous work-sites and make sure that they have the time to take on the work and also the inclination. There is a big difference between a tradesperson selling you on a job and actually showing up and providing good work for a period of weeks or months. Do not fall for a sales pitch, but rather ask yourself if this person is someone that will see the project through to completion.

Hiring Mangers

The hiring of professionals should give you the most time away from a building site and save you from making material runs. If your construction experience level is not high enough or you do not have the time available, this might be a safer option. 

A simple way to test this is to look at your current monthly income. Income levels which are equal to or larger than what a builder or project manager will charge, might make passing the job on worth it.

This does not mean that you should have no input at all, letting professionals know your design ideas or tastes is a crucial step.

Pro Tip:

1. As with the hiring of tradespeople, complete proper interviews and look at previous work.

2. Sit down with your builder, architect and project manager and have them explain their steps and processes. Take notes and ask questions, understand as much as possible without losing yourself in technical details. If someone cannot explain the process, they lack the knowledge or patience, both are not good signs for such stressful work.

3. Agree on a weekly or bi-monthly site visit to keep up to date with project milestones. Keep a close eye on the finances, a project manager should supply you with a cash flow diagram showing how much money is required and when. Learn to do one yourself, in case you are hiring a builder who does not offer the service.

Finishing Touches

Finding a balance between being on site all the time and neglecting your role as owner is important. There are some decisions, such as design choices or preferences, which tradespeople cannot make without you. Be patient, find a good rhythm, keep financial control and enjoy the process.