Managing home renovations

Whether you’re going to project manage your reno yourself, or hire someone to do it – it’s important you make sure you know what’s involved.

A project manager will make sure the right tradies are on site in the right sequence, they’ll also liaise with council inspectors; make sure materials are on site when needed; deal with any problems that crop up and generally make sure everything runs smoothly.

If you have a project manager and there’s a problem they’ll come to you, but if you are managing the project yourself, you’ll be the one researching solutions for those problems. And that can take a lot of time.

So if you’re time poor – be warned. But if saving money is your goal – you can save as long as you manage the project well. Do it badly and it can lead to a false economy – with time wasted and a less than ideal relationship with your tradies. So how do you get it right? Well, at the top of the list is to be good at dealing with people and communicating well from the start.

Ensuring there is clarity all round as to what is expected and what will be charged and having estimates and terms and conditions in writing, rather than just on a handshake, is imperative. Daily on-site meetings are advised, providing all parties with the opportunity to ask questions and discuss problems. Issues are bound to crop up during the process, so it’s important that the homeowner feels comfortable talking to the tradies about them and finding out what’s going on.

And if you’re not on-site, make sure your tradies know that they are welcome to call you at anytime to discuss any problems.

Of course, it’s not just people you need to worry about.

There’s also the issue of materials and making sure things are on site when they’re needed.

A project has many moving parts and plans can change when the removal of plasterboard or the pulling up of floorboards uncovers some hidden horror.

Things like that can mean you need to try and get a tradie out at short notice in order to keep things moving. There’s no doubt there are many potential stumbling blocks for the DIY project manager, but if you really enjoy renovating, you have the time, you’re organised and have exceptional communication skills, then try it. Just do the research and get the knowledge first. Don’t jump in head first having no idea of what you’re getting yourself into. You might regret it.