SPEAKING LOGISTICALLY
To project manage or not project manage? That is a big question. It can all boil down to how well you can manage logistics
The decision to project manage yourself is often based purely on financial circumstances, with selfbuilders choosing to take on the job themselves in an effort to save money. You have to ask yourself how good am I at logistics? This is the fine art of having the right people, materials and plant where you need them at the right time, because this will help keep your costs down. This can apply equally to an urban selfbuild as it can to a remote rural site. It pays to be on the ball in remote and island locations and be right first time, or face a day-and-a-half ferry journey, or an 80-mile round trip on single-track roads to return a wrong part or pick up extra materials. Remember ferries are not just for islands; peninsula routes also cut journey times. Summer timetables have more sailings, earlier and later in the day, but remember to book in advance during the tourist season and when major events like Highland games and agricultural shows and music festivals take place. People have lived off the beaten track for centuries; Scottish hauliers are experts at getting very large loads to the remotest places. They’ve had plenty of practice. Don’t even let the lack of a ferry service worry you; transport companies here have boats and vehicles that can get anywhere. Logistics are just as important in the middle of a city when facing a tight site entrance off a road full of parked cars or a crawl along congested roads to reach suppliers. You can sail from Oban to the Isle of Mull in 50 minutes. How long can it take to get from one side of Glasgow to the other and find parking places? More importantly in a busy urban environment good tradesmen and services are always in demand and delivery drivers and couriers are on tight-schedules. Mistake or miss a delivery slot and you could have a long wait and time costs money if you have tradesmen on site waiting for materials. This is a big decision to make at the start of your project. Get this wrong and the dreaded combination of delay and rising costs can spiral. That is why many people choose a turnkey project with everything from finding the land through to planning permission to garden landscaping. Or you could decide to appoint a main contractor on a design and build basis.