Grant Crossley: All he surveys

In the second of his series, Grant Crossley reveals his top ten tips for design & renovation

It’s surprising how many properties I’ve surveyed in the past where the layout of the home doesn’t fit the owner’s needs. All too often the footprint of the property hasn’t been altered since the day they bought the house and despite those changing needs they seem prepared to muddle along.

Since they’ve moved in their family has grown, or their job now offers the flexibility of home working, and, whilst their lifestyle has changed, their property (most likely their biggest financial asset) hasn’t changed at all.

With a changing life should come a changing home and altering your existing home might well be the best and most economical way of satisfying your changing needs. So I’m going to run through my quick top ten tips for a successful renovation project:

1 Background Market Research
Establish the current market price of your property, and its potential value once the layout has been increased. The last thing you want is to haemorrhage your hard-earned cash and not reap the rewards.

2 Compile a Design Brief
Spend some time compiling a clear design brief so that your builder and design team can meet your aspirations.

3 Call the Professionals
Hire a local Chartered Surveyor or Architect. They will assist in the preparation of architectural drawings, advise on budget costs, prepare schedules of work, building contracts, and supervise the works to minimise any stress to you. They will also advise on the local planning policy and make the necessary planning and building regulation applications on your behalf.

4 Cost Control
Always ask for a breakdown of costs to establish what is included within the builder’s quotation and of course what is not. That way, you won’t be hit with any extra costs which haven’t been budgeted for. Alternatively, you can instruct your Chartered Surveyor to prepare a schedule of work and then ask your builder to price the document. But, always remember to budget for the dreaded VAT!

5 Financial Backup Strategy
Have a contingency sum of ten per cent of the total contract sum set aside for any unforeseen works that you might encounter along the way.

6 A good Building Contractor is worth his weight in gold
Never select a builder at random: from an internet search engine, or by sticking a pin in a directory. Find an established builder that you trust, is reliable, and has a good track record. You can do this by asking around for recommendations and checking out their previous portfolio of work, and you should certainly ask for references.

7 Enforce a Standard Form of Contract
A standard form of contract is a ready-made building contract between you and the building contractor which sets out simple terms and conditions of the project. That means: the scope of work, price, payment terms, contract period, insurance provisions and how to resolve any disputes.

8 Implement a Rectification Period
Implement a three-to-six month rectification period; this is sometimes referred to as a defect period and provides a timeframe once the work is completed, and allows for making good any minor faults, at no cost to you. Traditionally, 2.5% of the contract sum is withheld during this period.

9 Communication is Key
Constant communication between the client, the design team and the building contractor is crucial if you want the project to run smoothly. Arrange regular progress meetings, compile and keep a record of minutes.

10 Know your responsibilities
Your building works may fall under legislation like The Party Wall Act 1996, and you may have to serve notice on your neighbour. Become familiar with this and contact a local Party Wall Surveyor prior to commencement of works to discuss whether your project is likely to fall within the remit of the Act.

And that’s it. Just remember that the layout and the structure of your home is not set in stone, it can change, and it should change, to meet your family’s needs.

Follow me: @MrGrantCrossley