Who should you talk to first when planning a renovation?

ARTICLE Peter Butler

When undertaking any renovation project, the most important thing to consider is project management. Renovations are complex and require many specialists and sub-trades – an architect and a master builder are just two of these. What really helps is having one point of contact that can help pull everything together.

A good project manager will save you money, time and stress by coordinating the proven and qualified specialists to work on your renovation as required including designers, builders, plumbers, electricians, painters, engineers…the list goes on. They should act as your advocate, offering advice, and help you to make those decisions like: “Should we reduce the size of the kitchen slightly and instead increase the size of the French doors opening out onto the deck?”

You should be wary of any builder who is prepared to give you a quote without going through a comprehensive design process with you first. It’s simply not possible to give an accurate quotation unless you have a full set of designs and a comprehensive scope of the work and specification. When it comes to renovating, the saying ‘take the quote from your builder and triple it’ exists for a reason!

For most people their home is their most valuable asset, so it’s important to be dealing with people you trust to deliver on what they promise. I would suggest finding a specialist design and build project management company such as Refresh Renovations, who can help you manage the entire process from concept right through to completion.

Renovating your home should be an exciting and rewarding experience – all the best.

This article featured on page 40 of Issue 003 of New Zealand Renovate Magazine . New Zealand's first and only magazine solely dedicated to home renovations.

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*All information is believed to be true at time of publishing and is subject to change.