‘It's ok dear, I've explained to the builder EXACTLY where the door should go’
Whether it is down to a communication breakdown or a completely silly mistake, the results can sometimes be costly, so what is the answer?
EMPLOY A PROJECT MANAGER
That is the simple answer, it may well seem like a cost you do not wish to acknowledge at the start of your budget honing exercise but believe me, it will save you a heap of the folding stuff come the end of the project.
You can expect to pay anywhere IRO £40-80 per hour for an experienced project manager, they can be Building Designers, Architects, Surveyors or specific Independent Project Managers, as long as they have the construction knowledge and trade background experience.
Their duties will include, providing a site diary, quality monitoring, general site responsibility, health & safety, quantifying invoices and general progress reports.
On a small project, this may only require two hours per week! That could be a possible £1,600 over the contract period. Now that's peace of mind.