The role of a project manager in respect to home renovations and home extensions is very diverse. In short, it’s a dedicated person that reports directly to you (the homeowner). Lots of build companies incorporate the project management role into the build cost, but this is actually a conflict of interest. The project manager will be on the side of the builder, and not working in your best interest. Did you know that in some countries in Europe, it’s actually against regulations to have the project manager employed by the builder? Here is an explanation as to how we work when it comes to the build phase here at Home Tales, and how we can continue to support you during this phase if you wish.  

Save money on your Build 

The cost of building works has increased dramatically over the past decade, particularly in London. It’s a competitive market, and you won’t find a shortage of builders offering to do the job. If you aren’t experienced in the trade, it is hard to find a reliable, experienced builder who doesn’t compromise on quality. As a result of this, we have seen the growth of high profile, flashy, branded companies, that promise you quality, but in exchange for an inflated build price. We re-thought the strategy and stripped back all of the unnecessary costs that these large companies need to stay in business. We connect you directly with the builder. All of our recommendations are from genuine relationships which have been built up over a number of years. In fact, a lot of our recommendations will be the very same contractors the larger company’s sub-contract their jobs to. 

Project management 

This is where our Project Management comes in. Our project management service is an optional bolt-on service, so it’s entirely up to you when and if you select it. As mentioned above, we connect directly to the builder. This means that you do lose the flashy ‘office’ hub that the larger companies offer. Most of these companies will incorporate some level of project management into their build cost, as they want to keep oversite of how things are going during the build and also give you a dedicated point of contact. Our project management service is the very same middleman these companies offer – except we work for you (not the builder). We are bridge between you and the builder. Our experience and knowledge enable us to check things are going smoothly and to a high standard. We give you updates, advice, and essentially act as your knowledgeable eyes and ears during the duration of the build. The job of a Project Manager is very diverse, however at its core it is assisting in achieving goals and objectives within scope, time and budgetary constraints. Building work is complicated, and there are lots of moving components which require attention at specific times. Our service acts to oversee the entirety of your build, which increases efficiency, reduces the risk, the helps the project stay on-track. Here are some of the top reasons our clients use our project management service. 

One: Experience

It’s important you have the technical knowledge to understand what you are looking at. This comes from proper training and experience. All of our project managers have been highly trained and are very skilled at what they do. On top of this, they have over a decade’s worth of experience. This experience is crucial for validating the quality of the work as well as determining practical ways to overcome challenges that might arise on-site. 

Two: Time 

Almost all of our clients have demanding jobs which require them to be in the office between 9 to 5 during the working week. This is exactly when the builders are on-site, and your site foreman will need to meet you at least once a week to run through various items. These decisions need to be promptly to ensure everything stays on-track. Your dedicated project manager will visit site at least once a week and speak to your builder at various other times throughout the week, to have these conversations and ensure progress is being made according to the schedule.

Three: Budget

Bear in mind that we are simply splitting out the products that these larger companies bundle into one. The idea is that you get a massive cost saving on the build price. Even with the project management cost on top of the build, it should still be 10 to 15% cheaper than the costs from the larger ‘one stop shop’ companies. 

Four: Risk 

As mentioned earlier, it’s a massive conflict of interest to have your project manager working for your builder. This means they are not working in your best interest, as their priorities will be to their employer. Home extensions and renovations are substantial projects, and you should feel protected throughout. Having a central communications person decreases confusion and increases accuracy.

Five: Control 

Let’s face it – to be a project manager you need to be somewhat of a control freak. Project managers are always measuring, evaluating and correcting things throughout a project. Most of the time, you won’t even know it’s been done (but it has). This element of project management is important as it ensure the quality of the build is being delivered consistently. 

If you want to learn more about our project management service, call our team today on 0207 043 2378 or email us at hello@hometales.co.uk. We would be delighted to learn more about your project and talk through our range of services.