What to think about before the builders come!

[Rosehipbrandy]

Hi,
We have a major renovation planned to our newish house. Plans all approved and finished ready for building control. We are now talking to builders about quotes and time scales.

I am trying to think of everything we need to think about now. Can anyone tell me what is missing from this list? Thank you!

• place to stay whilst work going on!
• speak to building insurance company to let them know about building works
• move valuables
• tell neighbours

And also I wondered if anyone had good ideas about managing builders - what type of contract to ask for etc?

Thank you!!

Thank you @Karcheer. Re 2, are you sure they dont ask for advance to buy materials. Mine are asking. So are you saying I shall make it milestone driven.

@vivimimi For a builder to be non vat registered they might be very small, and they also might be one man bands with limited contacts and resources. I paid vat, but I knew my builder has years of experience under his belt, a successful and solvent business and a large team of employees to get on with the work.
Our building job was done for a fixed price and I paid everything about 4 weeks in arrears in various sized amounts over a 22 week build. A few thousand was kept back for a few months for snagging. Don't use a builder who wants money in advance 'for materials' or who doesn't give you a price. I have read some dreadful stories on here about cowboy builders. The best builders are always busy and you might have to wait sometime for them to fit you in. A recommendation from a previous satisfied customer is a good idea too.

Loads of great advice already OP I kept a daily diary of everything that happened and got them to sign for every payment as was in cash!! I'm glad I did cos he lost track near the end was able to show him when exactly each payment was made!!

For the PP who asked about upgrading basic fittings and fixtures, we went through the quote with the builder at the start and said we wanted (for instance) brushed chrome light switches and plugs instead of the basic white ones he'd quoted for, and specific column radiators rather than the standard ones he'd quoted for. I sourced all of those (with his assistance), paid for them myself and the cost of the standard / basic items was removed from the running tally on the quote.

For the boiler, think he'd given a price of £X in the quote. When it came to ordering the boiler, he gave me a choice, with specific prices, of 2 or 3 options. I wanted a Worcester one, think it meant an extra £100 so he added that to the quotation.

I definitely think its about the relationship. Yes to being clear, yes to having a handle on what is included. However, certainly if you're living on site (as we were) and the builders are going to be there for 6-7 months, day in day out, you want a good relationship. Breathing down their necks, checking every single detail, pestering etc will get you nowhere. It is a leap of faith.

Hire a portaloo.

We had tobecause our building work was classed as outside so could start before covid restrictions fully lifted, but I would now do it anyway and will when we have the next phase done.

@vivimimi

These are the titles of the line items of our payment profile that i can remember...

Groundworks & Foundations
Padstones, brick & blockwork
Floor beams & joists Ground Floor
Floor Screed
Stud walls Ground Floor
Remove roof, install new floor beams & roof inc new stud walls
Electrician first fix
Electrician complete
Plumber first fix
Plumber complete
Plaster

@Africa2go - definitely - you have to get on with them, I spent more time with my builders than my husband for about a year, i really missed them when they went haha!

@Karcheer. Thank you. What’s the electrician first fix and completion. Same with plumber

They come in fairly early (first fix) in the build and run their pipes wires etc. Then after plastering they come back to finish it all off.

As a painter i can only ask you to leave enough of a budget at the end for a good decorator, a good decorator will make every trades work before him look good, and a bad one will make every trade before him look bad. Maybe ask a few local decorators to price off plan to get an idea, look for people with dustless sanders and who spray, it can leave an amazing finish.