Builder / PM referrals

[Dima]

Hi Everybody! My first post here ?

 

I am planning a self build, for the first time. I've been involved on the financial side of some very high end builds before (all over the world really). But never build anything for myself. As the saying goes - the cobbler's children are the worst shod. I am looking for a plot currently, which I am planning to buy with equity of my current house and mortgage construction. The way I modelled it, I would have to be dead on budget to pull it off. Reading this immensely helpful forum, it looks like a decent spec house all-in cost of £180-200 psf is not out of the question. I could make it work at £180. This being my first house and having no room for any major screw ups, I think it would be great to have somebody managing the project at least from the point of view of reviewing all cost and progress.

 

I have not been enough on the form to see if this is something customary here but is there is any kind of referral network here? I'd love to work with somebody who other members here can vouch for. I am in Middlesex. 

 

If all goes well with the sale of my house, I hope this is one of many posts here.....

 

 

Edited October 10, 2020 by Dima

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, Dima said:

This being my first house and having no room for any major screw ups, I think it would be great to have somebody managing the project at least from the point of view of reviewing all cost and progress.

That person, I’m afraid, is you.   

 

Others will spend on your behalf, sometimes on their behalf also, but always with your money. Sometimes they’ll have spent it without asking, and then just give you the bill, which will then be due in 7-14 days.

QS the job yourself. Use that QS report / breakdown to get contractors to understand what is expected and what is available budget wise, and explain to EVERYONE that no extras will be paid for until known, agreed, and that the particulars agreed have been adhered to. That will serve both yourself, and the people working for you ( at any level ), extremely well indeed. It will be mutually beneficial and assure contractors that any extras they are asked to do are easily identifiable and quantifiable, ergo they’ll get paid according to what they’ve done. 

 

Get the fabric and essentials done to a good standard, fit cheap kitchens and simplify bathrooms, leave them until last, and if all has gone well you can retrospectively add to the budget for those accordingly. 

 

Welcome to the forum, and good luck with your first build. ?

Edited October 10, 2020 by Nickfromwales
Particulars not farking petticoat. Poxy phone ?

[joe90]

I agree with @Nickfromwales above, I PM,d my build (plus a lot of the smaller work) but I had a fixed price from a local very good builder who did the shell etc but through Ebay etc sourced much of the stuff required to fit it out, and it came in on budget.

[recoveringbuilder]

+1 nobody looks after your money the way you would yourself!

[Dima]

Thanks everybody I guess i would have to be coming back here frequently to consult. Any suggestions on finding a reliable builder? From my experience, PMs or architects tend to bring to the tables guys they like to work with but not necessarily for reasons that are good for the client. Is there a good resource to find local builders?

[PeterW]

3 minutes ago, Dima said:

Is there a good resource to find local builders?

The only good resource is word of mouth,  backed up by reference visits. Most of the check-my-dodgy-builder type sites are paid for by the members who have to pay for leads and there is a very strong feeling that negative reviews tend to disappear fairly quickly. 

Your issue (assuming you’re building local to Middlesex) is that you will be paying London rates and premium costs. The market is good out there, and good trades are booked up months in advance. 
 

Your rate of £170psf/£2000m is a pretty good starting point but you will need to work hard for it. But still worth ensuring a fabric first approach as that’s the stuff you can’t change easily. 

 

[Dima]

Cool, thanks! Very helpful.

 

Any members  from Middlesex/Hillingdon want to share their builder's contacts?

 

PS - good startup idea - online platform to tender a project ?

Edited October 10, 2020 by Dima

[PeterW]

7 minutes ago, Dima said:

PS - good startup idea - online platform to tender a project ?

They already exist !! 
 

https://www.construction-tenders.co.uk/small-construction-tenders/

[nod]

12 minutes ago, Dima said:

Thanks everybody I guess i would have to be coming back here frequently to consult. Any suggestions on finding a reliable builder? From my experience, PMs or architects tend to bring to the tables guys they like to work with but not necessarily for reasons that are good for the client. Is there a good resource to find local builders?

In my experience PMs and Architects will bring in whoever is available at the time Not always the best or the cheapest As above no one will look after your money like you will 

 

We are hoping to start our second self build after  completing our first 

at £780 m2 Giving us equity of 350 k Sure myself and my wife did much of the work ourselves Saving a tidy sum But careful budgeting and hours spent trawling through quotes played a big part 

 

You sound like you already have the skills to do this within budget 

Unless you are building something of Grand Designs proportions 

None of us need these so called professionals for hand holding 

 

   Good luck 

 

[Dima]

 

 

8 minutes ago, nod said:

In my experience PMs and Architects will bring in whoever is available at the time Not always the best or the cheapest As above no one will look after your money like you will 

 

We are hoping to start our second self build after  completing our first 

at £780 m2 Giving us equity of 350 k Sure myself and my wife did much of the work ourselves Saving a tidy sum But careful budgeting and hours spent trawling through quotes played a big part 

 

You sound like you already have the skills to do this within budget 

Unless you are building something of Grand Designs proportions 

None of us need these so called professionals for hand holding 

 

   Good luck 

 

Gracias for the words for encouragement. Nothing too crazy, 3000 sq ft, 5 bedrooms, three floors, square building. At this point everything depends on if/when/for how much I sell my current house. While the house is going to market now, I am trying to soak in as much info as possible. BTW going to the The National Self Build & Renovation Show next week to get insight as well. Any members here will be there on Sunday?

 

10 minutes ago, PeterW said:

They already exist !! 
 

https://www.construction-tenders.co.uk/small-construction-tenders/

Thanks for the tip!

[nod]

We did all the self build shows 

Birmingham twice By far the best 

 

ps we built 3000 sq foot 

over two floors 

 

[Bored Shopper]

I'd +100 to the above opinions - you are your own best PM.

As was stated on this Forum "someone else's common sense is not your common sense", no one has a better gut feel for your own project than you. It would, of course, be one hell of a job to pull off, the learning curve is very steep, and you need four pairs of eyes to watch out every little sneaky bit re unexpected extras etc.

 

We are in Middlesex. We've done a 4-bed 2-receptions +loft and garage within M25 on a narrow residential road - an in-fill build. We've had a PM who first brought in bad builders, and then brought in good builders (but at that point we ditched him as a PM as he was rubbish and cost us a painful £££ of extras). Having PM'ed the second half of our project, can say that it is hard work, hugely time consuming, but very rewarding. Plus you would know to a penny what you bought and where you bought it. 

 

If I were to give one word of advice: always go with your gut feel and ensure you have 20% contingency budgeted in (at least). Things don't always go to plan.

 

Good luck and welcome here.

[ToughButterCup]

As @Bored Shopper suggests, there's little that's common about common sense. After four years of building when I'm asked

" Why didn't you (...)" I now reply " Because I'm not you." Do I sound fed up? ?

 

The sheer volume of choice is the most daunting thing. The most expensive aspect of any build is knowing why you are NOT doing what you might reasonably be expected to do. 

 

That's the steepness @Bored Shopper alludes to. You are exactly right @Dima, most of us need a capable, critical, supportive friend. I'm still looking for that hen's tooth. BuildHub is the closest you'll get. But don't rely on her. Due diligence is easy to miss out. It's hard work. 

Edited October 11, 2020 by ToughButterCup

[joe90]

A bit late but word of mouth and speak to customers re builders, my wife knew our builders grandmother and the whole family had a good local reputation and he is booked well into next year!!, any builder that does not have a queue of customers ain’t that good (IMO). Plus you have a good crowd here that have been there and got the t shirt, we may not agree on everything but you will get a very rounded opinion. I think it takes a long time to plan what you want, rushing any decision is a bad thing,