Completing a home renovation on Time, on Budget, at a High Quality - Can it be done?
The relationship between time, cost and quality is often referred to as “The Golden Triangle”, and is widely applied across a range of industries, businesses, and products. When undertaking a major home renovation or rebuild, a successful project will be one that delivers you the quality you want, within your budget, meeting an agreed time frame.
On reflection of a completed project, most renovators find that at least one of these three elements didn’t quite go to plan (sometimes all three!) – costs may have blown out, deadlines not met, and/or the quality of materials and workmanship may have been sacrificed.
So, is it possible to achieve all three?
YES! – The Golden Triangle absolutely can be achieved through meticulous attention to detail, solid planning, and being prepared for contingencies along the way. Here’s how MILEHAM aims to deliver quality design and construction, on time, all within budget for our clients:
1. Meticulous Planning and Preparation
“Failing to plan, is planning to fail”
Before any designs are drawn up, our thorough consultation process ensures we have a solid understanding of what you want to achieve, and the budget and time constraints we need to work within. This ensures we only put forward design and construction ideas and solutions that are realistic and achievable.
Once a design is agreed upon, and building approval granted, we draw up detailed construction plans with exact specifications on all materials, fixtures and fittings, alongside a realistic project timeline. The more detail provided at this point, the more accurate the construction quote, which minimises cost and time blowouts throughout the project.
To achieve a good balance of time, cost, and quality, it’s important to realise that you may need to compromise when making some decisions. For example, if you have your heart set on stone tiles imported from Italy, it may take some time for these to arrive into Australia, which could bump out your expected timeline and costs while other tradespeople are waiting for tiling to be completed. Each decision you make during the planning and construction phase has flow-on effects. Thus, the earlier you make these decisions, the easier it will be to ensure your materials can be ordered at the right price and allow a reasonable timeframe for production and/or delivery.
2. An appreciation for the expected Quality
It’s easy to get carried away when you “buy with your eyes”, flipping through glossy magazines and visiting upmarket showrooms. Our previous blog examined the quantity/quality tradeoff required when it comes to choosing materials, fixtures and fittings. Going down the mid-range path is usually a safe option, where quality products and finishes are used during construction, without a big cost blowout.
Aside from the quality of materials and fixtures, the quality of workmanship is also very important. The more organised and well managed your project is, the better the chance of securing top builders and tradespeople, which will lead to a premium finished product and lower the risk of mistakes being made in the build.
3. An understanding of the Cost
The old saying “you get what you pay for” definitely rings true when it comes to construction and materials. Inexperienced renovators can easily be lured by cheap design drawings or the lowest building quote, only to get caught down the track when costs blow out due to the lack of details and specifications provided upfront. Typically speaking, if securing the lowest cost is your core focus, a trade-off will need to be made in the quality department. What seems like a great deal to start with may end up costing far more down the track if inferior materials/fixtures need to be replaced sooner, or sub-standard workmanship needs to be repaired.
4. A respect for Time
On a construction site, more time usually equates to more money. A carefully managed timeline overseen by an experienced Project Manager can ensure tradespeople don’t turn up on site only to be left waiting due to work falling behind schedule in other contingent areas, or products and materials not arriving on time. If you’re in a rush to get your project completed in the quickest possible timeframe, you may need to be prepared to pay more for extended construction hours. Your selection of materials, fixtures and preferred tradespeople may also be limited to what’s in stock and who is readily available to meet your time frames. The best builders, landscapers and tradespeople are in high demand and will likely need to be booked months in advance.
Finding the Right Balance
While the aim of any project is to juggle all three elements, you will likely need to identify which element is the MOST important to you in the case where unforeseen trade-offs need to be made:
FAST and CHEAP but it may not be good QUALITY
CHEAP and good QUALITY, but it won’t be quick or on TIME
On TIME and good QUALITY but it may not be CHEAP
Here are our top tips to steer you in the right direction:
Discuss upfront with your architect what you’re trying to achieve, your priorities, and what you will or will not compromise on to ensure your final plans reflect the necessary detail to deliver on time, within budget and to your quality expectations.
The devil is in the detail. Try and make as many decisions as possible up front so you can keep the project on track. You don’t want to be making rush decisions on the fly, halfway through construction.
Hire an experienced, well-respected team to oversee your project timeline, costs, and workmanship from start to finish.
The better prepared you are, the smoother your project will run, which leads to a more enjoyable experience for you, your architect, your builder, and the tradespeople involved. If everyone is working happily and efficiently together, this will be reflected in the quality of your renovation.
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At MILEHAM, we design, specify, project manage and build to achieve the optimum Golden Triangle. Contact us today for your complimentary consultation to discuss your upcoming project.
