Project Management

A Project Manager Will Save You Time, Money And Stress

The TV building shows are always popular. We watch people trying to manage a renovation or new-build themselves. You see the odd choices they make and think you would never do that. You could do a better project management job than they did.

Besides, a Project Manager (PM) is going to cost. Money will be tight so you might want to save money and do the management yourself.

What could possibly go wrong?

Lots can go wrong if the works are not project managed properly. Building a house or a major renovation, will have unexpected challenges and problems. We watch the shows because we want to see what big problems arise and what goes wrong. Your building project will probably be no different.

Consider these reasons why it pays to use an experienced Project Manager.

Better Budgeting And Financial Control

Again, on the TV shows, they always go way over budget. Can you afford that?

Finance for any renovation or building project is critical. A quantity surveyor can assess the cost of materials but they don’t know labour costs. A builder will provide a quote but people usually choose the lowest-priced offer. They don’t understand the different variance clauses which can have a big financial impact.

People often change the design, or materials after the project has started. This is very expensive. For example, different tapware can cost a thousand dollars more.

An experienced PM will do more than manage the budget. They will anticipate what could go wrong. One example is older homes which may have asbestos. Asbestos can easily cost $10,000 on your project. An experienced project manager will think about that and will budget for it at the start.

Experience And Knowledge

You will run into difficulties while your building project. The question is how do you cope with these difficulties when they arise?

A builder might have a cheap option knowing the money is tight, but is that the best long-term solution? How would you know?

A professional PM using their experience can give independent advice. This may be same as the builder or be a better option. An experienced PM can manage problems and create a good solution.

Knowing Which Tradesmen To Hire

If deciding on a design is difficult, wait until you try to hire all the different trades. It is said that 20 different trades are needed to finish a house; excavators, framers, roofer, plumber, electrician, kitchen, painter, flooring, etc.

You have to search for them, get quotes from three contractors for each trade, assess which is the best offer, then try to organise them to be able to work when you need them.

That is a huge task. A PM will know the right people and get good quotes for you.

This one task alone can save the price of the PM.

Accurate Timing Saves Money

Labour is the biggest cost in a building job so it is vital that workers are working when they are being paid. You don’t want workers standing idle because they are waiting for another trade to finish their task. Knowing when to organise the various trades to turn up for work is crucial to a project coming in on budget or there being a budget blow-out.

An experienced PM will know when the electricians need to be on site, and not be held up by the framers. Sub-contractors will charge you for their time so having an accurate work schedule, and keeping people on task, is an essential skill.

Conversely, time will be lost if workers don’t turn up. Every day the construction goes past the projected date, it costs more money.

On the other hand, working too quickly creates an opportunity for mistakes and sub-par work. Your PM will inspect the work and know if it is up to standard.

Managing the project time-frame needs skill and vision. This is what you get from a PM.

Summarising Why You Need a Project Manager

An experienced Project Manager will:-
• Keep you on budget.
• Know what to anticipate and be experienced to deal with those.
• Know who to hire and how to review all the quotes for best value.
• Produce and manage a work-schedule so workers are not idle or missing.

All-in-all, a good Project Manager will likely save you money, not be cost. They will certainly save time, and definitely, keep you from lots of stress.