Project Coordination
We have a wealth of experience concerning property development and construction and are ideally placed to oversee and coordinate projects on behalf of our clients. We are able to take a project from the initial design and tender stages, right through the build phase. Furthermore, we benefit from a wide range of contacts, including all manner of sub contractors, as well as maintaining excellent relationships with suppliers, who offer us large trade discounts on materials, fixtures and fittings.
- Initial concept and deign – producing initial design drawings or reviewing existing plans in order to identify where any potential design or layout changes may be required. Initial designs / plans are key for the purposes of attaining initial quotations – (we can produce CAD drawings of your proposed floor plans in order to serve as a blueprint upon which tradesmen can provide an initial quotation).
- Advise on appropriate layout – electrical / multimedia / key plumbing locations. Working through the plans and designs in order to ensure that electrical switches / sockets / extraction / isolators / spurs and spotlights are in appropriate locations.
- Arrange asbestos survey – As the owner of the property, you have a legal obligation to carry out an asbestos survey prior to any refurbishment or demolition work. An asbestos survey should be arranged and any asbestos removed prior to work commencing.
- Appoint and liaise with structural engineers & architects – important in establishing the impact that any design or layout requirements have on both the structural specification and building regulations. In turn, this has a knock on effect on both the budget and overall design, it is therefore essential to address these considerations early on in the project. We will review any drawings produced by architects or structural engineers with you prior to submission to the planning and/or building control departments.
- Appoint & liaise with party wall surveyor – if any excavations or structural works are required on or near to a shared wall between your own property and neighbouring properties then you will require a party wall agreement. This serves to protect all parties involved, set out the proposed works and form an agreement between you and your neighbours as to how and when works will be conducted and completed. We have contacts with experienced and long established party wall surveyors who can ensure that your interests are protected.
- Liaise with local planning department – should your project require planning permission, we can liaise with the local planning department and discuss the proposed project with any existing contacts we may have. We can arrange a meeting with a local planning officer and review the proposed plans with them prior to submission. Factors such as whether your property is within a conservation area, whether or not there is a precedence of similar works having be reviewed.
- Producing a detailed scope of works – producing an itemised breakdown of the works to be completed, manly for the purposes of attaining quotations and budgeting. Where possible, works are further broken down into per square meter, per linear meter, per electrical fitting. This serves to easily compare tender packages and easily calculate any additional works required.
- Sourcing tradespeople – we work with existing contacts as well as contractors specified by our clients. Although we have a wide range of contacts across all the trades throughout London, we are happy to work with any trusted tradespeople or contacts that are clients have or may wish to use. We generally advise that multiple independent trades are utilised, as this generally reduces costs and avoids being tied to a single contractor and having all your eggs in one basket.
- Overseeing tender process – Meeting tradespeople and contractors on site and introducing them to the property and works required. We then pass on the scope of works so as quotations can be returned. We review all quotations and discuss with you which contractors you wish to proceed with. Our involvement in the tender process elevates your position and our experience cuts through much of the uncertainty and confusion that often exists when meeting with tradespeople.
- Produce & review payment schedule – the schedule of payments is the primary control held during any building project. We help to ensure that milestones set for payments at no point outstrip the work that has been completed. We also negotiate the final payment that should be held back prior to snagging.
- Review contractor materials specification – although it is the job of a structural engineer / architect to clearly specify the nature and quality of structural materials required, we can review this and ensure that any materials supplied by contractors are fairly priced and comment upon their suitability for the work.
- Suggest possible contingencies / unforeseen works – it is important to try and identify extra works that may materialise throughout the course of the build, as it is always easier to negotiate the price for these works up front as opposed to trying to do so during the build phase.
- Sourcing materials – sourcing kitchens units, work tops, white goods / tiles / flooring / sanitary & bathroom fittings / radiators / electrical fittings / internal doors / bi-fold doors / furnishings / cabinetry / lighting / flooring & carpets etc. We benefit from a wide range of trade accounts and contacts that we can draw upon in order to squeeze the most out of your budget. We have relationships with a vast number of suppliers who offer us savings between 20% and 50%. We organise samples and accompany you on visits to showrooms to show you first hand the range of materials on offer.
- Quantity surveying – calculating the quantity of materials required. This is very important as you neither want to order to much or too little. Ordering too much / too many materials is clearly bad news in terms of wasting money both in purchasing and disposing of, and similarly coming up short on materials means that work stops, productivity slows and schedules are thrown out of kilter.
- Budget management – we regularly review the budget and update the expenses throughout the project. This allows us to identify where more or less money has been spent and manage the budget accordingly.
- Scheduling of materials – This will ensure that works can progress seamlessly and dovetail into one another without delay in order to avoid frustrating contractors and delaying completion dates.
- Liaising with planning department / building control – prompting contractors to invite and log key elements of the construction phase with building control. This is important in order to avoid running into any issues further down the line when it comes to signing off the work.
- Liaising with contractors / architects / structural engineers – scheduling the works to ensure that necessary works are completed in a logical order and ensuring that trades are booked in to be on site when required. This is vital to ensure that tradespeople are not working on top of each other and subsequently maintaining both good relations and productivity on site.
- Regular site visits – we visit the site on a regular basis to monitor the progress of works. We report back to you and liaise with contractors and subcontractors.
- Organise removal of waste from site – excessive waste on site can not only serve as a health and safety risk but also a killer to productivity and efficiency. Subsequently, regular management and removal of waste is essential in keeping workers safe and the project on track. We will arrange and organise regular clearance of rubbish from the site and ensure that a waste transfer notice is provided for each clearance.
- Snagging list on works – you should always keep a pre-agreed amount of money aside the end of the project to ensure contractors return to finish any outstanding snags. We can put together a list of snags and inspect so as to ensure that they have been rectified to a satisfactory standard.