STRESS-FREE RENOVATIONS By Nick Brownlee, Managing Director Procuro Building and Renovation BUILDING & RENOVATION
RENOVATING YOUR HOUSE INTO YOUR DREAM HOME IS A PRIVILEGE WE ENJOY EVERY DAY. Procuro Building & Renovation is a company specialising in renovations and additions based in Christchurch. Nick Brownlee, Procuro s Managing Director, is a Licensed Building Practitioner with over 15 years experience. The Procuro team are proud members of the New Zealand Master Builders Association; the only association in New Zealand with a requirement for its members to be trade qualified. Choosing to work with Procuro not only means you re guaranteed first-class knowledge and expertise, but you also have the option of an independent guarantee through New Zealand Master Builders. Nick Brownlee, Author & Managing Director Procuro Building & Renovations 2
1. BEFORE YOU BEGIN The most basic of building work, such as removing a kitchen, bathroom or re-furbishing a living area, does not require building consent approval. However, more complicated types of work do require the homeowner to apply for building consent. If the plans for renovating or altering your home include building or plumbing work, then a call to the Council is the first step. Examples of work that DOES require building consent: Structural building work which includes additions, alterations, re-piling or demolition Plumbing and drainage (except the repair and maintenance of existing components) Retaining walls higher than 1.5 metres Fences or walls higher than 2 metres, and all swimming pool fences Decks, platforms or bridges more than 1 metre above ground level Sheds greater than 10 square metres in floor area Some earthworks also require a building consent (check with your Council) Procuro can help you identify whether the work you are looking to carry out is likely to require consent and roughly how much it will cost. We can also connect you with one of our preferred architects and together we can file your consents if required. 3
2. ONLY DO WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD When renovating your home there will be a return on every dollar you spend, but the return differs depending on what you are doing. Some renovations have a high return, like adding another room to your home or expanding and altering a living area. When you turn a three-bedroom home into a fourbedroom home, you are likely to vastly increase the value of your home. A premium kitchen or bathroom renovation, or an alteration that gives better indoor/outdoor flow will add considerable value to your home, but will incur a higher cost as well. This is where you must consider what you plan to do, its cost and what it might add to the value of your home. Particular renovations or alterations can have a negative impact on the value of your home. This depends on the amount you plan to spend and the property values of the area you live in. One example is a swimming pool they are expensive, they require constant maintenance and have a danger factor for any home where young children are present. What a lot of homeowners don t realise is that you can also overcapitalise on any renovation or alteration project. It may be worth talking through your plans with a registered valuer to ensure that you are investing in the right areas. 4
3. THE TASKS AHEAD After deciding you want to renovate (but before the build starts), there are several preliminary steps to follow to ensure your project goes well. Arranging finance Organising the design Organising a builder (who, in turn, will organise the sub-contractors) Getting Consents Managing construction Procuro can point you in the right direction if you need help with any of these tasks. 4. ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS There are many things to consider when choosing your designer or architect. First and foremost, do you like the work of the architect or the designer you are considering? If the answer is yes, then think about the following: Can the references given by the architect or designer be easily checked? Can you see examples of their previous work? What services are provided by each party within the contract? Make sure your architect is a good communicator that can share their ideas, and also clearly describe the stages involved in the renovation process. Do you want weekly updates via phone or email communication as a record of what is happening, and what changes are being made? Will there be regular meetings, and if so, do you want them weekly or fortnightly during the build? You need to feel comfortable with your architect so this is an important step to consider. Procuro can assist you in finding a competent draftsmen or architect who will draw plans that take into account both your ideas and your budget. We can also manage the build for you or work in conjunction with your architect. 5
5. CHOOSING A BUILDER Choosing the right builder is absolutely critical to the success of your project and in delivering your dream home. You should choose a professional builder that you can trust, that you feel comfortable being around and you find easy to communicate with so that you can share your ideas. After all, you are going to be dealing with this person a lot, making some hard decisions, perhaps making variations to the original plan and, of course, spending your hard earned money. During the renovation process, you will work very closely with your builder. This is even more important if you are living on-site during the renovation process. Word of mouth is always a good place to start. Have any of your friends or relatives used a builder they would recommend to you. Have you seen renovation work you like? Does your architect work with anyone in particular or recommend a builder they use regularly? These are good starting points when trying to find a builder for your renovation project. Before you sign a contract with the builder, you need to look at the work history of those on your short list. You should ask for references from previous customers and check these out. This is a quick and easy way to see if you like their level of workmanship, craftsmanship and their attention to detail. Any building work you are undertaking that affects the structural integrity of your home or its weather tightness is called Restricted Building Work. You will need a Licensed Builder to supervise or carry out this type of work and ultimately sign the work off at the end of the build. The Licensed Building Practitioners (LBP) scheme was introduced in November 2007 and from 1st March 2012, all building practitioners must be licensed in order to carry out or supervise work (on homes or any small/medium sized apartment buildings) that is critical to the integrity of the building. Nick Brownlee, Managing Director of Procuro Building & Renovation, is a Licensed Building Practitioner and the team at Procuro ticks all the boxes when it comes to choosing a builder. The Procuro team have experience in working with a wide range of residential and commercial building types; they have dealt with many of the issues which inevitably arise during a build and have the skills and knowledge to overcome them with minimal disruption and stress. 6
6. WRITTEN CONTRACTS The importance of a contract cannot be overstated. For your own protection, you must have a written contract between you and your builder. The builder, as main contractor, is responsible for organising all the subcontractors. If you are managing the project yourself (perhaps under a labour-only contract with the builder) you will have to arrange contracts with each of the sub-contractors, i.e. electrician, plasterer, painters and plumbers. A contract does not have to be written to be legally binding. However, if all the terms and conditions between you and the builder are clearly spelt out and recorded in writing, then it means there is far less room for any argument to arise about who is responsible if something goes wrong or if there is a dispute due to confusion over what should have been done. A contract can take many forms, some people rely on the written quote while others may accept a list of tasks that is given to them by their builder both are contracts. This is acceptable provided everything goes according to plan. But if something goes wrong, this very simple form of contract is unlikely to provide nearly enough detail about the rights and responsibilities of the builder and yourself. It is a legal requirement for your builder to provide you with a full written contract if your build is more than $30k. For smaller projects, you will be provided with a detailed list of works to be undertaken at your home. 7
6. COMMUNICATION Your vision, communicated clearly to your architect and builder will result in your dream home becoming a reality. Communication between you and the architect and between you and the builder is critical for the project's end result. You are all interrelated and you are all involved in making the project a success. That s why Step 5 (Choosing a Builder) is so important. A builder who makes you feel at ease and who will listen to your concerns is crucial. If you trust your builder it is easy to talk to them about any concerns you have and vice versa. If you have a clear vision of what you want your dream home to look like, then that is a great start. But if some aspects of the build are not clear to you then that s where your trusted builder will be able to answer any questions you have. Good communication between the team you have put together will result in your house morphing into the dream home you have always wanted. HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION POINTS TO NOTE: (a) Communicate when issues arise. It is better to raise issues with your builder straight away than to wait until the end of the project. Don t feel that you are nagging your builder if the job is taking longer than you expected or longer than the agreed time. Ask what is going on, if you have not already been told. The sooner issues are brought up the easier they are to rectify. (b) Listen: Real communication between two parties means listening. Being an effective communicator starts with listening and that is especially true when building your dream home. Having everything in writing can ensure that everyone is listening to one another and that everyone involved in the project is on the same page. 8
OUR GUARANTEE QUALITY ASSURANCE Our reputation is built on the quality of our workmanship and we are committed to maintaining the highest industry standards. That s why we are members of the New Zealand Master Builders Association, the only building association in the country that requires its members to be trade qualified. We employ qualified builders to ensure work place excellence and we also manage a robust apprentice training program. Our apprentices are trained to the same high standard as our senior builders and will go on to make a positive contribution to the industry. COMMUNICATION The success of any building project relies on clear, concise communication and it s our intention to keep you fully informed throughout your project. You will be assigned a dedicated project manager for the duration of your renovation who will meet with you regularly to discuss progress and answer any questions you might have. TIMELINESS AND BUDGET Delivering your renovated home back to you on time and within budget is our focus. We employ cutting-edge systems and technology to ensure your project is kept on track and you have clarity on each step of the way. We have strong relationships with our partners, suppliers and sub-contractors, who also share our dedication to timeliness and quality workmanship. RESPECT FOR OUR CLIENTS AND THEIR HOMES We treat our client s homes as if they were our own we will keep our building site tidy throughout the building process and organise a complimentary home clean on completion of your project. The majority of our business is built on referrals from our clients and we understand how important it is that you enjoy your renovation process. OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with our work Nick Brownlee, Managing Director of Procuro will personally guarantee to put it right. Nick Brownlee, Managing Director, Procuro Building & Renovation 9
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? If you would like further information or would like to talk to a New Zealand Master Builder we d be happy to help answer any questions you might have. If you are ready to make your dream home a reality, click here to book a free consultation with Procuro and together we ll get the ball rolling! On behalf of the team, thanks for reading our guide. We hope you ve found it useful! If you have any questions we d be happy to help. Nick Brownlee, Managing Director Procuro Building & Renovation BUILDING & RENOVATION 10