Delays are common with any home renovation right now. With so many moving parts and so much to consider, things can go wrong no matter how much effort you put into your home renovation planning. There will always be unforeseen things that are completely outside of your control. But there are other common delays that you can do something about. Here are five of the most notorious speed bumps and how to avoid them for your home renovation.
Move out
You need to move out if you want your build to move swiftly. Living in the house will make the process far more stressful and add to the timescale. It will also make it much harder to find a contractor willing to take on the project.
Have your finances in place
Don’t underestimate how long the bank can take to give you the money. It can take months to receive the first payment. You will need to draw down the cash in stages, so be prepared and stay on top of this. Without prompt payment, your contractor may have to suspend work temporarily.
Be decisive
Indecisiveness is one of the most common reasons projects go over budget and time. To avoid delays, make decisions on time and don’t change your mind.
Once the build starts, it’s a fast-moving process. You won’t be able to keep up unless you’re organised. Ideally, have all of your finishes and fittings chosen and ordered before the contractor starts on site. That way, as soon as the builder is ready to fit the items, they can be delivered.
Use a daily planner
Using a tool like our home renovation planner will help you to stay one step ahead at each stage of your project. Use the program template to plot out the timeline for the work and identify any dates where decisions need to be made. The easy-to-use weekly and daily systems are designed to help you break down big tasks into manageable chunks. There is plenty of space for notes and sections to keep supplier and product information, so you have everything to hand when needed.
Check the lead times.
Check out the lead time on the items you hope to use. Not everything will be in stock. Bear in mind that, over the summer, many suppliers take holidays, impacting the lead times for ordering.
The items you select may be on a 4-week lead time, but if the factory takes holidays, this lead time might be 6 or 8 weeks. If you are brave enough to work to a Christmas deadline, ask well in advance what the cut-off is for ordering to guarantee delivery before Christmas.
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