With any building project – including property renovation and repurposing your home – as a client, you will want a clear understanding of the overall costs involved. Architects in Wilmslow fully understand all aspects of the building process from planning to completion, and for us to abely communicate how much your project will cost, we have to take a lot of considerations into the overall plan.
Cost is driven by three main factors – Time, Cost and Quality. However, other essential matters need to be taken into account. At Cheadle Architects, we pose some upfront questions that fuel all the answers.
Your Spending Comfort
The amount you want to spend on a project differs from an amount you can possibly afford. At the end of the day, nobody wants to put themselves into the red on a building project, but everybody also assesses value differently. The amount is classed as the Project Budget.
You must consider how much the project will add value to your house, and you also need to consider how much value it will add to you. As example, take a step back and carefully consider how you will use the property – and how long you intend to occupy that property following the work you are planning.
What Should Include in Cost
Your project budget gets broken down into many small elements than simply the costs of the building works themselves. You need to consider if the building work cost includes elements such as the kitchen, the carpets and the curtains – among other things.
You may have cost elements in the demolition or installation of new services, and cost towards any changes required to the existing property if you plan on a house extension. You will have costs in local authority application charges for planning and building regulations, architect fees, and costs for land surveyors, ecologists and structural engineers.
Rounding out costs would be those for any reports such as mining searches, bat reports or drainage surveys – and then also consider that prices in construction will typically be quoted excluding VAT.
Limitations and Levels of Detail
Your project may also have constraints and limitations during the early planning or the later construction stage. That can be within the time of year you want the work done and the penalty charge value if you fail to complete it within the designated time.
The level of detail is especially important when you look at wall and floor finishes, light fixtures and other fittings. These items can take up a sizable amount of the overall building costs. The initial items that you wish installed can be factored in, but as the project moves on, you will be presented with alternative features, such as self-flushing toilets, dimmable mood lighting or underfloor heating – these will result in costs going up if you suddenly decide they are more appealing.
These are some of the things that our friendly Manchester architect will discuss with you to establish your project budget for your building project. Every project is different and comes with its cost challenges, and working with our professional team at Cheadle Architects reduces the risks of unwanted cost surprises along the way.
