The idea of working with builders can often bring out your biggest worries. The fear of working with builders can paralyze a project before it has even gotten to its drafts. Everything seems possible on paper, but that nagging feeling of disappointment can be ever-present. Especially when we all have a friend who will tell us (in great detail) how bad a building contractor was or how they were ripped off.
Working with contractors is always a bittersweet situation; there will always be problems, especially when working on a project that spans months or even years. What you are hoping for is to limit the amount of problems through smart planning and insight. Projects often create interesting scenarios, from disused lift shafts on the fifth floor that would make Bond jealous to the sockets for your perfect wall unit not being able to be positioned in the correct order. Projects are always going to have obstacles. Your contractors can make these project ‘disasters’ seem extremely run-of-the-mill and easily solved, or like the worlds biggest disaster.
It’s all about perspective and experience. If you have a team that is extremely experienced, these problems will either have been worked out in the planning stage or adequately planned for in the run over. Meaning that the project is still not only feasible but comfortable – one thing that building works is most certainly not known for being!
So how do you get past your fear of building works? For many of our clients, knowing that we have approved contractors makes them feel comfortable and looked after. Being able to speak to other people who have been in your exact same position and have come out on the other side not just unscathed, but actually extremely happy with not only the finished design, but the whole process. Always ask for references; talking to someone openly and honestly about your project and how their project went is the greatest tool against fear.