Blog
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A Beautiful Collaboration
There is a myth the relations between Architects and Quantity Surveyors are somewhat, ruffled. So let us set you straight. First things first; Architects have the skill and vision to design buildings, landscapes, dwellings considering sustainability, environment, location and of course their clients. Quantity Surveyors have the skill to quantify a build, to show the costs…
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TOP 5 QUESTIONS WHEN CONSIDERING A PRIVATE DOMESTIC BUILD PROJECT
In our many years working in the industry we have had multiple questions asked us when guiding people on their private domestic build projects. We have whittled it down to five to help you get started on your new venture. 1. How much should I expect a private domestic build to cost? How long is…
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What is a Quantity Surveyor?
And what do they do? According to RICS www.ricsfirms.com “A quantity surveyor is an expert in the art of costing a building at all its stages.” There are endless amounts of costs to manage when planning a construction build. There are plenty of risks to analyse and a great deal of logistics to plan for. …
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Tools of the Trade
Using Google Maps to measure out a potential property investment I use Google maps pretty much every day. It’s amazing that I can find a destination, it directs me, tells me traffic issues, reroutes if there’s a faster way. I can view the street of where I’m heading, I can see what type of terrain…
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Beware the Bandit Proprietor
Have you done your due diligence? It is so important when project managing your development to hire quality trades people and to do your due diligence as the responsible proprietor to find out that your chosen tradesperson/people are accredited and follow protocol. Websites such as www.niceic.com and www.gassaferegister.co.uk offer a search of accredited engineers and…
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Do You Feel You Can Challenge Your Designer?
When starting your property development and you turn to your expert team to advise on the best course of action are you confident enough to question their advice? You may not be an expert, but you may notice a feature that does not work for you, or you spot a detail that does not look…
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Top Five Questions To Ask Yourself When Considering a Property Development
Whether you’re a novice or a dab hand at property development, these five questions should help you plan for a better overall experience and prepare for the unexpected. 1. Who is the intended sales market and is there a demand for it? You have found yourself a brownfield site, have passed all the checks and…
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The Perils of Working on Old Buildings with Timber Floors
How to avoid a “Tom Hanks” moment! You may have watched the classic eighties film “The Money Pit” with Tom Hanks and totally forgot at how much it tickles you when Tom Hanks’ character slowly disappears through the rotten timber floor! Remember? Now how many of you can relate? When beginning a property development on…
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Why is there a lack of skills?
How can we fix the skills gap? Recently we have decided to recruit for a couple of new roles for our growing business. However, it has come to light that there is a skills shortage within the UK construction industry. According to The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) there will be 750,000 construction workers…
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What do you need to plan to start your own build?
Is your project just about to blast off? Space Hub Sutherland, a £17.3m satellite launch project, is underway with its survey team studying soil and bedrock at the 4.2 hectare site to plan for foundation designs, access roads and buildings, spaceport control centre and a launch pad. An extensive project and of its first in…
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Are you confident in your build quote?
With the decrease in Coronavirus cases and retail and hospitality starting to reopen life looks like it is starting to go back to ‘normality’. However, for the smaller construction firm this has seen a somewhat adverse effect. With an increase in customer enquiries for home renovation builds, the fastest rate seen in 10 years*, this…
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Kids Out – The Fun and Happiness Charity
Through their life-changing work, KidsOut gives disadvantaged children positive experiences to support them becoming future members of our society and workforce. KidsOut works to remind these children and thousands of others living with disadvantages what it is like to be children and just have fun. Throughout the year KidsOut host various fundraising events and this…