Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas holiday and is settling into 2016.
While you are thinking about your plans for the year and your goals, don't forget to look ahead and think about your house or cottage projects. If you are planning on a renovation, addition, or a new build now is the time to start planning and getting everything ready to go for the spring, summer or fall.
It feels as if we are still at the start of the winter season seeing as most of us had a green Christmas, however the planning aspect of most building projects takes more time than most people realize. It is much better to give yourself extra time to make decisions and deal with any unexpected issues that may arise. Allow yourself time to get your plan together and find a competent builder or other professionals to help with your project. The good guys typically get booked up fast!
Keep in mind that you will likely need a building permit, and possibly other additional permits depending on your project. Obtaining these also takes time and planning. Your permit needs to be approved before you are legally allowed to start your project. It's best to get this done ahead of time. This saves you the frustration of waiting for your permit application to be passed.
Most projects have a lot of little details and a ton of decisions that need to be made. This process can be different for each type of project. What most people fail to realize is the extent of the decision making process. Give yourself extra time to research your options and different ideas to make sure you are making the best decision for you and your family. This goes for design decisions, interior and exterior finishes, budgeting decisions, and deciding who you would like working on your project.
Most residential projects start with an idea, then they need a plan and drawings.
Good drawings are so important.
They allow you to meet with your contractor (or other trades) and portray your ideas. Contractors need to know what it is you would like done. Most are not interested in doing the design work with you or are not qualified in this area and would rather you have the plan figured out already. Then they can get started on the part they are good at, implementing the plan and making the project a reality.
It helps you budget. It's pretty hard to price something when you don't know what you are pricing.
Drawings provide clarity and make sure everyone is on the same page as to what the project entails.
You need to provide them in order to get your building permit. Handing in a sketch to show your idea won't work or pass. The drawings need to be detailed and meet the Ontario Building Code. They need to have the required information on them including the proper specifications for your project.
The project will be built off of the drawings. It's important to have a reliable set of drawings so the builder and other trades know the plan they are supposed to follow. Sometimes surprises are nice, but most often in the construction world, they are not. Typically these surprises mean an additional challenge and an additional expense. It's important to have a solid plan in place to avoid unexpected surprises as much as possible.
They allow you to be a step or two ahead of the process. When planning and implementing a construction project you need to think ahead. You don't want to have builders or other sub trades on site waiting for material or decisions to be made. For a successful project and timeline you should always be a few steps ahead of what is going on onsite.
As you are thinking about this coming year, don't put off getting started on your home or cottage projects. Start now to allow yourself the time needed to make your project the best it can be. If you have a project in mind and want to take action and get to the next step give me a call or send an email. I can help with the ideas and the design. I can provide the drawings you need for a successful project.
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