Can a construction advisor help before I’m ready for construction?
If you hire an unbiased construction advisor before you’re ready for renovation at a property, you may be able to take advantage of several benefits.
Questions may be raised that a construction advisor can help you with. These can include:
- What is the problem to be solved and is there a root cause?
- Is there warranty or insurance coverage that might apply?
- Are there regulations to comply with?
- Should a short-term or long-term solution be pursued?
- Are there innovative solutions we should consider?
- Do we need input from an engineer or architect?
- Who are some reliable, qualified vendors that can do this work?
- How should progress payments be structured?
- Are the contractors performing the work to the specification?
Unless you have an in-house expert that is up to date with the area in question, you might need some help in figuring out the best path forward. Even if your property manager has some experience in the problem area, he/she should not be considered an expert beyond the actual job for which they were hired: property management.
The risk and cost can be significant. If the scope isn’t properly defined, sourced and managed, these could happen:
- Budget overruns
- Extended closures
- Ineffective repairs that result in additional work and/or wasted funds
The key problem is – who to trust? The recommendations of a vendor, an engineer or even a contractor from your property management company may not align with the needs of your community. Is the person advising you motivated to:
- Sell you a service and generate revenue
- Solve your problem in the most effective/efficient way
That’s why an unbiased construction advisor who will serve as your representative may be your best choice to help ensure the work gets done on time, on budget and to the correct specifications.