I've never been the boastful sort. But on the subject of the renovation of my formerly rickety-rackety old cottage I make an exception.
Much as I might well be physically wrecked, beholding the fruits of my labours each day fills me with a sensation of warm smugness. Furthermore, I now consider myself eminently qualified to dish out advice on the cost of building work to anyone who stands still for long enough. And that includes octogenarian Carmelite nuns.
I have come to the conclusion that there are only a handful of reasons why anyone should overspend on a home improvement project. Most obvious of these, of course, is the unforeseen structural problem. But more often than not it's down to letting imbeciles loose with chequebooks.
Moreover, many people have little or no interest in construction or DIY. Instead, they hand over vast amounts of money to total strangers having blithely accepted whopping estimates without question.
So, if you're considering your own 'grand design', but get the jitters about the potential cost, here are my Three Golden Rules (of which the third is the most important).
Rule Number 1: Be Nice...
Let's say you need a powerful SDS drill for one little job but don't actually own such a device. Your first option is to purchase the required tool, but that will set you back a fair few pennies thus making the hole you need to create one of the most expensive orifices known to humanity. Alternatively, you might know of someone locally who already possesses the aforementioned implement and ask them if you can borrow it for ten minutes.
The second option is, of course, the most economical. And the most time saving. But if you've been a miseryguts all your life then the chances of anyone lending you rat poison - let alone an expensive power tool - is extremely slim.
Cheerful and generous people get cheerfulness and generosity in return, and those of decent character will almost always receive advice, offers of help and even materials that others don't need but have lying around at home. It's a sort of construction karma: what goes around comes around.
Furthermore, if you're employing the services of a skilled tradesman and spend half of the time bellyaching and being inhospitable, do you really expect they'll pull out all the stops to help?
Rule Number 2. Have a go...
While a few people are so incompetent they shouldn't be entrusted to go to the lavatory by themselves, most are capable of well over half of the required work even if they don't realise it. Read expert guidebooks and building regulations, and never be afraid to ask for advice.
Naturally, leave the specialist jobs you really don't think you can successfully undertake to the experts (especially those requiring qualifications such as electrical rewiring). Much as I might like to have a bash at thatching, I know that half of it would end up in Berkshire after the first breath of wind. And I live in Cornwall.
DIY is much more than nailing up a shelf. It can be anything from foundations to ridge tiles and pretty much everything in between.
Rule Number 3. Have no cash to spend...
Set yourself a ridiculously tiny budget to work with - one so unfeasibly inadequate that anyone with even a passing interest in building collapses in hysterics. Then halve it.
Having very little money sharpens the mind when it comes to purchasing. In fact, I wouldn't allow anyone else to do the sourcing on my behalf unless I knew them personally and trusted them implicitly.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't a sideswipe at tradesmen. To me, a first-class bricklayer or joiner is the equal of a surgeon or barrister. And far superior if you're caught up in a pub riot. But half of them have no interest in budgeting because they merely want to get on with the job. And who can blame them?
Letting someone whack everything on their big builders' merchants account is akin to lending your Aston Martin DB9 to a plastered youth. Sure, some items will be cheaper than elsewhere, but nowhere near all of them - never overlook the smaller independent merchants who are often much more competitive than the big guns.
Other recommendations include undertaking painstaking online research, scouring the classifieds in the local paper, and keeping an ear out for anyone who might be getting rid of the stuff you need. In effect, do everything short of becoming a kleptomaniac.
Auctions can be good, too. But be wary of those of interest to the trade. I went to a couple during the course of my own project and left flabbergasted on both occasions. Never in my life have I witnessed such a boneheaded willingness to pay over the odds on everything from insulation to rusty nails. I'm absolutely certain I could have sold a bag of grass cuttings.
Finally, buy what you need in advance when the opportunity arises. For example, my local DIY superstore recently had a clearance of sockets and switches. However, if I bought them today I'd have to shell out 80% more. Do this type of pre-purchasing often enough on a big project and you'll save thousands.
Friends Link : Splash Cymbal
No comments:
Post a Comment