Newby looking for advice

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Newby14

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Hi all,
I'm new to the forum and am enjoying reading the conversations. I'm here for some advice on the property renovation job that I'm currently doing for my own home. The more I know the better i can understand what needs doing and how to go about it. My job involves fully gutting and re doing the property including extension into the vaults and sika plastering for the full property, new plumbing, new electric, underfloor heating, etc. I've currently got an architect who has specified the job for me and done the tender. But the prices are quite high and I was wondering if could do any of the work myself or any suggestions to manage cost. Thank you for your help.
 
Welcome along newby, why not ask a plasterer to have a look at it and explain that you want to be hands on to reduce costs. Where are you based ? Maybe someone on here might be willing. :RpS_thumbsup:
 
Thanks for the replies and welcome folks, I would be most grateful for an opinion in real, property is in London close to bayswater.

I was adviced that tendering the job was the best way to get comparable quotes. How else could I get a price for the job? Tender specifies quality of material and finish, stuff that I wouldn't be able to determine on my own.
 
Okay, lets throw in a note of caution; are you possibly going a little over the top with your plans - hence why the prices are high - and should you scale them back a bit. You've obviously don't have a lot of real experience of this sort of project, otherwise you'd have a better feel of how to do things - no insult intended. Sarah Beeny would tell you to go and get three quotes from the tender, but the builders want materials, wages, profit, and a safety margin for contingencies; but if you could manage the job yourself, then you'd just get in the tradesmen, and pay them either a day rate, or a job rate - this would save you the builders profit margin, but open you up to problems if you come across something you can't handle. You also need to know which trades need to start first, so you're not having to go over work that's already been completed - ie, electrics first, then the plasterers, but get the vaults tanked first, and then the electric by someone who won't cut through the tanking - not easy to manage if you haven' done any of it before, which is why it may be best to go back to the tendering process, but possibly negotiate to get the building work done by them, and then get the electricians, plasterers, chippies and plumbers in yourself afterwards. best of luck though.
 
Thanks doggit, you are right I don't have much prior experience, but im time rich and keen to learn if it will save on cost.
Thinking further on from your note, do you think my plan below would work?
- get the structural work done by a specialist
- get the damp proofing work done by a specialist
- get the windows and doors done by a specialist windows company (any recommendations on specialist timber sash windows, single glazed)
- all else get individuals who specialise in the trade or general builders as appropriate.

I'm quite happy to be hands on so would do bits of the work that aren't too skill intensive.

I would be grateful for any further advice/thoughts.
 
Damp proofing work? If its built properly with a damp course what possible specialist damp proofing could be done? Does it have a pre-existing damp problem, if it is a new extension it does not? That seems like an unnecessary step. A brickie/builder puts a DC in. New work should not have a damp problem.

Windows and doors could probably be done by a builder doing the extension, double glazing is easy stuff to install - far easier than you'd think. I've put my own windows in before.

Plastering just ask on here after that.
 
The damp proofing work is for under pavement vault extension. Currently it is not habitable so will definitely need digging up to increase head height and add a damp proof membrane to make it dry.
I have only got permission for single glazed windows but these need structurally alterations as current casement windows are a different size and shape.
 
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