Renovations of any type can be somewhat trying but renovating a commercial property can be especially so. A lack of organization can lead to rapidly-multiplying issues and, unfortunately costs go hand-in-hand. For this reason, it is vital for you to keep on top of the entire operation to ensure that everything goes smoothly, stays within budget, and keeps safety in mind.
Here are some tips that will help you to streamline your commercial renovation and save time and money.
Know the Reasons for the Renovation and Your Priorities
There are many reasons for remodelling. Perhaps you simply wish to improve the looks of your property, or maybe you are hoping to gain more space for your daily operations. Maybe you need to upgrade your infrastructure. It’s quite likely that you have multiple reasons for your renovation, but whatever the case may be, determine what you consider to be the most important outcome, so that you can prioritize accordingly.
Know What You Want vs What You Need
You may know exactly what you want, but is it really what you need?
It can be easy to become excited over renovations, but before committing to something that might put you over budget, consider whether there is an acceptable alternative. You may find that your second choice is not only cheaper, but more practical as well. Save money where you can, leaving you more for those things that you deem essential.
Know Precisely What the Job Entails
As with all things, the best way to proceed is to have a clear plan and a solid understanding of what is desired and expected. Just as travelling requires you to know your destination and how to reach it, renovations need a map of their own to allow you to get from point A to point B with the fewest problems possible.
Knowing what sort of work you will be undertaking allows you to plan for your resource allocation, and prepare for any unexpected delays or issues along the way. Without a plan, you will simply be reacting to things as they occur and spending more time and money than necessary.
Make Use of What You Already Have
When undertaking a large renovation, you will be faced with the expense of moving the existing infrastructure, but you may not need to change any of the plumbing, ductwork, or electrical systems. Before you begin, determine in which ways you will be able to stretch your budget using strategies that avoid moving and rerouting existing infrastructure.
Create Budget Contingencies
While you will certainly do your best to make accurate estimates for the work to be done, you will only know the total cost once the work is complete. In order to cover any issues that come up, you should allocate a 10% contingency budget to both the design and construction aspects of your project. It would also be wise to create a contingency budget for any overtime work that needs to be done.
Know When You Need Help
As mentioned above, commercial renovations can be challenging, and that means sometimes there will be unexpected issues to contend with. These issues can cause delays, or potentially even bring things to a halt temporarily until dealt with. There may be occasions where outside help is required in order to move forward with the project.
Being able to recognize the need for assistance will allow you to respond quickly and appropriately to put everything back on track. Be sure to check references and find the right help for the right job, or you may be creating yet another problem to deal with down the road.
Stay Informed About Your Site
Many of these tips refer to being informed in one way or another, and that will include keeping tabs on all the comings and goings on your site. You should be kept aware of virtually everything that transpires on-site, and anything that could impact the work being done.
Some of the factors that could cause a delay include: obtaining the correct construction permits, timing and availability of shipments, harsh weather conditions, ill or injured employees, and a host of other unforeseeable situations and events. Although some of these may be unavoidable, remaining in constant contact with your team will help to mitigate their effects.
You should also perform a site evaluation prior to the start of your renovations. When you are making changes to an existing space, it can be difficult to notice all the conditions that may influence your project. If you don’t have access to the architectural documents, have a site survey conducted. This will provide you with an accurate estimate of conditions that need to be considered and allow you to create more accurate estimates during your project planning.
Create a Reasonable Schedule
Renovating your commercial space will be disruptive to your organization’s ability to operate. By working out a proper schedule and approaching the project in phases, you should be able to minimize interruptions, though it is also a good idea to have contingency plans in place to deal with any problems that arise.
Do it Right From the Start
Having to redo work should be avoided at all costs. Not only is it a waste of time, fixing defects and reworking come at your own expense. Clearly, that is highly undesirable.
Your best approach for staying in budget involves doing the work correctly the first time. A slight delay to ensure that something is correct will cost you less in the long run than producing work quickly and then needing to redo it.
You should have a process to double check all work for quality standards throughout the duration of your project.
All-in-all, even though your commercial renovation may be a bit tricky, with proper planning and execution, you should be able to avoid many of the problems that might otherwise come up.