That was a really interesting session, thank you both!
I’m also an architect, and I’m here on Kates Substack to learn from her interiors brain… which is multiple layers of beauty, practicality, fun and lastly “make a decision and get on with it” which is where I often get stuck in my own home! Seeing improvement and getting projects completed here… so big thanks to you Kate for that!
Catherine I hear you on the gulf between what a client has as a budget, v’s what is left for actual building… it is tricky to share the reality of what other things eat up chunks of the available budget. You explained it really clearly today.
Will definitely watch the chat back through again, was half distracted drawing at the same time!
This is a bit of a monster post. I am a retired in-house lawyer (so, not working for a law firm, but for a big company with lots of subsidiary companies and doing all their legal work). I did a fair amount of construction work (large scale, tens of millions and much higher budgets). THE key to success was the specifications-also called the “Schedule of Works”, which Cat mentioned. It is also the most important element in a domestic project too, because your contract hinges on it. If the spec is crap, the wording in the front end of the contract is jiggered, because it can only enforce what you state is the final spec.
I’m harping on this because that specification MUST form the appendix to your contract with the builder. You need to go through it with a fine-tooth comb, to cover everything in its final agreed form.
So all the things/types of things which you and Cat both talked about - eg planing down doors when the flooring is raised with tiling - has to be in those specifications.
It serves a few critical purposes. If you walk yourself mentally through the timeline of your project, you can think through what needs to happen in what order. Keep asking yourself “What else? What if something goes wrong?”
First, no way round this, you need to understand the Construction Regs, because if you don’t specify in the contract who has certain primary responsibilities for H&S issues and activities, the default for many of them will fall on the house owner. And you are probably clueless, which is no defence if the correct “safe systems of work” weren’t set up and/or implemented and someone gets injured.
You need preliminary safe H&S practices and risk assessments spelled out and captured in your contract. Place the explicit onus on your builder to ensure that workers are properly trained for what they are doing (eg working at height, or proper regulatory qualifications such as electrical work being carried out by/under the supervision of a properly accredited electrician - NICEIC is the most common, gas works by a Gas Safe registered person).
If you need surveys and reports, start there. Who is responsible for instructing and paying for them? What are you doing about Building Regs approvals and planning consent if you don’t fall within the “permitted development” rules: who does what and what are the implications of delays caused by the various factors that could go wrong.
Is there asbestos involved (or might be)? For instance, if you have artexed ceilings pre-1996, they will (probably) contain asbestos. So sanding them down will release asbestos into the atmosphere. You need specialist testing before you get started, specialists removing asbestos, using proper segregation of the space affected and proper air filtration to remove all of the asbestos fibres.
Write down, in timeline order, things like the skips - who orders and pays for them, how many are included in the price. The scaffolding. What comes after that? In a kitchen extension, when and how and who is dealing with the stripping out of old stuff and its disposal (tied to the skips). Once the kitchen contents are stripped out, what needs to be done next and in what order. If you have a kitchen designer, how must the builder interact with them and their requirements to achieve the layout and services you need.
Follow through in this logical, sequential way and the spec will come together well. Keep it as a formal draft to start with, because you might make changes. Great examples were Kate and Cat talking about changing an expensive lantern roof with more cost-effective Velux-type roof lights. Those sort of changes form part of the specs in final form.
Also, don’t forget to notify your buildings and contents insurer BEFORE you sign a contract or start works. Carrying out building work increases the risk of insurable damage about tenfold. You need to ensure that your insurer is told the scope, cost and likely duration of the project. You might have to pay an extra premium because of the increased risk profile caused by the project. You also might need additional insurance eg for liability to the workers for H&S liabilities.
And beware the standard form agreements your builder will produce with a flourish. Most common is the residential JCT contract. It initially reads as quite reasonable but keep asking yourself “what could go wrong and if it does, what do I need to place liability (to put it right, to pay for it etc.). Be brave enough to add bits and make sure that the final form of the agreed specifications is attached as an appendix.
This isn’t everything but some meaningful research before you start is essential if you’re not using an architect. Or you could have an awful shock - and possibly a hideously expensive one. A friend disregarded my warning about his insurer needing to be notified. When the gas guy caused a small but damaging fire due to sloppy welding/soldering of gas pipe work, the insurer (quite rightly) refused to pay out as the project was an uninsured risk. And then cancelled the entire contract of insurance because of my friend’s breach of the notification terms of his insurance policy. His building contract was inadequate and he had to pick up the costs of the fire damage, the delays and a much higher insurance premium.
Great comment on a topic I wish we could have spent more time exploring. The importance of the Schedule of Works is definitely something which isn’t discussed enough and you are so right in everything you say. Thank you for watching! C
Surely the washing machine downstairs is because we hang our clothes outside so no carrying wet washing down the stairs…..I am a Northern lass so maybe it’s not even a southern thing now ???
Great listen! X
Ah thanks Ali x
This was lovely; always exciting to share in Kate's views; she's so magical in her style and know-how; thank you, fun, fun.
I was thrilled to access your very interesting video Thank you
Thank you for watching.
That was a really interesting session, thank you both!
I’m also an architect, and I’m here on Kates Substack to learn from her interiors brain… which is multiple layers of beauty, practicality, fun and lastly “make a decision and get on with it” which is where I often get stuck in my own home! Seeing improvement and getting projects completed here… so big thanks to you Kate for that!
Catherine I hear you on the gulf between what a client has as a budget, v’s what is left for actual building… it is tricky to share the reality of what other things eat up chunks of the available budget. You explained it really clearly today.
Will definitely watch the chat back through again, was half distracted drawing at the same time!
Thanks again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and so nice to hear from a fellow architect. Cx
Thank you for such a lovely comment. And for coming to the lives. Next one Monday x
Thank you Kate and Catherine for a great session! Again, I learned a lot.
Not live but watched just now!!
Pleasure! So glad you enjoyed it!
Oh so pleased. I didn’t see you were there or I would have given you a shout out. I hope you are well!
This is a bit of a monster post. I am a retired in-house lawyer (so, not working for a law firm, but for a big company with lots of subsidiary companies and doing all their legal work). I did a fair amount of construction work (large scale, tens of millions and much higher budgets). THE key to success was the specifications-also called the “Schedule of Works”, which Cat mentioned. It is also the most important element in a domestic project too, because your contract hinges on it. If the spec is crap, the wording in the front end of the contract is jiggered, because it can only enforce what you state is the final spec.
I’m harping on this because that specification MUST form the appendix to your contract with the builder. You need to go through it with a fine-tooth comb, to cover everything in its final agreed form.
So all the things/types of things which you and Cat both talked about - eg planing down doors when the flooring is raised with tiling - has to be in those specifications.
It serves a few critical purposes. If you walk yourself mentally through the timeline of your project, you can think through what needs to happen in what order. Keep asking yourself “What else? What if something goes wrong?”
First, no way round this, you need to understand the Construction Regs, because if you don’t specify in the contract who has certain primary responsibilities for H&S issues and activities, the default for many of them will fall on the house owner. And you are probably clueless, which is no defence if the correct “safe systems of work” weren’t set up and/or implemented and someone gets injured.
You need preliminary safe H&S practices and risk assessments spelled out and captured in your contract. Place the explicit onus on your builder to ensure that workers are properly trained for what they are doing (eg working at height, or proper regulatory qualifications such as electrical work being carried out by/under the supervision of a properly accredited electrician - NICEIC is the most common, gas works by a Gas Safe registered person).
If you need surveys and reports, start there. Who is responsible for instructing and paying for them? What are you doing about Building Regs approvals and planning consent if you don’t fall within the “permitted development” rules: who does what and what are the implications of delays caused by the various factors that could go wrong.
Is there asbestos involved (or might be)? For instance, if you have artexed ceilings pre-1996, they will (probably) contain asbestos. So sanding them down will release asbestos into the atmosphere. You need specialist testing before you get started, specialists removing asbestos, using proper segregation of the space affected and proper air filtration to remove all of the asbestos fibres.
Write down, in timeline order, things like the skips - who orders and pays for them, how many are included in the price. The scaffolding. What comes after that? In a kitchen extension, when and how and who is dealing with the stripping out of old stuff and its disposal (tied to the skips). Once the kitchen contents are stripped out, what needs to be done next and in what order. If you have a kitchen designer, how must the builder interact with them and their requirements to achieve the layout and services you need.
Follow through in this logical, sequential way and the spec will come together well. Keep it as a formal draft to start with, because you might make changes. Great examples were Kate and Cat talking about changing an expensive lantern roof with more cost-effective Velux-type roof lights. Those sort of changes form part of the specs in final form.
Also, don’t forget to notify your buildings and contents insurer BEFORE you sign a contract or start works. Carrying out building work increases the risk of insurable damage about tenfold. You need to ensure that your insurer is told the scope, cost and likely duration of the project. You might have to pay an extra premium because of the increased risk profile caused by the project. You also might need additional insurance eg for liability to the workers for H&S liabilities.
And beware the standard form agreements your builder will produce with a flourish. Most common is the residential JCT contract. It initially reads as quite reasonable but keep asking yourself “what could go wrong and if it does, what do I need to place liability (to put it right, to pay for it etc.). Be brave enough to add bits and make sure that the final form of the agreed specifications is attached as an appendix.
This isn’t everything but some meaningful research before you start is essential if you’re not using an architect. Or you could have an awful shock - and possibly a hideously expensive one. A friend disregarded my warning about his insurer needing to be notified. When the gas guy caused a small but damaging fire due to sloppy welding/soldering of gas pipe work, the insurer (quite rightly) refused to pay out as the project was an uninsured risk. And then cancelled the entire contract of insurance because of my friend’s breach of the notification terms of his insurance policy. His building contract was inadequate and he had to pick up the costs of the fire damage, the delays and a much higher insurance premium.
Phew.
Great comment on a topic I wish we could have spent more time exploring. The importance of the Schedule of Works is definitely something which isn’t discussed enough and you are so right in everything you say. Thank you for watching! C
Surely the washing machine downstairs is because we hang our clothes outside so no carrying wet washing down the stairs…..I am a Northern lass so maybe it’s not even a southern thing now ???
That's exactly why. Sadly, I'm afraid it's not a London thing any more for most people that's for sure.