Stick to the plan to keep your renovation on track

I met someone who has just recently moved back into their house after a sizable renovation and extension project. They remarked that, from the time they decided to update their home, it had taken two years for the job to be completed.

This seems like a very long time, but a home renovation project can often be a lengthy process. Even getting to the point where the builder starts work can take a while.

The first stage is the initial design phase where all options for achieving your brief are explored. How quickly this process moves along depends on how decisive you are and how well your design professional interprets your brief.

To ensure the process moves along quickly, it’s important to be realistic about your budget. All of the items on your wishlist may not be achievable within your budget so compromises might need to be made. These kinds of changes will prolong the design phase.

If the proposed work to your home needs planning, you will need to make an application to the county council. This process takes at least three months. After two months you will receive your decision from the planners followed by the final grant one month later. However, the planners can extend this timescale by looking for additional information.

The process can be further extended if there is an appeal by someone who has made an objection during the planning process. When this happens, the application will go to An Bord Pleanála which will prolong the process even further. It’s advisable to keep your neighbours abreast of any works you are planning in order to avoid this kind of delay.

Once you have your planning permission you should start the tendering process. This involves preparing a set of drawings and documents listing everything you want to be included in your project which are sent out to multiple contractors to price. It’s important that you get a price from more than one builder to be sure that you are getting a fair quote for the work.

Pricing the job

Once you have identified your preferred contractor you should meet them to go through the price they have submitted before you start on site. This way you can make sure that you are absolutely clear what is included and what, if anything, has not yet been priced.

Should you embark on the job only to find that something you assumed was part of the price had not been included, that will be an additional cost and possible time delay while you try to resolve the issue.

Ask your contractor for a programme of works and suggest that they identify critical dates for any decisions that you will need to make. Sourcing kitchen cabinets, bathroom fittings, tiling and flooring does not typically form part of the builder’s work. These items will need to be chosen by you and ready for the builder to fit when he needs them. The earlier in the process all of these decisions are made the better to ensure that the job runs without delays.

As a rule of thumb, a typical timescale for a small project, such as a bathroom refurbishment, is approximately four-eight weeks. For a mid-sized project, such as a kitchen renovation, plan for between eight and 12 weeks. A larger project, such as a house refurbishment and extension, can be anything from eight to 18 months.

Denise O’Connor is an architect and design consultant