So, you’ve spent 90 days of lockdown examining the inside of your home. 3600 hours wishing it was bigger or had a smarter layout … 86,400 minutes getting excited about building your dream home. Well, believe it or not, now is as good a time as any to start the preparation…
The Four Ps of Building During Covid
Patience
Renovating your home is a big investment that shouldn’t be rushed. Take your time and get it right. Auckland Council has continued processing consents right through lockdown and as a result, the number of consents is estimated to be around four years’ worth of building work. This industry boom isn’t going to ease up any time soon. Everyone is stretched at the moment, so the home renovation process will take time. If you are considering renovation then your best bet is to jump in and begin right now.
Plan
We know how frustrating staring at those same four walls has been for you, but let’s flip it into a positive and call it “intensive research”. You’ve had the chance to analyse what’s not working in your home. Before you rush out to get the plans in your head drawn up by an architect or draftsman, your first call should be to a qualified Auckland builder. Pick a builder with years of experience who can talk through your renovation wishlist and tell you what is realistic. Maybe a wall you’d like removed is load-bearing … or you’re unsure of the smartest options to re-clad your home … or maybe you just need a rough cost estimate. From the initial consultation, you can navigate the early stages of building together to avoid wasting your time and money.
Takeaway Tip: Architects have the vision and the flair to create and detail all of your exciting ideas. However, due to the current environment, they’re not always up to speed with the ever-changing building costs, which are changing rapidly. Sometimes builders are given plans that have already gone through council and must break it to the homeowner that they can’t be achieved within their budget. To make the process seamless, it’s critical to engage a builder first.
Prepare
So, you’ve talked to your builder, figured out what is possible, and signed a contract. Now your job is to begin clearing the renovation site while your chosen building company starts the behind-the-scenes intricacies of ordering materials, organising tradies, and figuring out renovation timelines.
Here’s where we get brutally (refreshingly) honest with you: due to demand, building materials are taking much longer to get to Auckland. What used to take days is now taking months, so it’s important that you trust your builder and their building expertise. They will know this process back to front and will work hard to source the materials you want and when they become available, to store them securely until they’re required on site. When appropriate, they may even suggest alternate options. We’re not pulling any punches here; this is a logistical minefield – but it’s one that a competent licensed builder will be an expert at navigating. Make sure you’ve chosen a construction company (like us!) with an excellent project manager who will factor in the challenges of the current climate and keep the lines of communication wide open, so you know exactly what’s going on throughout the process.
Takeaway Tip: These are tricky times. There are hold-ups with supply chains and building materials, but an experienced building company will have learned how to successfully manage those issues and guide you through the process.
Prices
We can’t overstate this enough; prices are the best they’ll ever be. Renovation costs are rising. KN Construction has recently signed two major building contracts, so we know how competitive the market currently is. Luckily, through our years in the industry, we have great relationships with suppliers so we can continue taking on new projects. We’ve already seen some massive price increases this year so now is genuinely the time to begin your home renovation.
Takeaway Tip: Supply chains have ramped up to keep up with demand. Suppliers are producing up to seven times more products than they were prior to the housing boom. One weatherboard company now produces in a day what it had been producing in a week and still can’t keep up.
Ready to kick-start your dream home renovation? Complete an enquiry form here or call to find out more. Then relax in the knowledge that we’ve got this. In fact, you can trust KN Construction to take care of the fifth P: perseverance. Our focus is on keeping the behind-the-scenes stress away from you. KN Construction is a small team of central Auckland builders supported by a network of reliable and experienced subcontractors. Whether it’s a renovation, extension, re-clad or up-speck, with quality workmanship and clear communication, the KN Construction team truly wants the best for its clients.