I could price the visible refurbishment tightly and rely on a large contingency, or spend more now investigating the hidden risks. I would prefer the second approach, but I am unsure which checks will genuinely improve the budget.
The working figure is £97,140 for a 2,100 sq ft small multifamily property in London. The planned work includes kitchens, bathrooms, floors, decoration, electrical checks and moderate energy improvements, without an extension. My bigger concerns are the true electrical scope, inaccessible plumbing, moisture damage, contractor exclusions and the order in which trades need to work.
How would you set a contingency before opening up the building? I also want contractors to identify long-lead materials and state clearly what is excluded, while the surveyor focuses on moisture sources and areas likely to conceal further work. Which investigations should happen first, and what approvals or timing dependencies should be settled before the budget is fixed?
The working figure is £97,140 for a 2,100 sq ft small multifamily property in London. The planned work includes kitchens, bathrooms, floors, decoration, electrical checks and moderate energy improvements, without an extension. My bigger concerns are the true electrical scope, inaccessible plumbing, moisture damage, contractor exclusions and the order in which trades need to work.
How would you set a contingency before opening up the building? I also want contractors to identify long-lead materials and state clearly what is excluded, while the surveyor focuses on moisture sources and areas likely to conceal further work. Which investigations should happen first, and what approvals or timing dependencies should be settled before the budget is fixed?