The benefits of a great PM... Part 1
….no, this isn’t about David Cameron or any Prime Minister. This is about the kind of PM who can have much more impact on our day to day lives- the benefits of a great Project Manager.
When house prices are high and/or rising, and the financial cost of moving from one high value property to another becoming borderline prohibitive, renovation projects become increasingly common. This isn't down to the guilty pleasures of 'keeping up with the Joneses', but more about rational financial decision-making. For property above £1m, financial costs of moving are such that if you own a house in a great location it makes less sense to move and much more to expand and improve.
Everyone has a budget they have to work to, but often investing in proper up front planning and advice from an experienced project management team can avoid some of the cash pitfalls common to home renovation projects. The value of this can outweigh the cash cost of hiring the team significantly, and also often allows you to find better deals to at least offset some of the cost and in many cases cover the whole of the cost of investing in a project manager.
This sort of project management is about more than one person- it’s about teamwork. With a good project manager at the helm, architects, engineers, surveyors, experts and contractors can become a much more effective functioning unit, providing a seamless client experience delivering everything you want from your project and often more.
Professional, analytical, detail oriented, the skills of a good project manager can add so much to your project, but if you want even more, above all this there is one quality which isn’t a skill at all- it’s a personality trait. Enthusiasm. A great project manager doesn’t just manage, he or she enthuses- they want what you want almost as much as you. They care about the lighting, the tap detail, the socket positions, the design- everything- and they work as hard as you would to achieve what you want, if you had the time.
So if you are planning work to your property, don’t choose someone who will just manage it- choose someone who enthuses about it. Come and be part of the evolution.
Chris Ogle
Managing Director
Stuart James Associates Limited