Home Renovation Guide

GCT has been offering our clients complete building solutions for more than 18 years.

New Construction Projects | Renovations | Underpinning | Bathroom Renovations

Renovation Check-list: What is needed before you start a renovation:

Firstly, you should have an idea of what you are trying to achieve by doing the alteration, even if it is as basic as the need for more living space, a bigger kitchen or bathroom, a granny flat for your parents, an extra bedroom or upgrading/modernization of the entire home. Whatever the requirement the process remains the same.

Secondly, you have to establish what you are legally allowed to do in terms of your property size and zoning. In order to establish what can be built the following documentation is required: your approved building plans, zoning certificate and title deed – our contractor can source these documents for you.

You are now in a position to draw a set of concept drawings, within your properties allowances.

(There is no point in getting quotes for an additional garage if your coverage does not allow for it.)

A good renovation should flow with the existing home or building and not stand out like a sore thumb – when a renovation is completed properly you should not be able to easily see it. This takes experience and knowledge; the contractor needs to look at the existing finishes and establish how he is going to match them in terms of texture, finish and colour – functionality must be balanced with design.

With today’s technology almost anything is possible dependent on your budget. Rather do less or do it in stages and ensure that it is always done according to the SANS 10400 building requirements. Although the NHBRC does not cover renovations, using a NHBRC registered builder shows that he has some sort of accreditation.

Only once you have concept drawings which are within your restrictions, can you then start getting building quotes.

Dependent on the complexity of the renovation and the structural elements in the design an engineer may be required. For your quote to be accurate the engineer’s specifications are required. Without these specifications it is like baking a cake for a party when you don’t know who the birthday is for or how many people are coming. We therefore always require an engineer’s specification before generating a quote. You will however, need an engineer to sign your plans on application so it is always worthwhile to get your engineer in on the job at an early stage.

Should the quote be within your budget and the concept drawings finalized, a set of architectural drawings (plans) will then be needed to be drawn up and submitted to the relevant councils and municipalities. There may also be additional requirements, such as building line relaxation or second dwelling application.

Starting a renovation without a set of plans is not advisable. By having a set of plans detailing the items being changed, you will know what you are expecting and the contractor will know what is required.

Renovations are always more complicated than new builds, one is never sure what one will find once commencing the demolition. With renovations you are never starting at zero you are actually starting at -20 and you have to demolish/remove/protect items, to get to zero and then start with the renovation. You have to demolish before you start.

There will always be unexpected items during a renovation and this is when experience and knowledge count. A good contractor should tell you when he needs to consult his engineer or an architect. Any statement such as “don’t worry, we will make a plan” should always be cause for concern.

Renovations are more problematic than new builds as most of the time the site is occupied and the contractor has to deal with limited space and daily deadlines: the water and power will need to be back on at certain times and definitely on before they go home. Turnkey projects are the first prize when it comes to renovations.

There should always be one point of contact and one company ‘swinging the stick’, otherwise you will just end up with everyone blaming everyone else. Somebody has to take the responsibility and drive the renovation.

Find the right contractor who employs more than just himself: he should have several different staff members each specializing in their own different trades. The areas that tend to give problems are foundations, plumbing, electrics, roofing and waterproofing. These items, if done correctly, will need only basic maintenance – if done badly, you will be fixing them every year. It is also not always feasible to repair badly built items, most times it more cost effective to break down and rebuild.

Ask your contractor who does his plumbing and electrics and if they ever do maintenance. When your contractor is involved in maintenance, he normally builds with the understanding that he will need access to the drains and that he will need to be able to shut the water off.

Ask your contractor how he ensures that when he is out collecting material or quoting on another job his staff continue to do the job as required and that no shortcuts are taken.

Your contractor should have a management structure in place.

Supervision and management are key to the success of any renovation. The contractor should have a written procedure that details the process that needs to followed and at what point the site manager needs to check that the process was followed and signed off. The contractor’s work should be driven by his procedures and systems.

Ask your contractor what happens if something goes wrong. Any contractor that tells you that he never has any problems, is either not hands on in his business or has not been in the renovation business very long. There are always challenges on site, but it is how your contractor deals with them that shows what sort of contractor he is. Difficult jobs make a good contractor a better contractor.

Your contractor should have insurance. Over and above the standard insurance cover, there is a wide range of specialized contractor insurance:

• Defective Workmanship covers the contractor in the event of damage or bodily injury arising from any defect, error or omission in their work area. For example, when a plumbing contractor, installs a geyser and fails to connect the water, resulting in a leak, that causes damage to your carpets and ceilings. The damage resulting from your defective work will then be covered.
• Custody and Control Cover covers the contractor for any damage to property belonging to other people which was in his custody and control while performing his work. For example, when a contractor damages your kitchen cupboards whilst installing an oven.
• Defective Products Cover will cover the contractor for any liability arising out of goods supplied or sold in connection with his business. Contractors will often supply stock items as part of their everyday activities.

Last but not least is the safety of the site, that must never be over looked. The Occupational Health and Safety Act must be adhered to at all times, and when ignored or not adhered can result in criminal charges.

At the end of the day, find a contractor who is fair and reasonable and that you can work with.

Remember, at best in life you get what you pay for.

Good work is never cheap and cheap work is never good.