Building a new house is always an exciting project. It takes creativity, management and organisational skills and impeccable problem-solving skills for an engineer to successfully complete a house building project, regardless of the house’s size or design.
Here are ten important tips that every engineer should keep in mind while building houses in 2020.
- Planning is crucial
Planning is the most important stage when you are building a house. Your client may have a lot of ideas about the kind of house they want but as an engineer, you must ensure that these plans and ideas can be effectively put into practice.
Sometimes, a client may come to you with a very clear plan of what they want or they may have a very vague idea that you will have to carefully plan out. Either way, your duty is to make sure that the planning stage is flawless.
- Understand what your client wants
Communication between you and your client determines how well the planning and the rest of the project go. You have to be on the same page throughout, which is why listening and communication skills are so important for engineers.
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While you are in charge of coming up with a plan that can actually work in real life, it is still important that you respect your client’s wishes. Take the time to sit down with them, listen to their design ideas and try to implement these as much as possible in your plan.
- Always budget more than expected
Budgeting is a crucial step in house building. Every experienced engineer knows that a project tends to cost more than the initial calculations. Regardless of what you think the building process will cost, chances are that it will cost more than that amount. There will be several items and expenses that you may have missed or did not plan for in your initial estimates, so remember to inform your client that the budget estimate is exactly that, an estimate, and it may not always be accurate.
- Work with the landscape
Today, many homeowners don’t play much attention to developing their landscapes. They often dedicate little to no time in development and maintenance but this is not always ideal. A house that is simply surrounded by bare walls or plain fences does not look very appealing and has low curb appeal. So, while planning, remember to leave enough space around the house so that your clients can work on their outdoor living spaces or gardens in the future.
- Safety should be a priority
A house should always feel safe and secure if it is going to feel like home. While planning, you should always keep in mind critical safety features such as fire exits, security systems, backdoors, exterior lighting and safe access points.
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Your clients may not always know the value of these features but as an engineer, you should always educate them on their importance and suggest safety features and designs that can help secure their home.
- Going green is the new trend
As reducing environmental damage is of utmost importance at this day and age, a greener approach to house building is very much in trend. If your clients want to reduce their carbon footprint, you can suggest building a green home for them. For example, using solar energy, water-saving technologies and other energy-saving products can be easily found in many modern homes today.
- The small details make a huge difference
When planning a house, it is so much easier to focus on the big picture rather than the small details. You may plan the layout, the materials to use and the design of each room. However, you have to remember that the small details can make a huge difference.
For example, if you are building a multi-story house, each floor will need a bathroom. If you are including a balcony, how can you easily and safely access the balcony from the house.
- Always use quality materials
As an engineer, you should never compromise on the quality of materials that you use. These are often an important part of the foundation of the house, and high-quality materials are more durable, stronger and more long-lasting, not to mention safer in all ways.
- Always create a fair agreement
Your agreement or contract with your client should be fair for both parties. Always give your client enough time to understand the agreement and readily answer any questions that they may have. Honesty and transparency are key in your dealings.
- Be prepared for delays
No matter how much you plan, home building projects always take longer than expected. These are huge projects and you are likely to have unforeseen circumstances or bumps along the way, which may delay the process.
As an engineer, it is important to protect your business and your reputation with the right insurance. Check out Public Liability Insurance New Zealand to get an online quote for Builder’s Insurance.