How to avoid common project management mistakes
Every building scheme has its ups and its downs, regardless of whether you hire a professional or take on the role yourself. Mike Hardwick reveals some of the most common project management pitfalls selfbuilders encounter and how to beat them
Mike Hardwick
Ruth Butler (of Ruth Butler Architects) and Julian Sutherland (from Cundall) are the owners of this self-build Passivhaus, which was certified in September 2015. The couple had a good working relationship with their builder Nicholas Coppin contractors, whose team attended Passivhaus Trust masterclasses to ensure they had a thorough understanding of the challenging build. The project cost £4,000 per m2
PETER LANGDOWN PHOTOGRAPHY
I often meet self-builders and renovators who expect to be given a ready-made template showing how to project manage their scheme. They look disappointed when I tell them it doesn’t exist. If only it were that simple! If it were, I’d have put one together and be living quite comfortably off of the proceeds because everyone would want one.
The truth is every project is different. Some will progress like clockwork, others might be fraught with problem after problem. The difference between the two is how the work is managed and whether simple steps to avoid serious issues developing have been taken. This month, I’m looking at common project management mistakes, so you can at least be aware of the issues and find out how to prevent them.