Keeping Records – 5 things to do
My old contract management tutor at university always said that the three most important things when managing a construction contract are:
- Records;
- Records;
- and Records.
Over 40 years in the civil engineering industry I have often reflected on the wisdom of those words.
So what does this mean when you are building your new house.
Well here are a few things you should do in case problems arise in your build:
A. Buy a one page to the day diary and record everything that happens about your new house from the start of the process until all defects from your three-month inspection have been fixed. Sign and date every entry. (Include a summary of any conversations)
B. Keep all correspondence from the builder, council, power supply companies, suppliers brochures, etc, etc.
C. Confirm all discussions and verbal agreements by either an Email or a letter.
D. Write a letter about any concerns immediately you think there is a problem.
E. Take photographs of progress, and any items of concern, with a camera that record dates.
For most builds this will just be an interesting record of your build.
However if major problems occur these records will give you the best chance of a satisfactory outcome.
Did you use your records to get the result you wanted?
More posts about the build are in the Construction Section