Getting help
Building for the first time and don't know construction?
You don't need to learn construction. You need to control the order of decisions.
Short answer
First-time owners succeed by fixing the brief and budget before design, hiring in the right order, choosing a contract type deliberately, and refusing to start construction on incomplete documents.
The right order
| Stage | Decide | Don't yet |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brief | What success is, in writing, with a budget range | Talk to builders |
| 2. Feasibility | Whether the site and program can work | Buy the land |
| 3. Team | Architect and owner-side advisor | Sign a construction contract |
| 4. Design + budget | Reconcile them continuously | Assume the estimate holds |
| 5. Procurement | Contract type, bidders, buyout plan | Skip prequalification |
| 6. Construction | Change control and reporting cadence | Approve changes verbally |
The five most expensive first-timer mistakes
- Starting design before the budget is defined
- Buying the site before confirming what can be built on it
- Selecting a contractor on price against an undefined scope
- Approving changes without written pricing
- Under-funding contingency, then spending it in month two
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