Can I project manage my own remodeling project?

For would-be home remodelers, managing your own projects can be a fantastic way of saving money and getting your hands dirty! Here we analyse the benefits and risks of doing so.

The short answer is yes, of course you can manage your own project. If you've organised anything in your life which requires the careful coordination of services (like a wedding) you've done a bit of project management! However on a construction project it's not as simple as that. There are a number of considerations you should make first, before deciding to project manage your own building project. First of all, you should know what the specific role of project management entails for any home remodeling job. Once explained it will become self-evident what the potential risks and benefits are.

Project management is the process of organising, managing and coordinating the delivery and installation of products and services across the passage of time. This means careful planning, organising and communicating with every single person involved. Schedules and charts of who is delivering what, how long that will take and when does it start all have to be taken into consideration for every step of the projects journey.

If a project is managed well, the sequencing of site deliveries and subcontractor work is seamless, with materials and items arriving at site in the right order so the subcontractors on-site can coordinate the installation of them in the specific sequence they should be constructed.

Clear instructions are critical to success

The hardest part of project management is by far managing people. Keeping a building site well oiled, motivated and collaborating efficiently is critical to a projects success. To do this, you have to be a great communicator, giving straight forward, clear instruction every step of the way. Keeping staff motivated can be tricky. I find a mission orientated approach to team motivation is good. Sell a vision - an end goal - without being a primadonna - and you'll get the most out of the team. Remember, most builders are there because they like making things. Sell the vision of what they're creating and you'll keep them interested.

The benefits of managing your own build are twofold. Firstly, creating a vision and then delivering it to inhabit is perhaps one of the most satisfying things a person can do. Understanding how everything comes together, then living in the space you created can be extremely rewarding. The added bonus of saving 20% of the construction cost is also a massive benefit. This does come at a another cost however. Clearly, the processes I've mentioned take up a huge amount of time, and can be extremely stressful. This job is not for the faint hearted. Things will go wrong, problems will occur on site. You will have great challenges. But nothing is insurmountable. If you have the time and the character, it's certainly a worthwhile undertaking and the rewards are great.