Agree what must be decided and delivered at each stage before committing to the next; the RIBA Plan of Work provides a useful framework, rather than a fixed timetable for every home. [1]
Start with the problem, not a finished design
Write down what does not work in your home, which changes are essential and the total amount you can commit. Include a decision about whether to remain in occupation. Feasibility then tests your brief against the property, budget and constraints before detailed design develops. [2]
For your own brief, separate “must have”, “useful” and “only if affordable”. This gives you a practical basis for choosing between options instead of adding every attractive idea to the same scheme.
Develop and test the design
The design team needs reliable information about the existing building and site. Decide which surveys are necessary and agree the drawings or other information they will deliver. RICS distinguishes measured building, topographical and underground utility surveys: they are not interchangeable investigations. [3]
At this stage, ask for a written explanation of the proposed approval route. Pre-application discussions can identify policy issues and the information a council needs, but they do not replace a formal planning decision. [4]
Separate permission from construction information
Planning permission and building regulations approval are different processes. Planning approval is not confirmation that the structural design or construction details comply with building regulations. [5]
Treat technical preparation as its own decision point. Ask who will coordinate the architectural details, engineering information and any specialist design. Under the building regulations dutyholder arrangements, designers and contractors must cooperate, and the client must provide relevant information and allow sufficient resources. [6]
Before authorising construction, request a project-specific list of outstanding conditions, permissions, notices and design decisions, with a named person responsible for each.
Build, inspect and record
Agree how progress, decisions and changes will be recorded. The contractor's work and the designer's work have distinct responsibilities; appointing a building control body does not transfer responsibility for compliance away from the project team. [6]
The construction and handover stages should address inspections, commissioning, outstanding defects and the information needed to use and maintain the completed work. A handover is more than receiving the keys. [2]
Use stage gates to stay in control
For a straightforward way to manage your decisions, ask at each stage:
- What have we agreed, and which drawing revision records it?
- What remains uncertain, and how will it be checked?
- What spending am I authorising now?
- What must happen before the next stage can begin?
Keep the answers in the project file and use this checklist alongside the approvals and professional advice your project requires.