This blog is about what an owners representative does on a project and what the advantages are for the client.
We frequently get inquiries regarding who we know that can do a condo (or house) renovation. Really the heart of the issue is trust and who can be trusted to do it right and not take advantage of the owner.
Certainly there is a short list of preferred suppliers. These are companies that we have worked with before and know their quality of construction. Notice I said ‘quality’ as opposed to availability, price or schedule. I have found that the the quality contractors have a way of performing that encompasses those other attributes, to the clients’ advantage.
- The first thing EKAN will do for the client is to meet with them and walk through the project. As much time as necessary is spent with the client preparing a detailed scope of work. This phase may take days or weeks to get to the final ‘to do’ list. In the end we have a spreadsheet listing all the activities and purchases, as well as who is responsible for every item, the client or the contractor.
- With the scope prepared , this document is passed on to the contractor to prepare the cost estimate. Clients need to be realistic and have to appreciate what their needs and wants list will really cost, long before meeting with a contractor. Usually an iterative process follows until we get to a budget that the client feels comfortable accepting. This is not an easy process and for many clients it is just painful but it does establish the scope of work and its associated cost.
- After the budget is established we call in the contractor to meet with the client. At this point the client and contractor discuss what needs to be done. Also discussed are hours of work, noise mitigation, permitting and condo association notices and approvals. After which, the contractor prepares their estimate for the work. The contractor’s estimate, along with the material list and schedule are reviewed in detail until they are acceptable to all parties.
- Formal acceptance of the estimate along with the terms and conditions are then signed.
Where the condo owner chooses to use EKAN as an Owner’s Representative then we take care of managing the contractor on behalf of the owner, with the same attention to budget and quality as would the owner.