The value of a project manager

Embarking on a construction or renovation project can be an exciting yet daunting experience. The process runs from envisioning your dream space. It includes dealing with various professionals and contractors. It can quickly become overwhelming. That is what a project manager is for. At NU Projects the project manager holds the brief, trades, programme and budget. All of it sits in one place. Here is what that actually does.

1. Holding the brief. The project manager sits between what you asked for and what is built. They take the time to understand the priorities and the expectations. Then they test every decision on site against them. That is how the finished house ends up resembling the one that was described.
2. Access to the right people. Our in-house teams cover architects, interior designers, engineers and party wall surveyors. They work alongside specialist subcontractors. Having them in-house is what keeps the coordination quick and the answers consistent. Moreover, we also have a vast network of freelance professionals at our disposal. This gives us a pool of talent. It is handpicked for your project’s specific requirements.
3. Assembling the team early. Involve the project manager before the design is fixed. They can then put the management team and the trades together around it. That is what stops the same question being answered three different ways later.
4. Budget and programme: the project manager runs both. They track the spend against the cost plan each month. They track the work against the programme each week. That is how a delay is found while it is still a week. It is not found when it is a month.
5. Fee structures. Options are a fixed rate, a fixed fee or a percentage of project cost. Which one suits depends on how defined the scope is. We will say which we think fits yours.

A project manager is not an overhead on a renovation. They are the person who stops the three most expensive things happening. Two are a decision made twice and a trade waiting on another. The third is a change built before it was priced.

Tell us about your project. Or read where project management sits in our 12-stage process.