How to get the best possible build quality
Make sure your project matches up to expectations with Mike Hardwick’s top tips
The curved cedar cladding on this project by Build It readers David and Jennifer Spillane required a lot of time, patience and careful attention to detail. “Our contractor had to manufacture a form and then steam individual strips of the timber into shape”, says David. “It was a slow but ultimately very successful process.”
COLIN POOLE
This could be the shortest article ever. If you want the highest possible build quality, the answer’s simple: pay for it. The old adage about getting what you pay for holds true to a degree. However, it’s not that cut-and-dried for most us; yes we want to create a nice home, but we’ve got finite budgets to work with. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to ensure you get the results you’re seeking without spending a fortune. Here’s what you need to know to make it happen.
The quality triangle
When I first meet self-builders, a typical conversation might start with them saying something like this: “We want a really nice house, built to a high standard, but we’re on a limited budget and need to be in by this time next year.” Not an unreasonable goal, you might think, but it’s harder to achieve than it sounds.
My response to this scenario will usually reference the classic project management triangle (inset). The three points represent speed, cost and quality. As a rule, you can only reach the peak in one of these areas – possibly two – but trying to achieve best results in all three is impossible.