What Is A Renovation Project Manager?

What is renovation project management?

If you’ve been sold the virtues of hiring a project manager for your home renovation, you may be wondering what exactly it is that they do. A home renovation project doesn’t just have a multitude of factors associated with it; there’s also the multitude of people who can be involved. From home renovation planners to architects and designers, engineers and electricians to painters and plumbers. A project manager sits across all of them, ensuring everyone on the job knows when to turn up to keep your renovation running smoothly.

Kate had never tackled a major renovation of her home before so when she decided the time had come for a complete makeover of the kitchen, family bathroom, and ensuite, she sought the expert advice of two local Renovation Consultants. Their role was to bring Kate’s renovation plans to life and that they did, with these hardworking hubs of the home now sophisticated and stylish spaces to be enjoyed.

Benefits of renovation project management 

Experience outweighs enthusiasm when it comes to home renovation projects, which is often the difference between renovation project managers and homeowners with a desire to try their hand at DIY.

Managing a renovation project is a skill, as is keeping your project on track and on budget. These are just some of the benefits of having a project manager in charge of your home renovation. So where else do they provide value?

Benefit #1: Scheduling works

An effective renovation project manager has mastered the art of scheduling works. During a renovation there are some aspects of the project that need to come before others. For example, you want the plumbing to go down in the kitchen before you install cabinetry and lay floor tiles. Making sure all contractor schedules align is a balancing act but a good project manager knows how to manage the moving parts.

Benefit #2: When things go wrong

Renovations aren’t always plain sailing and while our Waikato Renovation Consultants can certainly help to minimise problems and delays, sometimes things are unavoidable. When unexpected plumbing issues arose during the makeover of this home’s bathroom and laundry, the homeowners didn’t have to worry about a thing. Their renovation project manager took care of it all and delivered a successfully completed project.

Benefit #3: Single source of truth

With so many people involved in a home renovation, it can be hard to know who’s coming and going. A renovation project manager knows though! At Refresh, our Renovation Consultants are your single point of contact throughout the project. This means while they’re dealing with everyone involved, you only have to liaise with one person and you’ll be kept up to date as your project progresses, even if you’re away on holiday (which was the case for these homeowners who embarked on a kitchen and bathroom renovation in Hamilton).

What are the qualities of a good renovation project manager?

Choosing the right person to manage your home renovation is an important task. You want someone who not only knows what they’re doing, and has experience doing it, but someone who you can build rapport with. 

Take time to find out what other projects they’ve been involved in, how long they’ve been working in the industry, and what skill set they bring to the role. Sit down over a cup of coffee, ask them about their design ideas and sources of inspiration, but also who they are as a person. Finding ways you can connect with your renovation project manager will help to build a partnership of trust - essential for any successful renovation project!

Here are 9 steps you can take to help choose the right home renovation builder for your project. 

A client-centric approach to renovation project management

At Refresh, our approach to project management is client-centric. If you’re deciding who should renovate your home, take the opportunity to meet our team during a free initial consultation. This one-hour meeting kicks off our renovation process and enables you to share your renovation plans and for our Renovation Consultants to get an understanding of what it is you want to achieve. Get in touch and book your consultation today.