Choosing the right Consultants

Whenever it comes to developing for profit, spending less and getting more is the priority. The less you spend, the more you make. Simple

So it’s simple maths when it comes to some decisions such as, which brick should I choose or which tiles should I choose etc. If you have a choice between 2 items and one is cheaper then the other, and the end sales price of the development is the same no matter which one you pick then obviously you choose the cheaper item and put the savings directly in your pocket. But what about consultants?

Many consultants can be involved in the development of property; land surveyors, structural engineers, civil engineers, electrical engineer, hydraulic engineers, mechanical engineers landscape designers, etc. the list goes on.

Now you might think “I will just get a few quotes from a few different structural engineers and whoever is the cheapest I’ll go with them and pocket the savings”. But when it comes to consultants, it’s a different storey, and there are always the unknowns.

Sure, you might pay one person less to do a structural engineering design for you, and all good, they do the design, and you are all done. But the problem with consultants is that that’s not where it ends.

In the case of a structural engineer, they design what they are comfortable with signing off on, and therein lies the problem. Many structural engineers will “over engineer” to make sure they are covered, which is all well and good, but they are not the ones paying for all the extra concrete piles or extra steel required because of it. You are! And these extra bits of “ over-engineering” can easily cost you thousands. And there goes the saving you made + you’re now paying more then you should.

But how can you avoid this, or at least help mitigate the issue? The best way is to know who you are working with and the type of service they provide. Will they work with you to provide the best result, or do they do what they want and you get no say? Having good relationships with consultants can we worth its weight in gold, quite literally.

But if you have no experience in the industry at all and are flying blind, then what do you do? Well, let people with experience help you find who is best for you. A team like PSCA who have been in the industry for years and have multiple connections with a variety of consultants can find the right people to help get you the best result in the end.