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  • Guide to hiring a land surveyor

    If you are planning on engaging an architect for a new build or new development, it would be advisable to get a topographical survey done.

    Most people only need to think about hiring a land surveyor a few times in their lives, so for many people they can be rather an unknown quantity as they have little experience about the criteria needed in deciding who to hire.

    Treat hiring a land surveyor with the same care and attention as any other expensive professional service. Contact possible surveyors to talk about your requirements and choose one who you think best meets your needs.

    Ideally, your surveyor will communicate efficiently and promptly, have a professional demeanour and years of expertise in your required field.

    Surveyors have varying areas of expertise; such as topography, construction layout, mapping, boundaries, and geodetic.

    There are also engineering surveyors.

    Think about the kind of survey that you need.

    A good surveyor will be prepared to explain to you how they intend to conduct the survey.

    Preparing a scope sheet of your requirements is an excellent idea.

    This should include what needs to be picked, your timescale requirements (usually survey drawings are returned within 7-10days) and what you want at the end.

    Quotes

    The cheapest quote is not always the best. It may seem that one land survey is similar to another, as long as it’s conducted by a licensed surveyor, but this is not always true.

     

    Licensing and Insurance

    Licensing and insurance are crucial when hiring a land surveyor. Make sure the surveyor is properly licensed and meets all requirements, including further training. If not, the survey will not be valid. Professional liability insurance is also necessary, as it can cover costs in case of a mistake in the survey.

     

     

    Areas of Expertise

    While any surveyor can handle simple boundary surveys, it’s worth finding a surveyor with relevant expertise for more complex surveys. Communicate with your potential surveyor about your land and requirements. They might want to see the land before committing further. Check if your surveyor is up-to-date with the latest surveying technology, such as CAD and GPS.

     

     

    Contracts and Payment

    Request a written contract before work begins. This is standard practice in land surveying and should make fees transparent. Some fees are charged by the hour, while others are based on the whole project. Clarify when payments should be made, such as half before the survey starts and the remainder when finished. Ensure you understand the scope of work, the amount to be charged, and when fees need to be paid before signing the contract.

     

    Finally, once the land survey has been completed, the surveyor should be happy to accompany you on a tour of your land to show you the permanent boundary markers that were used, and anything else that needs to be noted.

    Hopefully, you will have selected a professional and highly-skilled surveyor who will be prepared to answer any final questions that you might have.

  • Quick Guide to financing your property development investment career

    Utilise The Common Sense Approach…

    Utilise The Common Sense Approach…Utilise The Common Sense Approach…

    For any property developer, this is no greater joy than watching a property development project come to life; building the homes from scratch, advertising and then selling the units at a profit is the ultimate ‘water into wine’ scenario.

    However, it is often the case that these development projects are either poorly funded, or the cost of the project steadily increases to a point where the initial investment has all been spent, leaving the developer with half built properties that are unsellable and cannot be progressed any further.

    A lot of new property developers forget about financing the project and calculating their ROI, and this is a fatal error.

    This guide is just for finance, and is not intended to help strategise the project itself.

    With some forward planning, the risks cannot be eliminated, but they can certainly be minimised.

    For any property developer, this is no greater joy than watching a property development project come to life; building the homes from scratch, advertising and then selling the units at a profit is the ultimate ‘water into wine’ scenario.

    However, it is often the case that these development projects are either poorly funded, or the cost of the project steadily increases to a point where the initial investment has all been spent, leaving the developer with half built properties that are unsellable and cannot be progressed any further.

    A lot of new property developers forget about financing the project and calculating their ROI, and this is a fatal error.

    This guide is just for finance, and is not intended to help strategise the project itself.

    With some forward planning, the risks cannot be eliminated, but they can certainly be minimised.

    Taking a Personal Loan

    Taking a Personal LoanTaking a Personal Loan

    This may sound like an easy option but it can be costly in the long term.

    Unlike a business loan, where liability is limited to the organisation, a personal loan taken out to service the business’ needs can backfire if the project folds.

    The individual has technically taken the loan out in their own name, and will be pursued regardless of the outcome of any business project.

    Furthermore, it is unlikely that any personal loan will provide the amount of capital required to see the project through.

    This may sound like an easy option but it can be costly in the long term.

    Unlike a business loan, where liability is limited to the organisation, a personal loan taken out to service the business’ needs can backfire if the project folds.

    The individual has technically taken the loan out in their own name, and will be pursued regardless of the outcome of any business project.

    Furthermore, it is unlikely that any personal loan will provide the amount of capital required to see the project through.

    Going Into a Partnership

    This is a more realistic way of raising some extra capital, especially if the partner is the ‘breadwinner’ in the team.

    However, it must be remembered that, like any financial agreement, the profits will ultimately be lessened, and creating and directional input will nearly always be limited when a second party is brought on board.

    Remortgaging

    If planning on raising a large amount of capital and are considering remortgaging, using a mortgage broker to see the best deals is a must.

    This is a source of finance that has come from the investor putting their own property on the line, so the best repayment terms, lowest interest and not forgetting the highest cash offer are of the utmost importance.

    Again, however, this is a personally driven finance option; if the corporate side folds, the debt is still payable.

    Branching Out In An Existing Company

    Branching out in an existing company can be a safer method than personal refinancing, limiting liability for the individual and utilizing funds that would normally be sat dormant.

    Selling Properties Before Completion

    Rather than sink money into a project and then try to sell the houses, a newer cash flow method involves selling properties at a slightly reduced rate to raise funds and impress potential investors with ‘early sales’.

    It is not possible to completely foresee the future, but by utilizing some savvy techniques, the road can be made significantly smoother with less financial outlay by the developer.

    Housing Investment: Navigating the Road to Success

    By utilizing savvy techniques, developers can make the road to project success significantly smoother with less financial outlay.

  • How construction companies can use CRM to increase profit!

    How construction companies can use CRM to increase profit!

    How construction companies can use CRM to increase profit!How construction companies can use CRM to increase profit!

    A company’s greatest asset is its reputation, and a reputation can only be built up by years of good service and hundreds of satisfied customers.

    A company’s greatest asset is its reputation, and a reputation can only be built up by years of good service and hundreds of satisfied customers.

    Traditionally, all professionals in the construction and building sector have been too busy working to concentrate on keeping in contact with their clients and customers.

    Architects and property developers build a great relationship with their clients and then just wave them goodbye. And many a surveying company, or group of contractors, have little more than a basic spreadsheet of contact details, and a drawer full of business cards.

    To keep customers loyal, manage data in a way that is tailored to their needs and likes, thereby vastly improving their customer experience.

    And this is done with a Customer Relationship Management system, a process of collecting all the customer data in one software package that links every aspect of your contact with them. It centralises all information, safely, and efficiently stores it.

    Staff productivity is greatly enhanced by automatic alerts built into the system to follow up instructions, and it helps target profitable areas, the software can double your profitability in a very short time.

    So much of our business life is now spent away from the office, but the system is available 24/7 wherever you are, using either a mobile app or by using cloud storage, so that you can access all data and update in real-time online.

    Every aspect of your business is stored in one simple system, contracts, projects, services, and activity information. Shared diaries and schedules allow everyone in the company to see what’s happening.

    And this data storage is safe, it remains with the company long after the staff who in-putted it have left.

    CRM does not just store contact details, every time a client has any kind of interaction with your business, an enquiry, a complaint, an appointment, it is logged in your software. It becomes easy to trace the different methods of communicating, so no more asking the customer to repeat the query, it is there, on screen in black and white.

    Gone are the days of having staff on hand to answer phone enquiries, more and more people are using email, or form filling on the company website. Social media such as Facebook or Twitter, or SMS are now being used far more frequently, so a method of collating them is essential. Personalised communications made with the background knowledge found in the CRM system are effective and easy.

    And it can be tailored to your needs, modified to alter the software to match the exact needs of your business.

    With CRM you have a massive quantity of data that can help you improve your service. By addressing your customers with a background knowledge that will impress them, and the ability to analyse and improve your customer service.

    A positive customer interaction builds the business rapidly, because the most effective advertising is personal recommendation, so keep your customers loyal and happy, keep your name on their lips.

  • Guide to hiring a setting-out engineer

    Getting The Right Person For The Job

    Getting The Right Person For The JobGetting The Right Person For The Job

    Hiring a professional setting out engineer needn’t be a headache. Whilst they hold a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience, and as such are often in high demand, knowing what you are looking for will ensure that you get the right person for the job rather than just picking the first available engineering surveyor that is available.

    Hiring a professional setting out engineer needn’t be a headache. Whilst they hold a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience, and as such are often in high demand, knowing what you are looking for will ensure that you get the right person for the job rather than just picking the first available engineering surveyor that is available.

    Many setting out surveyors are self employed contractors, so it is perfectly acceptable and advantageous to be able to pick and choose which contractor to use, one job at a time. But there are considerations that must be made in order to balance both convenience for yourself, and also the safety of colleagues and the project being worked on.

    What Should I Look For?

    As well as relevant experience in surveying and laying out, anyone being hired for the task will need other supplementary skills. CAD (computer aided design) is one such skill that is practically impossible to live without in this field of work. The days of working to sketches are over; in today’s modern times, any setting out or surveying work is generally planned out far in advance using CAD, thanks to its perfectly accurate mathematical abilities and ability to actively assist with the task at hand.

    As well as relevant experience in surveying and laying out, anyone being hired for the task will need other supplementary skills. CAD (computer aided design) is one such skill that is practically impossible to live without in this field of work. The days of working to sketches are over; in today’s modern times, any setting out or surveying work is generally planned out far in advance using CAD, thanks to its perfectly accurate mathematical abilities and ability to actively assist with the task at hand.

    Certification with health and safety, trade and membership legislation in the area of operation is crucial. Legal requirements must be met to avoid project delays or shutdowns.

    It’s essential to verify a contractor’s qualifications before hiring. Professional indemnity insurance should also be considered, especially for self-employed and casual contractors.

    Where to Hire

    Specialist agencies and general temping agencies can connect you with qualified contractors. You can also find contractors through word of mouth, CV and résumé websites, or by hiring contractors who have previously worked on successful projects.

    There are specialist agencies who deal solely with surveyors and related contractors.

    Any general temping agency will not have an in-depth knowledge of the industry in the same way that a specialist agency will.

    Additionally, these agencies will be able to offer staff who consistently meet targets and successfully complete projects (in effect, a ‘preferred contractor’ list).

    It is also possible to hire contractors directly, either through word of mouth or by re-hiring contractors who have previously worked on projects with success.

    CV and résumé websites such as Reed, Linkedin, and Hays will also have a wealth of contractors with relevant experience posted, as well as qualifications and testimonials from other employers.

    It may sound like a daunting task; such contractors will generally need to be booked quite far in advance and are often able to ‘cherry pick’ contracts and projects due to there being more demand than availability.

    However, the process for finding and hiring them is much the same as if you were hiring any general contractor or member of staff, except with a few more qualifications and legislation issues to consider.

    Take a common sense approach and hiring the right person for the job will come easily and naturally.

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