Starting a small building business

[pongoman]

There are many freshly retired, experienced builders who provide this kind of service..

How much would I have to pay to find a builder who can project manage?

 

[^woody^]

How much do you reckon I'd have to pay to get a general builder who is able to project manage?

I think that's your problem right there. It's about the money.

Are you employing someone directly with all those costs but greater control and less risk, or planning to just use a self employed person with less costs to you but greater risk?

There are other options to contract the job or the management out, or have agreements with certain firms for certain services.

 

[johnny2007]

How much do you reckon I'd have to pay to get a general builder who is able to project manage?

It will be on a case by case basis.
A decorating job would be surely cheaper than a full refurbishment or building an extension.
If you have enough properties to shift every year, it would be wise to invest in an employee at your disposal.
Otherwise you'll have no choice rather than pay a self employed person for each project, at risk of finding them busy and unable to help on some occasions.
That's why I suggested a partnership in the buying and selling business.

 

[pongoman]

I think that's your problem right there. It's about the money. Are you employing someone directly with all those costs but greater control and less risk, or planning to just use a self employed person with less costs to you but greater risk? There are other options to contract the job or the management out, or have agreements with certain firms for certain services.

I want to do quality control, management and sales and let the builder cover the refurbishing and customer work

 

[pongoman]

It will be on a case by case basis.
A decorating job would be surely cheaper than a full refurbishment or building an extension.
If you have enough properties to shift every year, it would be wise to invest in an employee at your disposal.
Otherwise you'll have no choice rather than pay a self employed person for each project, at risk of finding them busy and unable to help on some occasions.
That's why I suggested a partnership in the buying and selling business.

That's the type of thing I'd be considering.

 

[mikeey84]

You're idea of a partnership is very good! Problem is most don't have the money to put into houses and to be a partner they'd need to stump up some money. Partnership on customer jobs would work. You're onto the solution I reckon

A partnership doesn't have to be even.

You could agree a profit from sale split that reflects the difference in input.

70/30 favouring you, for example, could be quite attractive, especially if there are multiple houses being refurbished at the same time

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

what a load of nonsense.
your a recipe for disaster, and will be featuring on watchdog sometime in the future i’m sure.
unbelievably, most of the answers are dumber than the question .

 

[HERTS P&D]

I also think this is a wind up thread.

Andy

 

[pongoman]

A partnership doesn't have to be even. You could agree a profit from sale split that reflects the difference in input. 70/30 favouring you, for example, could be quite attractive, especially if there are multiple houses being refurbished at the same time

A partnership is a good idea

 

[pongoman]

I also think this is a wind up thread. Andy

I'm trying to find the "keyman"/general builder

 

[pongoman]

what a load of nonsense. your a recipe for disaster, and will be featuring on watchdog sometime in the future i’m sure. unbelievably, most of the answers are dumber than the question .

Wouldn't touch customer work without the right builder and tradesman

 

[bernardgreen]

I need a good experienced and qualified builder.

Most of these will be trading successfully either as a sole trader or as a partner in a company.

The question is what can you offer them to move from their existing situation into the arrangement you are looking to start up.

I suspect many of those who would be willing to be part of your arrangement will be the type who are looking for a way to share the adverse results of their incompetence.

 

[pongoman]

Most of these will be trading successfully either as a sole trader or as a partner in a company.

Most decent builders probably earn at least £50k

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

Messing up customers jobs is the last thing that would happen. I wouldn't touch a customers job unless I had the right builder and tradesman in place

everyones the right builder or tradesman until they tw@t it , run, and leave you on watchdog.

 

[johnny2007]

I'm just going to do a bit of thinking out loud!
So if we assume that most "good builders" of the type that I need are working either as a sole trader or as a partner in a company that means they're probably earning a minimum of £1,000 per week which is around £50k - agreed. So anybody who is available probably means they're not very experienced or haven't got the necessary skills which is the ones who are attracted to my offer which explains why I've had some nice fellas but they've not been of the type we're talking about.

I am very happy to offer part of the building business to someone - I don't know where you find someone and I suppose the answer is it's going to be very hard and there's not going to be anybody who is going to give up £50k or a partnership unless I can offer something better.

I honestly can't see a way forward.

Place an advert on social media and see what comes along.
My feeling is that what you're offering is not as attractive as you think to experienced builders, so you end up with bodgers or labourers.