EMAIL #17 - 22nd, OCTOBER, 2018 - Job finishing edition
Hi Team,
Now that the next Team Meeting has been postponed till 29th October, I would like to preempt the discussion that Lyle is going to lead about "The challenges of finishing jobs on time", by outlining a few of my key thoughts about finishing building jobs.
The last three or four weeks of any project are by far the most important part of the whole building process. How we perform and act during these last weeks will determine the success of the building works and the attitude and opinions of the client.
"It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it", Benjamin Franklin.
This famous quote sums up exactly what Lyle, Will and I have experienced last week at Howitt Rd with Jonathan + Tammy because of the problem with the storm water collection pit in the front yard. This relatively minor problem and how we handle it over the next few days will be likely to determine the attitude of the clients during and after handover, despite
all of the incredible work we have all done over the last two years.
"Discipline helps you finish a job, and finishing is what separates excellent work from average work", Pat Summit.
After finishing a fair number of building jobs over the last 30+ years, my main tips for doing it well are as follows;
- Have a very clear understanding of your own standards and expectations regarding workmanship and quality of finish.
- Always ask yourself, "If this was my house, would this be acceptable?", and apply this filter to everything you see and do on the building site.
- Test everything. Run every tap, open and close every door and every drawer, run every appliance etc, etc ,etc.
- Allow plenty of time to walk around and study every area of the house, (especially the roof).
I am looking forward to a smooth handover of Howitt Rd, later this week; which is clearly one of our best homes to date, and to discussing what we have learnt about finishing jobs and what we could improve at the team meeting next Monday.
Thanks for reading,
David.
