The Fit Out!

This is where you can really start to blow out your budget!

The most important things for this stage from a financial point of view are:
1. Get complete, written, fixed price quotes for everything - from paint to the kitchen sink
2. Get help if you need it - design and decide on everything before you start i.e. cabinets, robes, colour schemes, floor coverings, cornices, architraves, doors, door handles, toilet suites, tap ware, basins, sinks, light fittings, just to name a few (seriously!). A great way to try and cover everything is to go to a display home and write down EVERYTHING in each room - you'll be surprised just how many things there are
3. Factor in some room for movement - whether it's an amount or a percentage, give yourself some room to move
4. Keep a level head when selecting things - find that compromise between quality, functionality, looks and price (harder than it sounds)
5. Stick to your budget!!

Another way to blow out your budget is by time. If a trade doesn't complete their task on time, the next trade won't be able to start. Quite often this leads to large delays, because when you try to rebook the trade, you need to 'get back in line' for your turn again. A week delay in my trusses led to a 6 week delay on having my roof installed and so on. In the meantime I was incurring interest on my bank loan for a house I couldn't even live in and paying for a mortgage on the home I was living in!

The order we did everything in...

This is where your coordination skills are really put to the test. The order that trades complete their work is at times complex and frustrating. Often part of a task will need to be started prior to another trade's work, then once the other trade has completed, the first trade will come back to finish off.

Again, I can't emphasise enough how important it is to sit down with each trade and asking them what needs to be completed prior to them starting their work. Be thorough and persistent - it will take you a few conversations, because generally each trade will be completely unconcerned about the work of other trades, so you will need to get a timeline put together then have each trade agree to it. This will lead to plenty of revisions before everyone can be locked in.

Once everyone agrees to the timeline you will then need to constantly administer the progress to make sure that each item is being completed by the due date. As I said, my 1 week delay cost me 6 weeks.

In very broad terms, here's the order our house should have progressed (note items with same number were simultaneous);
1. Electrical 'rough in'
1. Plumbing 'rough in'
1. Communications 'rough in'
1. Heating & Cooling 'rough in'
2. Insulation (hard to get to areas)
3. Plastering
4. Insulation (other areas)
4. Carpentry
4. Stairs
5. Electrical 'fit off'
5. Heating & Cooling 'fit off'
6. Tanking
7. Painting
7. Cabinetry
7. Plumbing 'fit off'
7. Wall Tiling
8. Final finishing works (all trades)
8. Painting
9. Floor Coverings

Generally anything hidden needs to be done before the plaster goes on, and the floor furnishings should be done last (with painting immediately before). My list is a general guide, you must get each trade involved to agree with 'who does what and when' for your specific project!

Here's a little more detail on each of the items;

Electrical...
While access is still easy (before any plaster or insulation gets in the way) the electrical work should be done. If you've installed all of your conduits, this should make your job really simple, if you've forgotten a few, this is a great time to do it (the electricians won't be wrecking anyone else's work to get their cables in).

After the initial 'rough in' work is completed the electricians will need to leave until the fit out is almost complete so that they can 'fit off' all of the electricals (lights, switches, power points, etc). Ideally this would be done before any painting, so any mistakes or damage can be rectified before the painting is done.

Plumbing...
Much like the electrical, the 'rough in' work should be completed before any plastering. Then once everything is in place (cabinets, wall tiles, etc), they can come back and 'fit off' (taps, basins, toilets, drains, etc.).

Again, you want them to finish their work completely prior to the painting, so any damage can be fixed without it costing you extra.

Communications...
This is identical to the electrical and includes all of your security and telecommunications.

Heating & Cooling...
Much the same as plumbing and electrical, getting ductwork in after plaster goes on is massively more time consuming and sometimes impossible. So the 'rough in' is done prior to anything that blocks access (plaster, insulation, etc.) and the 'fit off' is done after everything is in place (but before the painting).

Insulation...
Insulation installed in roof cavities without access after the plastering is completed obviously needs to be done before the plaster goes on. To keep the insulation from falling to the floor before the plaster was installed, I used blue packing tape to create support under the bottom cords of the roof trusses and placed the batts on top of it. I also placed the bags of insulation in the ceiling space prior to plastering so that I wouldn't have to lug the awkward bags through a manhole when it was time to insulate the remaining areas.

Plaster...
Anything that isn't in place before the plaster goes on will be extremely difficult if, not impossible to install afterwards! It is absolutely critical that all trades have completed their works before plastering starts.

Also, make sure that your plasterer has allowed to come back after the first coat of paint has gone on, to rectify anything you're unhappy with, and that they clearly mark (in pencil) everything they plaster over. Although all of your trades should be marking on a set of scale drawing exactly where everything is 'roughed in', things can accidentally get moved during plastering and it can be extremely difficult to locate electrical / communications / heating & cooling once plaster is in place without markings.

Carpentry...
Your door jambs, doors, architraves, skirting boards and various other odds and ends will need to be in place prior to some of the other works being started, particularly painting.

Stairs...
Although it may seem much more practical to install the stairs as early as possible to provide your trades with good access upstairs, don't! Plastering becomes quite difficult and taking oversized items (plaster sheets, cabinets, doors, etc.) upstairs can be painful once stairs are in. You also increase the likelihood of them being damaged if they go in too early.

Have them installed according to your project's timeline (based on tasks, not dates), which everyone agreed to.

Tanking...
Easily forgotten - absolutely critical!

Tanking or Waterproofing is required for all wet areas to ensure that water doesn't penetrate and destroy your house. It is easily damaged, so ideally you want it to be installed immediately prior to the final items going in on top of it (cabinetry, tiles, painting, etc.). Get it done by a professional; there is more to it than just 'painting it on'.

Any damage to the membrane will result in catastrophic damage... protect it once it is installed!!

Painting...
This is when you really start to have a home!

Painting should be done at the same time as the other finishing trades, but prior to any floor coverings - the preparation is often very messy and spills occur very easily (don't make anyone's job harder than it has to be).

Ideally the painter should be doing his final coats after everyone else has finished doing their work, but this is often easier said than done. Make sure your painter is willing to come back and 'touch up' the day before you move in, this will take care of any last second damage.

Cabinetry...
Cabinetry is usually one of the most expensive items in your house and probably the most used.

Coordination is critical with your cabinet maker, most of the other trades need to be almost finished before they start their work, and as a 'finishing trade' they need the time to do a good job or it will stick out like a sore thumb.

Personally I think it looks better when tiling is done after the installation. I think it looks more part of the house, but should everything go wrong, a good Cabinet Maker will be able to work 'over' other trades.

Floor Coverings...
As I said earlier, floor coverings should be done as late as possible to prevent any damage after installation, this is particularly important with carpets. We had our carpet installed the day before we moved in just to minimise the risks.

A useful tip is to order additional carpet that you can keep for very high traffic areas like stairs. Modern carpets are supposedly immune to fading, so in 5 years time when the very high traffic areas are looking ratty, you can replace that carpet with some from the same batch - no colour matching required (it should also be cheaper as it will almost certainly be off cuts from the actual install).


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Out of the ground (Slab and underground works) The structure (Walls, windows and roof) Fit out (Plumbing, electrical, tiles, plaster & paint) The Environment Bits & Pieces
		The Fit Out! This is where you can really start to blow out your budget! The most important things for this stage from a financial point of view are: 1. Get complete, written, fixed price quotes for everything - from paint to the kitchen sink 2. Get help if you need it - design and decide on everything before you start i.e. cabinets, robes, colour schemes, floor coverings, cornices, architraves, doors, door handles, toilet suites, tap ware, basins, sinks, light fittings, just to name a few (seriously!). A great way to try and cover everything is to go to a display home and write down EVERYTHING in each room - you'll be surprised just how many things there are 3. Factor in some room for movement - whether it's an amount or a percentage, give yourself some room to move 4. Keep a level head when selecting things - find that compromise between quality, functionality, looks and price (harder than it sounds) 5. Stick to your budget!! Another way to blow out your budget is by time. If a trade doesn't complete their task on time, the next trade won't be able to start. Quite often this leads to large delays, because when you try to rebook the trade, you need to 'get back in line' for your turn again. A week delay in my trusses led to a 6 week delay on having my roof installed and so on. In the meantime I was incurring interest on my bank loan for a house I couldn't even live in and paying for a mortgage on the home I was living in! The order we did everything in... This is where your coordination skills are really put to the test. The order that trades complete their work is at times complex and frustrating. Often part of a task will need to be started prior to another trade's work, then once the other trade has completed, the first trade will come back to finish off. Again, I can't emphasise enough how important it is to sit down with each trade and asking them what needs to be completed prior to them starting their work. Be thorough and persistent - it will take you a few conversations, because generally each trade will be completely unconcerned about the work of other trades, so you will need to get a timeline put together then have each trade agree to it. This will lead to plenty of revisions before everyone can be locked in. Once everyone agrees to the timeline you will then need to constantly administer the progress to make sure that each item is being completed by the due date. As I said, my 1 week delay cost me 6 weeks. In very broad terms, here's the order our house should have progressed (note items with same number were simultaneous); 1. Electrical 'rough in' 1. Plumbing 'rough in' 1. Communications 'rough in' 1. Heating & Cooling 'rough in' 2. Insulation (hard to get to areas) 3. Plastering 4. Insulation (other areas) 4. Carpentry 4. Stairs 5. Electrical 'fit off' 5. Heating & Cooling 'fit off' 6. Tanking 7. Painting 7. Cabinetry 7. Plumbing 'fit off' 7. Wall Tiling 8. Final finishing works (all trades) 8. Painting 9. Floor Coverings Generally anything hidden needs to be done before the plaster goes on, and the floor furnishings should be done last (with painting immediately before). My list is a general guide, you must get each trade involved to agree with 'who does what and when' for your specific project! Here's a little more detail on each of the items; Electrical... While access is still easy (before any plaster or insulation gets in the way) the electrical work should be done. If you've installed all of your conduits, this should make your job really simple, if you've forgotten a few, this is a great time to do it (the electricians won't be wrecking anyone else's work to get their cables in). After the initial 'rough in' work is completed the electricians will need to leave until the fit out is almost complete so that they can 'fit off' all of the electricals (lights, switches, power points, etc). Ideally this would be done before any painting, so any mistakes or damage can be rectified before the painting is done. Plumbing... Much like the electrical, the 'rough in' work should be completed before any plastering. Then once everything is in place (cabinets, wall tiles, etc), they can come back and 'fit off' (taps, basins, toilets, drains, etc.). Again, you want them to finish their work completely prior to the painting, so any damage can be fixed without it costing you extra. Communications... This is identical to the electrical and includes all of your security and telecommunications. Heating & Cooling... Much the same as plumbing and electrical, getting ductwork in after plaster goes on is massively more time consuming and sometimes impossible. So the 'rough in' is done prior to anything that blocks access (plaster, insulation, etc.) and the 'fit off' is done after everything is in place (but before the painting). Insulation... Insulation installed in roof cavities without access after the plastering is completed obviously needs to be done before the plaster goes on. To keep the insulation from falling to the floor before the plaster was installed, I used blue packing tape to create support under the bottom cords of the roof trusses and placed the batts on top of it. I also placed the bags of insulation in the ceiling space prior to plastering so that I wouldn't have to lug the awkward bags through a manhole when it was time to insulate the remaining areas. Plaster... Anything that isn't in place before the plaster goes on will be extremely difficult if, not impossible to install afterwards! It is absolutely critical that all trades have completed their works before plastering starts. Also, make sure that your plasterer has allowed to come back after the first coat of paint has gone on, to rectify anything you're unhappy with, and that they clearly mark (in pencil) everything they plaster over. Although all of your trades should be marking on a set of scale drawing exactly where everything is 'roughed in', things can accidentally get moved during plastering and it can be extremely difficult to locate electrical / communications / heating & cooling once plaster is in place without markings. Carpentry... Your door jambs, doors, architraves, skirting boards and various other odds and ends will need to be in place prior to some of the other works being started, particularly painting. Stairs... Although it may seem much more practical to install the stairs as early as possible to provide your trades with good access upstairs, don't! Plastering becomes quite difficult and taking oversized items (plaster sheets, cabinets, doors, etc.) upstairs can be painful once stairs are in. You also increase the likelihood of them being damaged if they go in too early. Have them installed according to your project's timeline (based on tasks, not dates), which everyone agreed to. Tanking... Easily forgotten - absolutely critical! Tanking or Waterproofing is required for all wet areas to ensure that water doesn't penetrate and destroy your house. It is easily damaged, so ideally you want it to be installed immediately prior to the final items going in on top of it (cabinetry, tiles, painting, etc.). Get it done by a professional; there is more to it than just 'painting it on'. Any damage to the membrane will result in catastrophic damage... protect it once it is installed!! Painting... This is when you really start to have a home! Painting should be done at the same time as the other finishing trades, but prior to any floor coverings - the preparation is often very messy and spills occur very easily (don't make anyone's job harder than it has to be). Ideally the painter should be doing his final coats after everyone else has finished doing their work, but this is often easier said than done. Make sure your painter is willing to come back and 'touch up' the day before you move in, this will take care of any last second damage. Cabinetry... Cabinetry is usually one of the most expensive items in your house and probably the most used. Coordination is critical with your cabinet maker, most of the other trades need to be almost finished before they start their work, and as a 'finishing trade' they need the time to do a good job or it will stick out like a sore thumb. Personally I think it looks better when tiling is done after the installation. I think it looks more part of the house, but should everything go wrong, a good Cabinet Maker will be able to work 'over' other trades. Floor Coverings... As I said earlier, floor coverings should be done as late as possible to prevent any damage after installation, this is particularly important with carpets. We had our carpet installed the day before we moved in just to minimise the risks. A useful tip is to order additional carpet that you can keep for very high traffic areas like stairs. Modern carpets are supposedly immune to fading, so in 5 years time when the very high traffic areas are looking ratty, you can replace that carpet with some from the same batch - no colour matching required (it should also be cheaper as it will almost certainly be off cuts from the actual install).