How a building job runs

Most of a job happens before the builder arrives. Here’s the order.

1. 1Decide what you wantThe rooms, the finish, a rough budget.
2. 2Drawings, if it’s structuralExtensions, lofts and removed walls need drawings and an engineer.
3. 3Check the permissionsPlanning permission for big changes; building regulations for things like a new bathroom, new windows or a loft.
4. 4Tell the neighboursWork on a shared wall needs a party wall notice, 2 months to a year ahead.
5. 5Get quotes and agree it in writingPrice, start date, payment stages, how changes work.
6. 6The workStrip-out, pipes and cables, plaster, fittings, finishes.
7. 7FinishFix the small things, get the certificates, pay the final stage.