Housing and You…Design changes and its impact on budgets

Sep 29, 2013 News

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By Leonard Gildarie
Last week, we spoke extensively on new measures by Government regarding how homes should be wired. I received several comments, including one from an angry “electrician”.
Before we move into the meat of this week’s article, I want to address the ranting of this person. I really welcome comments…It tells me that people are reading and are concerned. The more comments, the better…and we have been receiving quite a number of them every week, especially from our overseas readers. The articles are intended to educate, especially new homeowners, of concerns which have stalled numerous homes, leaving many families battling to finds hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, to complete the structure.

While there are decent contractors, many persons are taking advantage of the huge demand for skilled workers by pretending to be contractors. The complaints have been many. The comment last week from the reader, that the criticisms are unfair to a poor man who is attempting to make an honest living, is irrelevant in my mind. In last week’s article, we spoke of the danger of bad wiring and the practices that can lead to costly and deadly consequences. There can be no excuse for bypassing established regulations, endangering persons and property.
With questions over the Guyana Power and Light (GPL)’s voltage and supply up in the air, the importance of wiring and for contractors to know the regulations, without resorting to shortcuts that are not recommended and accepted, cannot be overstated.
Another reader from New York, Hemwant Persaud, a real estate inspector, noted that the issue of unlicenced/uncertified electrical contractors is prevalent mostly among medium and low income homeowners, because there are not many licenced/certified contractors, and the few are working on the high income homes, commercial properties and other high-paying jobs.
As such, many homeowners are forced to utilise the services of unlicenced/uncertified electrical craftsmen who are not being supervised by the person whose licence/certificate they are working under.
Many of the electrical contractors make numerous mistakes and homeowners end up with homes that have numerous mistakes and are unsafe. No surprise there. These include wires that are too small to handle the load; minimal number of outlets being overloaded; not grounded, open neutral and reversed polarity outlets which are potential safety hazards and improperly located and unsecured outlets that can cause electrical shock.
The reader also pointed to poor quality/sub-standard materials which create an inferior electrical circuit.
“Last but not the least and the most disastrous which many will deny but exists, is the buying of electrical certificates, (many of the electrical contractors will pay electrical inspectors for certificates which are used for GPL connection).”
The problem with a purchased certificate, Persaud noted, is that no inspector inspected the work and as such, the issues that exist are not identified for correction and homeowners are living with unsafe electrical circuits in their homes.
This is an issue that will continually be discussed, as there clearly seems to be a lack of personnel from the regulatory entity to effectively monitor the many homes being built.
In the more developed countries, my research has shown, before the walls can be sealed, the electrical inspector has to make his/her check to ensure it was done according to regulations. The use of conduits, accepted colour coding of wires, breakers, and distance of outlets from sinks all have relevance.
We may have to return to this issue at a later date.
Today, we want to deal with the matter of design changes. Design changes simply mean that adjustments are made to the original plans while construction is ongoing. These can and will have impact on deadlines and the budget…the extent will obviously depend on how it is managed.
Now, before building, homeowners have to produce a floor plan showing the construction to be done, indicating room size, distance from fences, location of doors, windows, and whether it is one storey or more.
Most persons can visualize the home they are building before a stone is laid. The wife and I fought over designs for months. Still, we messed up on a few things. These are unavoidable.
Zorina Gafoor, a project management expert, writes that there is nothing wrong with design changes, especially when there are new innovations being revealed every day. The homeowner has to balance his/her finances or look at phasing the work. If there is no possibility of immediately getting additional funds, a phased method of construction is best, meaning, you may have to leave the fence for later, and concentrate on the completion of the roof, kitchen and bathroom.
Gafoor argues that changes can occur very early in a project.
I must point out here that any changes to the plans will have to be approved by the NDC or City Council before continuing with construction. While most persons in Guyana don’t worry, I am advocating here that the right thing…the correct thing…be done.
The changes that happen early in the design process are less expensive when compared to those that take place after it is introduced during full scale construction. This simply means that it is cheaper to make the changes on the plan than while building. Many persons would order that the wall fall a certain way or a step is moved from a certain location to another. Or the porch design is to be adjusted to now include two holes.
Drawings are not set in stone, especially incomplete drawings with missing information. This can lead to all sorts of problems and changes. Also unforeseen site conditions can lead to modifications. All of these changes will have a cost attached to them, and that is why a contingency sum must be set aside to cover these changes. Most homeowners I know don’t put aside an amount for emergencies or cost overruns. The reason for this is simply that they don’t have the money and the banks, being the conservatives that they are, find it hard to want to lend more.
The more details and specs you have up front will lead to fewer changes down the road. Owners tend to make changes when they see the house starting to take shape. That is why it is good to make a model of the home before construction starts.
These models are now made using computers, where you can have a virtual model walk through and around so that the client or owner can get a feel for the space. I like this recommendation. People can visualize a computer-designed 3-dimensional model which can give a feel of the home rather than what a simple drawing or floor plan would offer. Most of the persons who specialize in drawing plans for homes would own a computer with the necessary software for a 3-D model home.
So we have quite a few thoughts to ponder on this weekend. Enjoy it and don’t forget to send your response as usual to [email protected].

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