Project managers, removals managers and home stagers are also property experts that can help you whether you're seeking to renovate your property or sell it.
"Project Manager is the smart, new term for a site foreman- somebody responsible for supervising the workforce, ordering materials and making sure everything is done in the right order and the right way" says Liz Hodgkinson. This could either be an independent manager or someone connected to the building firm you employ
Again, the fee will probably be a percentage of the total cost or a day rate. Experience means the project manager can anticipate and keep on top of what is involved at every stage. This is why it's not a good idea to have a go yourself, unless you are very experienced in building work or the job is on a small scale.
Project managers also ensure that the alterations meet building regulation requirements. A word of caution: project managing is quite a new discipline, and there are a few who aren't up to the job. Hiring a project manager doesn't mean you should kick back completely. Ask for a detailed written plan of what is going to happen and what the costs are to keep you on schedule and on budget, and speak to your would-be project manager's previous clients.
As well as supplying the van, the muscle and packing everything away for you, some firms will supply a removals manager to make the process as painless as possible. Abels, for example, will provide a personal assistant who will even buy and prepare food during the move, and get the soft furnishings dry-cleaned. Some people even hand over the keys, go on holiday and leave the firm to get on with it, moving back into their new home.
Cost is clearly a factor- the personal assistant service costs from £350 to £400 a day, depending on the level of service required- but also consider if you actually like the idea of such a hands-off approach. There's no point in paying someone to move and replace everything down to the knives and forks if you'll be fussing around, re-doing their work.
If you are moving abroad, though, you may find a removals manager completely invaluable. "Our service includes packing and moving valuables, artworks and irreplaceable artefacts", explains Debra Melvin from Abels. "We can also take care of shipping, customs and placing items in storage".
If your home has been languishing on the housing market for months, the skills of a home stager could help you out. For around £200, the home stager will visit your home, and draw up a list of suggestions for improvement. They can even organise hiring furniture for you if your own is a little lacking. The benefit is that presenting your home in its best light will help you achieve a better price.
"I'd moved to Spain, but hadn't been able to sell our house before we left", says Emma Bradford. "Home Stagers revamped the empty house for us- which included adding new carpets and hiring furniture. The house sold three weeks later for a higher price than we had been expecting, which meant that the cost of the home staging paid for itself."
But beware! After all, home stagers need to find things wrong to justify their fee, and making a house look pretty is often not enough. It might be more appropriate to look at what your estate agent is doing, what the current market is like, whether your decorating style is right for the viewers you're getting, and whether your house is priced realistically.
