How to keep your building project on time and in budget
Contractor, Client and Architect on site
You’ve reached the enviable point where you’ve come up with a design for your home, chosen a builder for the works, and are now ready to get the project started on site. It’s an exciting moment - the plans you’ve been working on for months (or even years) are about to become reality. But as the build begins, so does a new phase of the project: keeping everything running smoothly on site.
Even with the best preparation, construction is a complex process. There are multiple teams involved, materials to order, decisions to finalise, and a sequence of tasks that need to happen in the right order to avoid delays. No matter how good your builder is, a well-organised approach to managing the project, making timely decisions, and keeping communication clear is essential to avoid unnecessary stress and unexpected costs.
Over the years, we’ve developed a structured project management system to keep everything on track, ensuring that decisions are made at the right time, changes are carefully managed, and work progresses as efficiently as possible. In this post, we’ll share how we run our projects and practical tips you can apply to your own home renovation or building project—whether you’re working with an architect or managing things yourself.
Managing a high-end renovation is complex. Without a clear system in place, projects can quickly spiral into delays, unexpected costs, and frustration. At Nancy Gouldstone Architects, we take a structured approach to project management that ensures a smooth process from start to finish.
This post will cover:
How we keep everything organised with a bespoke project management system in Notion.
Why decision-making is crucial—and how late design changes (especially to joinery) can disrupt the schedule and add unexpected costs.
The importance of structured site meetings to maintain momentum and quickly resolve on-site challenges.
How we manage changes on-site using a formal Change Control Log, ensuring clients understand the impact of modifications before committing.
Why a formal sign-off process is essential to locking in decisions and preventing costly last-minute changes.
By following these principles, we ensure that our projects stay on track while giving our clients clarity, control, and confidence throughout the renovation process.
1. Have a central hub for everything (We use Notion)
Most projects fall apart due to disorganisation—people lose track of decisions, don’t know what’s coming next, or struggle to find the latest drawings and specifications.
To prevent this, we’ve built a bespoke project management system in Notion. This acts as the single source of truth for everyone involved, providing:
A client portal with a full project timeline and key documents.
A centralised file system where the builder and client can always access the latest drawings, specifications, and decisions.
A task system that allocates responsibilities to both the client and contractor, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
2. Use a live, interactive timeline that connects every decision
One of the biggest causes of project delays is late or changed decisions, often from the client side. While it’s natural to refine ideas as the project progresses, last-minute design changes—particularly on joinery, kitchens, bathrooms, and materials—can have a huge knock-on effect.
Our interactive Gantt chart-style timeline, updated every two weeks, ensures that clients can clearly see:
✔ What stage the project is at
✔ What decisions need to be made (and by when)
✔ The impact of any changes to the agreed design
✔ How delays in one area might affect the rest of the programme
3. Regular site meetings:
A well-run renovation requires regular communication between the architect, builder, and client. Every project throws up its own set of challenges, so we work closely with contractors on site to resolve issues as they come up, always making sure the original design vision is protected. We structure our site meetings as follows:
Weekly meetings during the first month – This helps ensure a smooth start, resolving early issues and setting expectations.
Fortnightly meetings during the main construction phase – Keeping the project on track while allowing time for execution.
Weekly meetings in the final month – Ensuring all finishing details, snagging, and handover happen efficiently.
These structured meetings allow the team to remain agile on-site, resolving issues quickly and ensuring the build adapts to real-world conditions without derailing the schedule.
4. Managing Changes with a Change Control Log
Even with the best planning, some design changes during construction are unavoidable. However, changes late in the process can have a significant impact on cost and timeline, especially once materials have been ordered and trades scheduled.
To manage this, we use a Change Control Log that:
✔ Records all requested changes once a project is on-site.
✔ Details the added time implications for the builder, architect, and other trades.
✔ Includes the cost implications for both construction and professional fees.
This log ensures that clients fully understand the impact of any change before committing.
5. Formalising Design Sign-Off: The Key to Avoiding Delays
To keep projects moving efficiently, we’ve developed a formal sign-off system for all major design decisions. We use Dropbox Sign (formerly HelloSign) to provide an easy digital sign-off system, ensuring that once a design is approved, it’s locked in.
If a client does want to make a change after sign-off, we document the time and cost implications before proceeding.
Final Thoughts
A high-value renovation isn’t just about great design - it’s about keeping the entire process under control so that things run smoothly on site.
By using Notion for project management, formalising sign-offs, and tracking changes meticulously, we ensure that our clients remain in control while minimising delays and unexpected costs.