How to manage the interiors with vastu

The stone of Vaastu is to make us live in harmony with nature taking advantage of the magnetic fields, gravitational effects etc. of the earth, the rainfall, the galaxy and the whole of the nature and the universe and duly invoking the blessing of the Gods of the directions. Doing interiors with the Vaastu is a bit difficult job but if everything is planned carefully, one can open the doors of the prosperity for themselves. Now we will discuss every room in the detail. Every room has their eight directions again, so one must be aware of the facts how to design the rooms.

Worship / Pooja Room: It has been known the Pooja room is best suitable in the North - East corner of the house, now Pooja room has its own directions. The deity should face West, can face East or North but it should NEVER face South. North - East zone is considered most appropriate for worship for another reason also. In the morning the sun’s rays straight fall on North - East Side of the house which is most auspicious and good for health. It keeps our mind fresh and the soul pure and clean - a thing needed utmost for real prayer. Placing pooja room in the North - East will bring all the happiness, prosperity, monetary gain, health, wealth, peace of mind and happiness with the blessings of God.

Bed Room: After the day long toil and turmoil every living being earnestly require rest; for that only the nature has endowed us with day and night. For the bedroom, south - West is best for the master bedroom. Generally the eldest sleeps in the South - West room, the elderly in the South - Eastern room, the next in the North - West room and only the children should sleep in the North - Eastern room but not the couple. Now there are some points, which one should always remember:
· The bed should be located in the middle of the room or should be in the South - West corner of the room. The idea is to keep moving space around the bed and if vaastu is taken care of, South - West becomes heavy as we put the heaviest bed their.
· Bed should not touch North or east walls, but may touch South or West walls when we keep our heads towards South or west for sleep.
· A shelf of books may be kept in South - West or West Side of the room. A reading table with chair may also be kept in this corner of the room.
· If there are some T.V or electrical equipment, they should be placed in the South - East corner of the room.
Now the biggest question is why not sleep legs facing towards SOUTH? This is the most common question that the Vaastukaars face nowadays. I have seen most people had a misconception in their mind that you should not sleep facing the lags towards South as south is not a good direction and it causes ill effects. But this is the biggest myth, no direction is bad, there is a scientific reason for not sleeping with legs towards South. The thing is ONE SHOULD NOT SLEEP FACING THE HEAD TOWARDS NORTH. We all know that all of the body, the head is the heaviest and consists of all the iron and other elements. The North direction has an ill effect on the blood circulation and the organs of the body, which are away from the brain, will not get sufficient blood resulting in headache, irritation, insomnia.

Bath Room with W.C: As we have already discussed that bathroom should be either in the South - West direction or the North - West but should never be in the North - East corner of the house. Now if we come to the bathroom layout, following things must be considered: -

• Now the bathroom will also have a North - East corner, in this corner either a shower or a floor trap should be placed. One must make it a point not to make a W.C in North - East corner of the bathroom, as there is no remedy for it.
• Mirror should always be on the East wall.
• W.C should always be on the North - West Side and facing East.
• The dirty linens should be placed in the West Side of the bathroom as setting rays are very harmful for bacteria and kill them.
• If there is almirah, it should always be on the South - West Side of the bathroom.
• The geysers, heaters and all other electrical equipment should be installed in the South - East corner.
• The entrance of the bathroom should preferably in North or East.

Kitchen: The best location for the kitchen is the South - East corner. When the entrance of the house is from east or South, then the kitchen may be shifted to the North - West corner of the house. In the layout of the kitchen, following rules should be followed:

• The cooking platform should be towards eastern sidewall of the kitchen, as good results can be achieved when one faces east while cooking.
• The sink should be in the North - East corner of the kitchen.
• The slope of the water flow should be from South - West towards North - East.
• The cylinder should be placed in the South - east corner.
• The Geyser should be installed either in the South - East corner or the South wall.
• The electronic gadgets should be placed on the Southern platform.
• The storage for all the food grains, utensils, the over head almirah should always be on the Southern and the western walls and not on the Northern and the Eastern walls.
• The fridge should be in placed in the North - West corner of the kitchen
• The exhaust fan should be installed either in the North - West corner or the South wall.

Easy Ways to Update your Kitchen

If you are looking for some ideas to redecorate your kitchen, it doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. Some minor changes that you can do on your own can really change the overall affect the room has. Many of us spend a great deal of time in the kitchen cooking, eating, and visiting with our family and friends. It is important that our kitchen has a very comfortable feeling to it. Some simple projects include adding a new kitchen sink, counters, and even bar stools.

Changing the design of your kitchen sink can change the look of any style of kitchen. There are many designs to select from so you will be able to find exactly what you are looking for. You will likely want to choose a kitchen sink that fits the space you already have designated for it. However, if you need a deeper kitchen sink or a wider one it is possible to do so by cutting away some of the counter space.

Some of the newer models of kitchen sinks feature one deep side and one shallow side. Others feature three separate compartments instead of the traditional one or two style. The type of material you choose for your kitchen sink will really influence the overall look. Choose from stainless steel, cast iron, or copper.

Probably one of the most common kitchen decorating options is redoing the counters. This can be simply redoing them in a new color and material or changing the layout of the kitchen so you have more counter space. In many open kitchens one complaint is too much space that isn’t being used. To remedy this type of situation a straight counter can be turned into a T shape or an L shape to let you take advantage of some of the open spaces. You can also place an island in the middle of the kitchen to serve as a work area.

There are many different types of counter top materials you can choose from. There are also so many colors that you will definitely find one to match the overall décor of your kitchen area. The most common type of counter material is granite. This is very solid and it will last for years.

Adding bar stools to your kitchen area is a great way to give it some flare. It will also provide you with some additional room when you have a few too many people for your kitchen table to hold. Bar stools are available in a variety of colors so look for something to match with the flooring and the cabinets in your kitchen.

They are available in metal or wood materials and they come in a variety of styles. Many of them don’t have backs but many people prefer those that do have a regular chair back on them. Look for bar stools that have a durable and comfortable seat. You also need to carefully consider the height of your counters. The bar stools need to fit under them properly and provide a comfortable reach from the sitting position to the counter area.

Why Bamboo Flooring Trumps All Other Hardwood Floor Options

Sales of bamboo floors have been rocketing over the last couple of years as consumers have learned more about the styles and benefits of this hardwood flooring alternative. Bamboo flooring has now entered the mainstream flooring market as a viable alternative to traditional laminate and hardwood flooring due to its multiple benefits and advantages. Let's take a look what bamboo flooring has to offer:

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
Bamboo flooring is actually made from bamboo grass that can grow to harvest maturity within 5 years. When bamboo is harvested to manufacture bamboo flooring the plant is only trimmed down, which allows it to regrow its biomass over and over. When you contrast this with the 100+ years a hardwood species needs to grow you get a real sense of how earth-friendly bamboo floors truly are.

HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH
Bamboo floors have a very high tensile strength and when ranked on the Janka hardness scale it has ratings slightly higher than traditional hardwood oak floors and about the same ranking as maple hardwood floors.

LESS WARPING
What makes bamboo flooring an attractive option over other hardwood floors is its ability to withstand greater fluxuations in humidity with less warping and heaving that traditional wood floors. Bamboo flooring is better suited for installation in a wider range of climates.

TRENDY
Let's face it - bamboo is simply the hottest flooring choice of designers today. Movie stars and high-end interior designers are choosing bamboo floors over other wood floor alternatives to make an environmental statement. Of course, it helps that bamboo floors really just look so good and offer real warmth to any room.

ADDED RESALE VALUE
With bamboo flooring so trendy right now, realtors are noticing that bamboo flooring can actually add significant resale value to a home - often more than traditional hardwood floors. When you consider the fact that bamboo flooring is less expensive that solid hardwood floors, and can potentially add more resale value to your home its no wonder real estate agents and home staging companies are recommending these floors.

NATURAL INSECT REPELLANT
The bamboo grass plant is naturally more resistant to many types of insects that most soft and hardwoods used in hardwood flooring. If you live in a region where insects pose a potential threat to your new flooring investment you might want to consider bamboo flooring.

LESS EXPENSIVE
The rapid growth of bamboo plants makes them a much more economical crop to grow and harvest for flooring. A similar size forest of bamboo plants can provide almost 20 times the biomass as one comparable hardwood forest reaches its harvesting maturity.

BEAUTIFUL COLORS
Bamboo flooring products can be stained to almost any color these days, but many people still opt for the beautiful warm tones that the traditional bamboo caramelizing process can create in the bamboo grains. With bamboo flooring and today’s stains your imagination is your only limit.

Breaking Down Contractor Bids and Estimates

When hiring a contractor, there are many concerns that one must address. One of the most difficult things to learn how to do is to evaluate an estimate that is given by a contractor. Defining and addressing scope of work is something that comes with experience, as well. In order to get the correct contractor for your job, it is important to become a master of these decisions.

What is the Scope of Work?


Scope of work can be defined quite easily. In short, this is the description of the job which the contractor will perform. The problem with many job scopes is that they leave out some very important details. A good scope of work should include everything that has to go on during the job, including the preparation and the post-job cleanup (if there is any).

When you consider different contractors, it is important to take a personal comparison between contractors in order to figure out what sort of value their bid holds. Depending upon what sort of job they are being hired for, different contractors should provide different things in their scope.

Painters should include in their scope of work the plans for the preparation of the painting surface. Painting is a process that is fueled by good preparation. Without that, the job is basically worthless. They should include details about whether they are hand scraping, whether they are power washing the area, or any other plans they have. What sort of paint are they using? Do they plan to perform any sort of cleanup after the job?

Landscaping, much like painting, is a process that is highly predicated upon good preparation. You should find out from your landscaper whether the plants or shrubs will be put under ground or on top of the ground? You should always hire a landscaper who is willing to plant things in a deep hole well below the ground. A good depth for this sort of planting is six feet, as this gives the plants room to grow and a lengthy plant life. Anything else will shortchange the plant and leave you with problems to fix in the future.

Roofing is one of the most important jobs for any project. Because roofs have to be so durable, they must be installed correctly. Be sure to ask about the flashing on the roof, as this portion is where the most water damage can occur. It is always a good idea to ask the roofer how he or she plans to accommodate for climate changes before they begin working on the roof. Do they know how to cut around your brick joints in order to have proper sealing? These things must be addressed by a good roofer.

Designing Tips

A house with blank white rooms and windows with pull down shades does not leave you with any cue on how to decorate it. It is you who add the character the personality to your home that serves as an extension of your own self, your family and your culture. It is you who add that personal touch that makes the house your own home, which puts you at ease in an instant and has an intimacy that makes you feel completely relaxed. To make your home cozy, warm and comfortable, you should keep following points in mind:

• Theme of the room or home can be the guiding factor while decorating it. It is a reflection on your personality, likes, tastes and hobbies and the culture of your family. A chosen theme such as Barbie's Home, Nautical Mile, Star Wars, Period Décor, Nature Lovers and Ethnic, can be the unifying factor for all your furniture, furnishings, accessories, colors of walls and ceilings, windows and doors and even the showcase area to display your collections, arts, crafts and other prized possessions.
• Eliminate things that don't fit into the theme décor of the room or modify them to suit the overall theme. This can be a good restraint on impulsive shopping, disproportionate planning or unplanned implementation of decoration items.
• Artifacts that suit your theme can add a special touch to the room décor such as a small wooden ship to go with the nautical theme.
• All collectors love to display their collections of stamps, coins, dolls or other trinkets in a special creative way. Linear arrangements can be dull so may be grouping them and presenting them in interesting ways such as in glass cupboards will draw more attention to them and to your skill of refinement.
• Colors of walls, fabrics, furniture, linen, pillows, shelves and curtains and type of furniture, beds, sofas and seating arrangements and even accessories, lamps and vases that you use must also confirm with your room or home décor theme.
• Upholstery colors and fabric prints should be used judiciously. Maintain the harmony by using the same or similar accent thrice around the room at least.

Experiences

See Sample Homes

Are you interested in having a new home built? If so, you are well aware that you will need to hire a construction company to do the work for you. You may be able to take this job on yourself, but you would surely be up against a lot of work. So for the majority of people, hiring a construction company to build their new home is the best way to go. There are thousands of great home builders that would be glad to help you out. But before you decide on one, make sure that you get a good idea as to what type of work they do.


When you have narrowed down your list of construction companies, the next thing that you should do is ask for samples of their work. Of course this is not the easiest thing in the world, but there are a couple of ways that it can be done.


First off, a construction company can send you pictures of past homes that they have built. This is a quick and easy way of seeing what you can expect. The only drawback is that you may not be able to see a lot of detail in a picture.


On the other hand, a construction company can show you physical homes that they have built. In other words they can give you directions to recent projects, and you can show up and have a look for yourself. In many cases this is the best option because you will be able to closely examine the details of the home.


Seeing past work is a great way to make a decision on which construction company to hire. Never sign on the dotted line before taking a look at a couple of sample homes.

How to Handle a Project with a Contractor

When the decision is made to work with a contractor, you have to be able to apply a little bit of business savvy in order to effectively manage him. In order to get the most out of any person who works for you, certain precautions and motivational tactics must be taken into account. Following these suggestions is a good way to keep your control over the work that is done at your home.

In order to ensure the sanctity of the job at hand, you should always be sure to hire a contractor who is licensed and insured. This way, you know that you are working with a person who knows what they are doing. You will also be protected against any sort of liability.

Before you begin working with this person, make sure that the expectations are laid out for both parties to see. Come to an accord on the big details of the job, such as price and time, but also keep in mind the smaller things. You will want to iron out the details and stick to them as the job goes forward. This way, neither side will have any valid complaints.

Though it would be nice if verbal agreements still worked in today’s business world, it isn’t always so. With that in mind, get a signed contract for both yourself and the contractor. Be sure to have all of the major concerns outlined within the contract so that if there is ever a question about expectations, you can refer to that official piece of paper.

There are other things which you should sit down and discuss with a contractor before he is hired. Make sure that you both understand the payment terms of the job and that you both have the same idea of the work that is required. If you aren’t on the same page as far as job preparation and cleanup time, then you might run into problems somewhere down the road when the job is underway. This is the quickest way for a good job to go sour.

Contractors are interesting workers in that they have some sort of access to your home and personal property. You should only hire someone who you trust, but even with that, there must be some sort of plan for home access. Let the contractor know when and how much they are allowed to access the home. This way, you won’t have any confusion over the little details.

All in all, the best way to handle a contractor is to have total communication about every aspect of the job. Communication will do wonders in eliminating the questions that you both have. This will help build trust between both parties, which will hopefully lead to a good working relationship.

Best Questions to Ask a Potential Contractor

Before you hire a contractor, you will undoubtedly have to sit down with that person in order to have an interview and get to know them. If you plan to sit down with multiple experts in the various fields, which you should, then you need some questions that will help you to determine which contractor best suits your project’s needs. Though many questions will have to be formed on a case by case basis, there are a few that will get to the root of what a contractor can do for you.


How long have you been doing this?

Experience is extremely important in the home improvement industry. When you have worked on a number of different projects, you gain the expertise that can only come with time. It is always best to go with a contractor who has this valuable experience if you have that option. Make sure to ask the contractor to elaborate on the specific projects that he or she has been involved in.


What do you do in case of a problem?

Though it isn’t something that you or the contractor will anticipate happening, there might be a few problems that arise when you undertake a large project. Contractors must be equipped, both mentally and with supplies, to overcome these problems. Ask the contractor to elaborate on a specific project in which he or she faced a problem. Analyze the answer that they give you in order to find some truth and common sense.


What is your vision for this project?

Contractors have specific jobs to take care of, but they should be able to see how it works within the big picture, as well. Just because a person specializes in landscaping doesn’t mean that he should be exempt from understanding the rest of the project. Great homes work together like clockwork. A good contractor will have the ability to see how that comes together and more important, how his or her part will contribute to the overall project.


These questions will help you get to know the prospective contractors a little bit better. After all, these people are going to be trusted to work in and around your home. It is good to get a feel for how they are going to handle the project. If you are going to be giving a large amount of money and responsibility to person, questioning them on a high level is an absolute must.

Tips Before Deciding On A Construction Loan Provider

Building your own home or commercial unit with your very own money is such a challenging feat. Even after long years of saving up, you can’t just have enough for your construction project. Still, you can make your dream home a reality. You can apply for a construction loan that would help you get started in building your dreams.

There are a lot of lenders that you can choose from. Just so you know, applying for a construction loan is not that easy. Be prepared for some serious tasks. It would definitely take a lot of effort and patience on your part. To help you in your hunt for construction loans, here are some quick tips:

• You should know your privileges.
As a borrower, you have some rights that you should be familiar with. The Federal Reserve Board has some good information that can help you understand the ins and outs of construction loans.

• Choose a deal that meets your needs.
If you feel that the package offered to you is not quite what you really want, then settle for no less. There are other lenders that can offer a package that fits your needs.

• Get as much option as you can.
Don’t fret if your loan application got disapproved. There are lots of lending companies you can turn to. Lenders have different credit standards. It is possible that one company will reject your application but the next just might approve it.

• Seek expert advice.
Before signing on any agreement, you can ask your attorney or public accounts for professional advice. Getting opinions outside of the lending institution you applied for allows you to hear an objective perspective of the deal. Getting professional help can save a lot of money and time in the long run.

What You Should Look For In A Construction Loan Provider

If you intend to build a home or a commercial establishment, you can always get a construction loan to get you started. You can apply for construction loans at any institutions that offer new construction financing.

With the present loan agencies at the market today, you may find a hard time in choosing which company to go to. True enough, not all lenders are the same. They offer different rates and have different terms. You might be at a lost and impulsively choose the lender who offers the lowest interest. But you might want to think again. It is important to know more details about what benefits you will have before signing on any agreement.

Here are some things that you should look for when choosing a construction loan provider.

• It would be advisable that you get a construction loan lender that can also provide you permanent financing if in case you need one. This way, you would have less hassle in applying for a permanent loan. The re-qualification process would be unnecessary and there will be no tedious paperwork to go through again.

• You can choose a lender that offers a ‘no payment’ deal while you are still in the process of building your home.

• If you want convenience and mobility, choose a construction lender who provides an online draw system. These companies have a secured process of allowing their clients to withdraw money through their website.

• Beware of construction loan lenders that offer their own construction materials, home kits or even subcontractors before you can get your loan application approved. Although they may have good products and services to offer, it is always advisable that you personally choose what materials you want to use and who you want to work with for your project.

• Choose a company that can provide you a flexible timeframe to finish your construction project. This may be a 3,6,9 or 12-month period. Also inquire about the available extension they may offer.

You are most likely to be in good hands if you choose a loan provider that’s been around for some time. This way, they can even give you expert advice on how to make your construction project successful over time.

Questions to Ask References

When hiring a construction company you will want to check references. This will allow you to get a good feel for the company, and how they conduct business. Even though this is not an absolute necessity, if you want to cut out a lot of the risk involved you will ask for references. After all, it does not take much time to call a few references, and ask some questions.


When you are on the phone with references that a construction company gives you, there are a few key questions that you will want to ask. Just a few of them are as follows.


1. Were you satisfied with the overall job, as well as the end result? Simply put this will give you a lot of information that you need in order to make a decision.


2. Did the workers respect your property? Did they break anything or did they leave it as they found it? Believe it or not some workers will show up and act as if they own a home. In turn this results in broken goods, and a poor end result.


3. Did you end up paying what you were told up front, or were you asked for additional money throughout the project? You will run into people that quote you one price, just to change this halfway through the project. This is unacceptable, and you want to avoid companies like this at all costs. They will leave you in the dark time and time again.


4. Was the job finished when they said it would be? If you are on a tight schedule you will need the company you hire to work within the timeframe that they give you. Companies that do not do what they say as far as completion time is concerned can be very difficult to get along with.

Ask for References

Are you looking to hire a construction company? If so, you will want to make sure that you get the best person for the job. But when it comes down to it, is this really possible? Yes and no. In order to make sure that you do everything you can, you will want to ask any construction company that you are considering for references. Some people pass this step by because they do not think it is necessary. But after one mistake you will soon find out that references can go a long way in ensuring your happiness in the long run.


When you ask for references be sure to do so in a professional manner. Simply tell the construction company that you are interested in their work, but you would like to speak with some past clients before you move forward. If a company is of high quality they will not have any problems giving you a list of a few references. But if they get a bit defensive when you ask, you will simply want to move on. It is not worth your time to get mixed up with somebody who cannot provide references.


There is no reason that you should feel dumb asking for references. Just like any other service, construction companies should be able to provide a list of satisfied customers upon your request. Remember, these companies expect you to ask for references. For this reason they will more than likely already have a few ready when you ask. At that point all you have to do is move forward, and get the information that you are after.


Requesting references can help to ensure that you get the best end result possible.

Build Your Own Home

Do you think that you have what it takes to build your own home? If so, you will want to move forward with caution. After all, building a home is a huge project. If you are not 100 percent sure that you can complete the job to perfection, you will not want to move forward. Remember, you will have to live in this home for years to come. So any mistakes that you make will stick out like a sore thumb day in and day out.


Here are a few details to ponder before you decide to start building your own home.


1. There is a lot of work that goes into a construction project that entails building a home from scratch. Not only will you have to buy all of the materials, but you will also have to put in all of the labor as well. This can be more overwhelming then some people think.


2. Do you have the time to build your own home? If you have a day job you may not have the necessary time to take on a project of this size. By only building at night or on the weekends you are in for a long process. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you are prepared for what you are getting.


3. Having a bit of help is always a good thing. Simply put, there will be some things that you cannot do on your own. But if you have an assistant that can lend a helping hand you will be in much better shape. It is a good idea to make sure that you have your help lined up before getting started.

Employing Building Contractors

One of the many advantages of employing an interior designer is the access gained to their pool of tried and trusted building contractors. However, the vast majority of contracting relationships are between members of the public and contractors whom they have sourced themselves. If you find yourself in this position, there are some guidelines you can follow that will make your life a bit easier.

There are two prices that will come into being during the life of the project. The first will be the estimated price tendered before the works are started; the second will be the price you are eventually charged. It is in the interests of your sanity and your savings that the two are as close to each other as possible. The accepted way to ensure your estimated price is reasonable is to get three different contractors to quote on the same works and choose the middle estimate. On the face of it this seems a good strategy. However, you are taking a gamble on the thoroughness of each contractor’s method of estimation. Also, every building contractor’s workload is in a constant state of flux. A company that has little or no space in its schedule will tend to quote high. In that way the expense and hassle of finding additional sub-contractors to carry the extra load is covered. On the other hand, a company hungry for work may quote very competitively and hope that on-site variations will add some cream once the project has been won. Many other factors can come into play that are personal to the contractor and some may even be based on the contractor’s first impression of you!

The secret to getting an accurate quotation is to supply your contractor with a detailed specification for the works contemplated. This is not as easy as it sounds. Try the following exercise for yourself before reading any further:

Write out a detailed specification for someone else to use in making a cup of tea! Your specification may look something like this:

• Put kettle on;
• Boil water;
• Put tea in teapot;
• Pour boiling water into pot;
• Stir;
• Wait;
• Pour out tea.

On the face of it this seems reasonable. But look again and see how much prior knowledge you have assumed. “Put kettle on” – put kettle on what? “Pour out tea” – onto the floor? This may seem silly but there is a serious side. We’ve seen job specifications that instructed the contractor to “Remove old kitchen units.” The contractor in question charged extra to cart the debris off-site. This cost would have been included in the original estimate had the specification read “Remove and dispose of old kitchen units”.

Sitting down and thinking hard about the scope of the works and committing each stage to paper will put you in a position of control. Send the specifications to your chosen contractors before they turn up on site to do their estimate. The contractor will have considered the specifications prior to his visit and it will be easier to engage him in meaningful dialogue during his visit. The specifications will encourage him to ask searching questions and offer opinions more freely. Additions and exclusions can be discussed and together you will develop a deeper mutual understanding of the project in hand.

We have found that a thorough, well-written set of specifications will draw very similarly priced estimates from different contractors. It is now our practise to seek only one quote from the contractor that we feel is best suited to the job. The second powerful advantage of good specifications is the effect they have at the other end of the project. The onus is on the contractor to identify any requested on-site variations as being outside the specifications; that is, additional to the scope of work that you originally detailed.

All jobs will have variations that occur during works on-site due to unforeseen events. But well-written specifications will help to close the gap between the estimated price and the price that you actually pay. It’s worth mentioning at this point the essential ingredient of any building project -- the contingency fund. Always ensure it stands at no less than 10% of the expected expenditure.

So, how do you choose your building contractor from the many hundreds that are available? Recommendation from friends or colleagues is always a popular route. But bear in mind that the Bloggs and Company that could do no wrong at your friend’s house may not be the same Bloggs and Company that turns up at your door a year later. Any main contractor is only as good as the tradespeople they employ. The circulation of good tradespeople is a feature of the industry and it is rare for main contractors to run the “same team” over prolonged periods. If you have a recommendation from someone you know, ask the contractor concerned to provide testimony from people you don’t know. Make a point of following this up with at least a telephone call, or make a visit if the property is local.

Always ask the contractor for a copy of his insurance certificates and his VAT number. If the contractor is not VAT registered then the alarm bells should start ringing. It’s almost impossible to operate even the smallest building concern without reaching VAT registration thresholds.

Don’t be tempted to enter a cash deal to avoid VAT. There is no escaping the fact that this is tax evasion and therefore illegal (how would you feel if the contractor offered to sell you a stolen car?). Paying cash means you have no invoice and the job “doesn’t exist” in the eyes of the authorities. This means you will seriously compromise your legal rights if something major goes wrong.

Once you’ve chosen your building contractor you should agree on a start date and reasonable project duration. Some people insist on penalty clauses for overrun and prefer to agree a fixed price contract. A penalty clause will certainly focus your contractor’s attention. But it may just focus him on avoiding the penalty at all costs, which may, in extreme cases, lead to important corners being cut. In our experience it is better to aim for best build quality and attempt to fit that into the preferred timescale.

Similarly, a fixed price contract may lead to downgrading of materials to claw back on previous overspends. Far better to have a system of “variation requests” where increases in expected expenditure are detailed in writing by the contractor for your approval. That way your quality of build is assured and you can keep a close track on your contingency fund.

Agree a payment structure with the building contractor prior to commencing the project. A typical payment schedule looks like this:

• 10% deposit to secure start date;
• 20% on or just after start;
• 30% interim;
• 30% interim;
• 10% at completion of snagging.

The exact timing of the interim payments will depend on the length and complexity of the project and the requirements for purchasing of materials. Also remember that the contractor has weekly cash pressure for wage bills and may have limited credit facilities for building supplies. Cash flow is therefore very important to their business.

As long as your contractor is working well there is no reason to be cagey about payments. Some people withhold a large portion of the contract value against completion. This is unnecessary in most cases and just makes life difficult for the contractor. Be realistic about the sum you hold against snagging. A retention of 10% of the contract value is generally enough to ensure the snagging gets done.

Major works are always going to be stressful and disruptive but thinking ahead can reduce the effect. Make your expectations of cleanliness known at the outset and the contractor can factor in any extra costs involved (I’ve been on a site where a labourer spent all day, every day clearing up behind everyone else). Hiring an outside Portaloo for the builders can make a big difference to your quality of life – especially on a Monday! Also, probably most important of all, make sure you have plenty of tea!

If you have chosen your contractor well and maintained a good level of communication throughout the project then you have a high chance of a rewarding experience that delivers the results you desired.

Decorating: Creating Special Places in Your Home

In your house, you probably have two types of spaces to decorate: your "predetermined spaces" and your "free spaces." Your predetermined spaces (or entire rooms, in some cases) are those that you know you need, you know exactly how you'll use them, and you know what type of furnishings you need for them. In your bedroom, for instance, you know you'll need a bed and something that stores clothing, such as a dresser. In your living room, you'll need some sort of seating, such as a sofa.

Free spaces don't fall neatly into place as predetermined spaces do. In fact, some free spaces come about almost by accident. Let's say you've just moved into an apartment, you've set up all your furnishings, and you realize you have a little more space than you thought or that you could shift your belongings a bit and end up with open areas that could be put to use. These areas can also be as compact as a corner of a room or even an unused closet or as large as an entire room.

A wonderful way to get the most out of a "free area" is to dedicate it to a favorite interest or hobby. Some popular hobbies that could benefit from such a space include these:

Artwork. If you're an artist, setting up a studio area-even if it's a small, cozy one-can help foster your creativity. (Areas without carpeting work well in case of spills, or you can cover flooring before tackling messy projects.) An art table, some shelving, and ample space for storing supplies will likely be needed.

Sewing. Sewing supplies can take up lots of space, unless you plan carefully. Setting up a sewing machine on a table is a must. To keep fabric neatly stored, fold pieces then stack them neatly on book shelves, or tag baskets (e.g., by color or fabric type) and either hang them on a wall or line them up on a table or the floor. Other supplies can be accommodated by using wall grids.

Reading and writing. Whether you're writing the great American novel or just want to read it, you can create a cozy corner with a desk, a lamp (or two), a bookshelf stuffed with great reads and reference materials, and a warm fleece blanket so you can get comfy when you read.

Computer work. Computer desks and workstations come in every size, shape, and color you can imagine. Look for them used at flea markets and yard sales, or hit an office supply store if you're looking for a larger selection. (At least a few should be reasonably priced.) Also opt for an adjustable chair with appropriate back support, ample lighting, a printer stand, and a filing cabinet if you need to store files.

Water Tower Place

Water Tower Place in Chicago was the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world from 1975 to 1990, when it was surpassed in height by 311 South Wacker Drive, also in Chicago. Water Tower Place is 76 stories, 859 feet tall and contains concrete with a strength of up to 9,000 psi.

Named after the Chicago Water Tower, the building was designed by Loebl, Schlossman, Dart & Hackl. The commercial construction company who built Water Tower Place was Inland-Robbins Co. A conventional design was used for the bottom 12 floors and a tubular design for the top 64 stories, using lightweight and normal weight concrete, as well as high strength concrete.

Water Tower Place could not have been built before the mid-1970s because concrete made before then would not have supported the massive structure. In the 1950s, any concrete with a compressive strength of 5,000 psi was considered high-strength. That definition changed in the 1960s, when high-strength concrete was anywhere between 6,000 and 7,500 psi. It wasn't until the early 1970s that concrete with a strength of 9,000 psi, the strength of some of the concrete used on Water Tower Place, was developed.

Advancements in improving concrete's strength have continued to improve the material even beyond the time Water Tower Place was created; modern concrete can reach strengths approaching 20,000 psi.

Only some of the cement in Water Tower Place is a strength of 9,000 psi. Concrete contractors used 11 different mixes, varying from 3,000 psi for the slabs to 9,000 psi for the columns. The structural system of the building consists of reinforced concrete on the outside with steel columns on the inside and steel slabs topped with composite concrete. At 2/3 the height of the tallest steel building when it was built, Water Tower Place serves as an example of how cement's abilities make it a strong rival of steel.

Not only is the building composed of concrete, but concrete also lies underneath the building site. Construction was delayed unexpectedly for several weeks when the commercial construction company discovered a stream running under the building site. They resolved the problem by creating a giant concrete dome to plug the water so that construction could continue.

Even though taller buildings have been built since 1975, Water Tower Place, which remains fully operational today, marked a major milestone for commercial construction companies in the advancement of high-strength concrete and the new capabilities this innovation afforded.

Are you Selecting the Best?

Selecting the right contractor. This is easier to say than to do. Every facility owner needing to build or renovate a facility is faced with trying to assemble the best design and construction team. They usually hire the design team first and do so with a qualifications based selection. For a variety of reasons (schedule being the most common), the contractor selection is increasingly being made based on something other than a low bid. The question is what to use as the basis of the contractor selection.

Best value bid or qualifications based selection?
When the contractor selection is based on something other than a low bid, the first question is should the facility owner make their contractor selection based on a process that includes some weighting of the total construction cost, or not?

Best value bid
If the answer is yes, to include the total cost of construction as part of the contractor selection criteria, then the type of selection being referred to is increasingly being called a “best value bid.” About half of the industry would refer to it as a variation of the design-bid-build delivery method, and the other half would refer to it as type of construction management at-risk.

Using a best value bid approach involves a host of challenges for the facility owner including:

1. What information will be used by the contractor in estimating the total construction cost?
2. When should the contractor be hired?
3. How complete should the design be at the time of contractor selection?
4. How much weight should be put on the total construction cost?
5. Will the contract be a lump sum or not-to-exceed price?
6. Are changes likely after the contractor selection?
7. How are contingencies and potential cost savings handled?

There are risks associated with each of these issues. There are also proven approaches that are available to mitigate the risks associated with each of these challenges.

Qualifications based selection (QBS)
If the answer is not to include the total cost of construction as part of the contractor selection criteria, then the type of selection is considered to be a “qualifications based selection” (QBS). If there were no element of price, then many would refer to this as a “pure qualifications” based selection. However, it is important to note that even when a contractor’s fees and/or general conditions are part of the selection, if the total construction costs are not, the industry would still refer to the selection as a qualifications based selection.

Lessons learned on contractor selection
For many facility owners, learning how to select a contractor on something other than the objective criteria of low price presents a new set of challenges. They are now faced with how to evaluate the subjective criteria such as the contractor’s past performance and their team’s experience. Which criteria should be used? How much should it be weighted? How should it be scored? Who should participate in the evaluation and when? They now face the challenge of how to buy value.

The good news is that there is extensive experience available in the industry now on this subject. Most owners use a multistep process including a request for qualifications (RFQ), a shortlisting, a request for proposals (RFP), another shortlisting, an interview and a final evaluation and selection. There are numerous examples and recommended practices available for each of these steps.

There are several lessons learned that every owner could benefit from when they are using a qualifications based contractor selection to buy value. These include:

An example might be on a project with an aggressive schedule and a significant penalty if it is not available for occupancy by a date certain. In such a project, the firm and their team’s proven ability to meet aggressive schedules is likely to be one of your heavily weighted criteria for final selection. It will likely be more important than their proposed fees.

Learning to buy value can be a challenge, especially for those who have only used a low bid price to select their contractors. The State of Georgia recently created guidelines on how to select a CM at-Risk (CM/GC) using a qualifications based selection (http://www.ganet.org/gsfic/const_manual.html). Though they are based on the requirements of a public owner, the guidelines contain a wealth of good information including a sample check list of final selection criteria (see page 45, Appendix 11.)

The key to using a qualification based selection process is to use the experience of those who have served on selection committees and gone through the process numerous times before to help anticipate how the entire process is likely to go. With the benefit of this planning, successfully implementing a selection process of a contractor that will add the most value can be accomplished successfully by almost anyone.

Disneyland - A New Kind of Amusement Park

Later in life, Walt Disney told inquirers that he first had the idea for a new kind of amusement park when he took his two young daughters out for fun on weekends and found that, "…existing kids' parks and fairs were often dirty, sleazy, money-grubbing places." In spite of the fact he had never developed real estate or managed a large-scale construction project, Disney nourished his notions of a new kind of amusement park throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s. His idea for displaying Disney characters in a fantasy setting was a bold departure from present-day amusement parks and carnivals that offered rides, games, and inexpensive food. Instead Disneyland was conceived as an extension of the Disney brand, and would be the first "theme park" built in the United States, signaling a major shift in amusement park construction - and, equally as importantly, in commercial construction of theme parks and real estate development surrounding major attractions.

As his ideas for the development began to expand and take shape, Walt found little enthusiasm for the project within his own company. His brother Roy, the financial director of the studio, strongly opposed it, believing that this "fanciful, expensive amusement park would lead to financial ruin." Most bankers and investors agreed, feeling that Disney's lack of real estate development and commercial construction experience was too large a hurdle to overcome. But Walt, confident of his own vision, sidestepped the studio and began to gather funds by borrowing on his life insurance and selling vacation property in southern California. He assembled a staff of designers, planners and artists and formed WED Enterprises - the letters were his initials - as a personal corporation to house them.

Operating out of a small building on the Disney Burbank lot, the WED group began a long process of creative brainstorming. Its members conceptualized, designed and reworked Walt's broad ideas. They visited other amusement attractions around the country to gather data and impressions and flesh out development plans, and with the help of commercial contractors created a rough construction timetable.

By 1953 major large hurdles - obtaining financing and securing a location - still blocked the launching of the park's construction. In July of that year, Walt recognized his need to obtain guidance from commercial real estate development experts and solicited a pair of marketing studies from the Stanford Research Institute: one would examine the economic prospects of developing Disneyland, and the other would seek the ideal location for construction companies to build the park.

After determining the facility could be profitable, the Stanford group closely examined a host of factors - demographic statistics, urban growth trends, population concentrations, traffic patterns, freeway construction, availability of experienced commercial contractors, weather conditions - before recommending a site in Anaheim, a rapidly growing town just southeast of Los Angeles. The study eventually led to the purchase of a 160-acre orange grove alongside the new Santa Ana freeway; its proximity to a major freeway meant the park was a short 27-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles.

Disney had struggled to find additional financing; as he later recalled, he was told by bankers that "the outdoor amusement business was a cultural anachronism that had already declined into senility." A few months later, the financial breakthrough came with a long-term agreement with ABC which brought the television network in as a major investor. (ABC agreed to carry Disney television programming, marking Mickey Mouse's first network appearance and the start of a tremendously profitable partnership for both companies. ABC also agreed to help publicize Disneyland in return for an ownership stake in the property.)

Construction of Disneyland Begins

With financing in place and a location secured, construction began in the summer of 1953. Commercial contractors and construction companies fell under the overall leadership of Joe Fowler, an engineer and retired navy admiral who became construction supervisor, and later park manager for ten years.

Disneyland was designed in a wheel-shaped configuration. The idea was to provide a fun entrance area with a long walkway where visitors would wander through, led by a grand visual attraction, to the park's center. From there, visitors could branch off to the rest of the park on paths that radiated outward like spokes on a wheel. This became the design for Disneyland. Visitors entered the park through Mainstreet U.S.A. and made their way to the center hub of the wheel, where they found the park's majestic centerpiece, Sleeping Beauty's Castle and Fantasyland. Winding "spokes" led from the castle through the rest of the park, guiding visitors to other different themed "lands", including Adventureland, Frontierland and Tomorrowland. This wheel design layout with an iconic centerpiece has become the standard approach for designing theme parks and has been adopted by the majority of theme parks constructed since that time.

Construction for Disneyland began on July 21, 1954, just 12 months before the park was scheduled to open. Construction crews worked frantically to meet the tight schedule and completed the project on time. Disneyland was formally opened a year later, on July 18, 1955, to glowing reviews. Unlike other amusement parks of the day, Disneyland was developed and constructed to be instantly recognizable as an extension of the Disney brand and the Disney philosophy. The rides used an array of Disney motifs, costumed Disney characters roamed the park, and Sleeping Beauty Castle, the looming attraction at the heart of the park, was instantly recognizable to millions of people since it was seen every Sunday night on ABC television. Disneyland became, in a sense, the capstone of Walt Disney's career.

The capstone of his career also quickly became the cornerstone of an empire. In its first six months, one million people visited the Disneyland; in its first full year, three million people passed through its gates. The park quickly generated capital to finance a vast expansion, and in subsequent years, each time the park expanded its capacity, revenues increased more than proportionately to the added capital. In spite of his lack of real estate development experience, Disney had created park plans that allowed for expansion and resulting construction that would not interfere with ongoing park operations.

Development and Construction Lessons Learned and Incorporated into Disney World

One thing that Disney learned from the development of Disneyland was the need for space - lots of it. He saw that his parks would become a destination for vacationers, and he wanted the control over the surrounding area for restaurants and hotels that would further the Disney brand. Unfortunately, Disney did not own the the land around Disneyland, and his park soon became surrounded by low-end motels and other business that detracted from the fantasy-like image he wanted to present. Disney also had more visions for his theme park to appeal to visitors of all ages and to incorporate a wider variety of subjects than just his cartoon characters. He quickly recognized that the 160 acres for Disneyland would not be nearly enough to meet his vision.

In 1963, Disney set out to find a site for a new Disney theme park that would give him the room he needed to create multiple theme parks, hotels, restaurants and more. His team (called Imagineers) scoured the country to find the right place to host a theme park on a much grander scale than Disneyland. While flying across Florida one day, he looked down on the undeveloped swamp lands and cattle pastures around Orlando and immediately recognized that this was the location for his new park.

Disney knew the importance of getting as much land as possible and was well aware of how prices would escalate if people found out what he was doing. He formed fictitious corporations with names like Tomahawk Properties, Latin American Development and Retlaw Enterprises (Retlaw is Walter spelled backwards) to acquire the land discreetly. By the time Disney announced the project on November 15, 1965, the company had acquired 27,443 acres (43 square miles) for $5 million. (This has expanded over the years to more than 30,000 acres, or almost 47 square miles). As Disney predicted, within days of this announcement land values for property surrounding the Disney site sky-rocketed from $180 per acre to as much as $80,000 per acre.

Construction Companies Break Ground on a New Kingdom

Tragically, Walt Disney passed away on December 15, 1966, before construction began on his new Disney World. His brother Roy stepped into his place and led the construction of the first theme park in Disney World, the Magic Kingdom, as well as on two hotels and a campground. Construction began in April, 1969.

Given that central Florida is primarily a wetlands region, construction crews faced a variety of challenges with relocating water while not affecting the local environment. Construction crews built more than 50 miles of levees and canals around the property to maintain levels and quality of the local fresh water while draining areas where construction would take place. This control system, which functions automatically based on water levels and without electricity, helps to minimize flooding without removing water from the area. Even bodies of water that would remain on the site needed to be cleaned and made safer for recreational use. Bay Lake was drained of its water and cleaned of muck. Construction workers removed more than seven million cubic yards of dirt from an adjacent area to create a man-made lagoon, named Seven Seas Lagoon. Sand from beneath the removed muck was used to create beaches around the lagoon. Once Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon had been filled with water, the surrounding areas served as the setting for one of the hotels, the Polynesian Village Resort.

The dirt removed for the creation of the lagoon became the earthen foundation for the Magic Kingdom theme park. Visitors to the Magic Kingdom rarely realize that they are actually on the second floor of the park. Construction crews created a nine-acre ground-level floor which is comprised of corridors and massive rooms. These corridors are called "utilidors" as they provide housing and access to the park's utility systems and the incredible network center that controls virtually every automated aspect of the park, right down to the gift shops' cash registers. The visible part of the Magic Kingdom is built on top of that ground floor, hiding it from view. Cinderella's Castle at the center of the Magic Kingdom is further elevated by several more feet to make it visible from miles around.

The Magic Kingdom was designed in the same wheel-shaped configuration first employed at Disneyland; at the center hub of the wheel stood Cinderella's Castle. Winding "spokes" meandered from the castle through the rest of the park, leading visitors to six different themed "lands", including: Main Street, USA; Adventureland; Frontierland; Liberty Square; Fantasyland; and Tomorrowland.

Cinderella's Castle is a masterpiece of design and construction. Standing 189 feet tall, the Castle is made of fiberglass veneer crafted around a 600-ton steel framework. It features ten spires; portions of the castle are finished to look like solid granite and other parts look like brick. The facade bricks nearer the top of the Castle are actually smaller than the ones closer to the ground. This technique of designing higher features to be disproportionately small makes the Castle look taller than it actually is; several buildings throughout the Magic Kingdom were constructed with smaller windows, balconies and doors on their second and third floors to employ this same design technique. Many believe the Castle was designed to be disassembled in the event of a hurricane. While this is not the case, Cinderella's Castle was built to withstand hurricane force winds. One of the Castle's towers includes an unfinished apartment. This apartment was to be used by Walt Disney and his family when they visited the park. Because Disney died before the building was constructed, the room was never used for this purpose. It has been left largely unused, although for some time it served as home for a Disney call center.

By the time the Magic Kingdom opened on October 1, 1971, more than 9,000 construction workers had labored for 18 months to build the park, which cost approximately $400 million to create.

Building Begins on the City of the Future

In 1975, Disney's Imagineers entered a new phase of Disney World's development with the planning of two new concepts that Walt Disney had envisioned more than a decade before. The first was a World Showcase, capturing the cultures of different countries around the world. The second was an amazing and daring vision of what the city of the future would be. Initially, Imagineers planned these two attractions as separate parks, or as attractions within Magic Kingdom. They finally chose to put the two concepts together into a single new theme park called EPCOT, short for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow.

In 1979 Disney's Imagineers began construction on EPCOT. EPCOT's skyline was to be dominated by one of the most creative buildings ever constructed, known as Spaceship Earth. Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury assisted on the design of Spaceship Earth and Disney served as its design firm with its WED Enterprises Group. One of the most recognizable buildings in America, Spaceship Earth was the world's first geodesic sphere building. The building, standing 18 feet above the ground on massive steel pylons, is 180 feet tall and weighs more than 15 million pounds. So massive is the building that construction crews drove its pylon legs 120 - 180 feet into the ground to provide sufficient stability. The sphere's external surface is covered by an intricate faceting of 11,324 alucobond triangles. The building surface is covered with gutters between the triangle facets; rainwater is captured in these gutters and channeled to a nearby lagoon to eliminate run-off from the building and conserve water resources. Inside, a steel skeleton forms the building's shape, an interior sphere skin provides the interior "walls" for the ride and attractions. A second sphere, the exterior skin, is mounted to the skeleton two feet away from the interior skin with smaller framework pieces.

EPCOT proved to be a much more challenging project than Magic Kingdom. With advancements in technology, designers and builders were able to incorporate five times more special effects into EPCOT than were built into Magic Kingdom. More than 10,000 construction workers labored for 26 months to create the 300-acre, $1.4 billion park in time for the grand opening on October 1, 1982; at the time, EPCOT was the largest commercial construction project on earth.

Construction Continues Through the 1980s and 1990s

Since EPCOT opened its gates in 1982, Disney World has continued to expand with new construction of theme parks, hotels, shopping areas and more.

In 1989, construction was completed on Disney-MGM Studios, a combination theme park / working movie studio. Using the template established with the Magic Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studios was designed with the wheel layout. Initially, a replica of Hollywood's Chinese Theater was the icon at the park's center hub. Construction crews worked from the original Mann's Chinese Theater plans and recreated the lobby precisely, then included stars on a walk of fame around the building for added effect. In 2001 Disney added a 122-foot tall Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat as the new centerpiece for the park. Constructed of fiberglass with a concrete foundation, the 156-ton hat was designed after the cap worn by Mickey Mouse in the movie Fantasia. Winding paths lead from the park's center hub to five themed areas, including: Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake, Streets of America, Mickey Avenue, Animation Courtyard and Sunset Boulevard. To capture the Golden Hollywood theme for the park, construction crews built painstaking replicas of California real estate icons like Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, as well as more mundane tinseltown scenes like a 50's diner, old fashioned theaters and other symbols of the community. Old time movie studios typically had a water tower and Disney continued this tradition with a 130 tower in the backlot area, complete with 5,000 pound Mickey ears that were lifted in place with a crane during construction.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Disney continued to add more hotels and resorts to the property - no less than 23 different resorts now offer lodging on Disney property that ranges from the most luxurious suites to camping sites.

The expansion of new attractions continued with the debut of Disney World's first water park, Typhoon Lagoon, in 1989. Also that year, an entertainment complex called Pleasure Island debuted. Pleasure Island ultimately became a major section of Downtown Disney, a 120-acre shopping, entertainment and restaurant area outside of the theme parks. In 1992 the Bonnett Creek Golf Courses opened, featuring two courses: Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge. A second water park, Blizzard Beach, was completed in 1995. In 1996 construction was complete on the Disney World Speedway 200 race track.

In 1995 Disney broke ground on the fourth of its theme parks at Disney World, Animal Kingdom. This theme park, the largest of all the Disney parks, is dedicated to the conservation of our planet's wildlife. True to form, Animal Kingdom is designed in the wheel configuration. The center of the park, Discovery Island, features the massive Tree of Life as its icon. The Tree of Life stands fourteen stories tall and is built around a refitted oil platform. Paths leave Discovery Island and lead visitors to the other themed areas of the park, which include Oasis, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Asia and DinoLand USA Construction crews worked on the Animal Kingdom for three years, opening the 500-acre, $800 million park on April 22, 1998.

A Simple Experience Leads to a New Paradigm in the Construction of Amusement Parks

From Walt Disney's unpleasant experience as a father taking his daughters to an amusement park has emerged the multi-billion dollar industry of modern theme parks. Disney's theme parks now dominate tourism on both coasts, as well as in Paris and in Tokyo. Disney's diversification from cartoons and movies into vacation environments now includes a Disney cruise line as well. In fact, Disneyland and Disney World signaled a major shift in amusement and theme park development and construction. Almost every major amusement park in the U.S. today is a descendant of and aspires to the Disney model: a focus on convenience, a superior guest experience, development planning allowing easy and seamless expansion, innovative construction techniques and most importantly a "theme" that gives a park a sense of identity and uniqueness.

By developing Disneyland and expanding that dream to Disney World, Walt Disney not only changed the fortunes of his company; he also revived the dying American amusement park business and made it a multi-billion dollar industry entertaining millions of people every year. Disney is justifiably celebrated for creating characters like Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck - but his effect on real estate development and theme park construction is no less significant.

Do it now

When going to college many years ago, I decided to challenge myself by setting a goal to see if I could graduate in only three semesters, taking the same classes that people would normally take over a four-year period. This article explains in detail all the time management techniques I used to successfully pull this off.

In order to accomplish this goal, I determined I'd have to take 30-40 units per semester, when the average student took 12-15 units. It became immediately obvious that I'd have to manage my time extremely well if I wanted to pull this off. I began reading everything I could find on time management and putting what I learned into practice. I accomplished my goal by graduating with two Bachelor of Science degrees (computer science and mathematics) in just three semesters without attending summer school. I slept seven to eight hours a night, took care of my routine chores (shopping, cooking, etc), had a social life, and exercised for 30 minutes every morning. In my final semester, I even held a full time job (40 hours a week) as a game programmer and served as the Vice Chair of the local Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) chapter while taking 37 units of mostly senior-level computer science and math courses. My classmates would add up all the hours they expected each task to take and concluded that my weeks must have consisted of about 250 hours. I graduated with a 3.9 GPA and also received a special award given to the top computer science student each year. One of my professors later told me that they had an easy time selecting the award recipient once it became clear to them what I was doing.

I wasn't considered a gifted child, and this was the first time I had ever done anything like this. I didn't have any personal mentors helping me, I didn't know of anyone who'd done anything like this before, and I can't recall a single person encouraging me to do it. In fact, most people were highly discouraging of the idea when I told them about it. This was simply something I decided to do for myself. If you want a better understanding of where I was at this time in my life and why I decided to attempt such a crazy thing, you might enjoy reading The Meaning Of Life: Intro, which includes the full background story and more details about my motivation for doing this.

It took a lot of convincing to get the computer science department chair to approve my extra units every semester, and my classmates often assumed I was either cheating or that I had a twin or that I was just mentally unstable (I get accused of that last one pretty much every week, so maybe there's some truth to it). Most of the time I kept quiet about what I was doing, but if someone asked me how many units I was taking, I didn't deny it. I was perhaps the only student at the university with a two-page class schedule, so it was easy to prove I was telling the truth if anyone pressed me, but rarely did I ever do so.

I didn't tell you this story to impress you but rather to make you curious as to how I did it. I pulled this off by applying time management concepts that most people simply didn't know but that were readily available in books and audio programs at the time (1992-93). The time management habits I learned in college have served me very well in building my business, so I want to share them with you in the hopes that you'll find them equally valuable. They allowed me to shave years off my schooling while also giving me about $30,000 to start my business (all earned in my final semester as a game programmer, mostly from royalties).

Construction Cost Estimating Presents New Challenges

The past two years have been marked by dramatic extremes for our economy and the construction industry. As a result, this period may be one of the most volatile on record when it comes to pricing of construction supplies, materials and services.

From the general contractor's perspective, the good news is that America's demand for new commercial and residential building has been on the increase in 2005. According to the U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce, as of August 2005 construction spending was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,108.5 billion, 6.1 percent above August 2004. During the first eight months of 2005, construction spending amounted to $723.7 billion, 9.0 percent above the same period in 2004. From July to August 2005, the fastest growing segments of the construction industry were highways and nonresidential private construction, outpacing the rate of growth in residential and all other facets of public construction.

Demand for new construction is growing at a healthy, but not excessive rate, which should bode well for stable construction costs, right? Unfortunately, this is not the case. External forces have resulted in phenomenal rate increases for a wide range of integral construction supplies, raw materials and services. This fact has made the process for long term cost projections more difficult now than it's ever been.

External Forces Drive Price Extreme Fluctuations in Construction Supplies and Raw Materials

In 2004, Steel was the primary culprit for increased construction supply costs. The largest factor influencing this was China's burgeoning economy, which has driven phenomenal growth in their construction and manufacturing needs. China's demand for steel in 2004 increased by 38 million tons; just their demand increase was as much as the total annual steel usage for Mexico and Canada . . . combined. This massive increase in demand, coupled with reduced supplies of raw materials and a weaker American dollar, drove the price for steel up 66% in one six-month period in 2004 and made long-term cost estimating for a wide range of construction projects virtually impossible.

As a result, in 2004 steel producers added surcharges or renegotiated contracts to raise prices and help offset their higher costs, or simply canceled orders they couldn't fill. Steel's spiraling prices finally peaked and started to reverse themselves in 2005, although they remain 20 - 30% higher now (mid- to late-2005) than their January 2004 levels.

Concrete also was in high demand in 2004 and 2005, driving up prices and lead times for this raw material as well. While concrete prices have not inflated as dramatically as steel's, they have increased 10 - 12% between January 2004 and mid-2005.

Consumer demand and finite supplies also played a major role in the cost of gasoline and petroleum products over the past 12 - 24 months. In December 2004 oil sold for $37 per barrel. In September 2005 oil cost more than $63 per barrel, following temporary spikes in August that exceeded $70 per barrel. This resulted in price jumps of 50% for gas and diesel fuels, as well as significantly increased manufacturing and delivery prices for virtually every product and process in construction.

For the remainder of 2005 and into 2006, the greatest affect on construction costs may well be the result of natural - and not man-made - forces. This year Hurricane Katrina caused at least $125 billion in economic damage and could cost the insurance industry up to $60 billion in claims. Estimates for damage to infrastructure such as roads, bridges and the utility system in New Orleans alone exceed $10 billion. Thousands of businesses and more than 300,000 homes were damaged by Katrina, most of them beyond repair. Following Katrina was Hurricane Rita, which caused an additional $10 - 15 billion in damages in Texas and Louisiana.

In the short term, the repair process will place heavy demands on a wide range of building materials like lumber, steel, plywood, electrical components, glass, roofing materials, asphalt, carpeting, drywall and PVC piping, so costs and delivery times for these items are likely to increase nationwide. Skilled construction labor, particularly framers and drywall installers, will also be at a premium as far away as north Texas. Katrina will result in a temporarily reduced demand for concrete in the region as workers focus on repairs rather than new construction. This reduced demand may or may not translate into price reductions, however; New Orleans is the country's largest port of entry for imported concrete, and with that city's diminished functionality, available supplies will be reduced as well as local demand.

For the long term, Katrina's impact on our nation's oil supplies and continually increasing demand may have the greatest affect on construction costs. Several American refineries and oil delivery mechanisms were affected by Katrina; as a result, already-tight oil supplies were further diminished by the hurricane and the cost to manufacture and deliver products or operate construction equipment is likely to continue its rise. Adding refinery capacity in our country would take at least a decade so we have no short term solution to this problem.

Construction Costs Summary

When fundamental raw materials like steel, concrete and petroleum experience double-digit inflation rates, the amount of time for which material suppliers, subcontractors, general contractors and cost estimators can commit to pricing grows shorter and shorter. Established commercial construction companies like Bob Moore Construction have outstanding relationships with major subcontractors and suppliers, as well as the expertise to provide as much pricing information and commitment as possible. But the fiscal reality of the global economy and the ramifications of natural disasters shackle all participants in the building process when it comes to projecting construction costs, long term. When prices for core raw materials are increasing at eight to ten times the economy's inflation rate, it is very difficult to commit to pricing several months in the future that is still cost-competitive.

Given that the volatility of raw materials and supplies will not be diminished in the near future, developers must seek out ways to compress the construction schedule and work with leading industry partners to increase the legitimacy of their project budget. For example:

• Engaging a general contractor or construction manager earlier in the process is a good way to control time in the initial planning phases, as these experts understand permitting and other legal requirements and can ensure all documentation is filed thoroughly and in a timely manner, reducing schedule delays early on.
• Approaches to construction like tilt-up construction and Fast Track have reduced the timetable for delivering a construction project considerably.
• Some building owners are taking a more active role in the design/bid/build process and are functioning as a team member to streamline communications and drive faster completion of projects as well.

Developers and business owners should leverage these approaches and work with general contractors who have the relationships with quality suppliers to maximize their ability to project and budget construction costs accurately through the end of the building's construction process.