Commercial Construction: Want vs. Need

Whether you are renovating an existing facility or constructing a new building, planning a commercial construction project can be a daunting challenge. After all, it’s your company’s reputation that will be affected by the outcome of the project. So, it’s important to ensure you make the right decisions. And one big decision faced by business owners is deciding their wants versus needs in their commercial construction project.

Differentiating what you really want from what you actually need will go a long way in ensuring that your commercial construction project is completed on time and within your budget. Here are tips to help guide you through this tough decision-making process.

Create a List of Wants and Needs

In a commercial construction project, creating a list of your desirable items is very important. This may seem overwhelming or even impossible due to a lack of building experience on your part but listing the items your company really wants in a project helps the general contractor to develop a better picture of your desirable preferences, allowing them to help you make better decisions.

Needs are the things that come to mind when you think of health, safety, and functionality. They are the items that will be required due to building codes and other regulations such as having enough space for parking, impact resistant windows, façade materials and height restrictions, for example.

On the other hand, wants are those desirable amenities that improve the look, feel and functionality of your office or structure. For example, you may want marble flooring throughout the building, but based on your budget an alternative flooring option will need to suffice. These are the types of decisions your general contractor can help you make when planning your commercial construction project. They can give you alternative choices that will give you the visual impact you desire.

Set a Budget to Balance Wants and Needs

Setting a realistic budget is another important consideration in a commercial construction project. How much are you willing to spend? Keep in mind that your budget may be limited to the limits of your bank loan. You will need to balance your wants and needs to avoid tipping the scale. Unnecessary additions to your commercial project can deplete financial resources at a critical stage, which may deal a serious blow to your project. If you don’t have enough funding to include all your wants, eliminate the ones you can live without. Setting a budget and prioritizing your wants will ensure that all your vital project goals are met.

Hire a Reputable Commercial Construction Contractor

Hiring a commercial contractor with experience in your type of building or renovation project is a wise decision. Contractors will help evaluate your wants with what is actually needed to make sure your overall objectives are met. They’ll look at your budget and determine the feasibility of your wants. They will offer advice on the wants and needs that you can and cannot overlook.

Establish Priorities

Look at your project and arrange your ideas from the most beneficial to the least beneficial. The most beneficial items are things that are important to the functionality, safety, and health of your commercial property or occupants. You can add any extra features later in the project. Remember, running out of money before the construction of required needs may turn your project into a nightmare. A priorities list serves as a guide to give you a general direction on the things you need and the ones you want that can be added later.

Get an Outside Opinion

Talk to your employees or prospective guests who will be using the building to hear their thoughts about your project. Since they’re the ones who will be working, visiting or occupying space in the building, they can help you determine the features that are most important to them.