Why projects drift
Most projects do not fail for lack of good architects, makers or suppliers. They drift in the space between them: a brief that each party reads differently, decisions that wait because the client is elsewhere, quotes and changes that nobody compares, and no one who holds the whole picture.
An owner-side project manager closes that space. They work for you alone, keep everyone to one plan, and tell you plainly where things stand.
What a project manager does
- Turns an idea into a brief: what the project is, what done looks like, the budget, the date and who decides.
- Builds the team: designers, contractors, makers, venues and advisers found, checked and briefed, then engaged by you.
- Holds the plan: one schedule and one budget, kept current, with decisions brought to you before they become delays.
- Goes to look: site meetings, samples, installations and deliveries attended at the moments that decide the outcome, with photographs and a short report.
- Reviews quotes and changes: so you know what you are agreeing to, and why.
- Closes the project: the handover checked against the brief, open items followed until they are done, accounts settled and documents gathered.
What a project manager does not do
A project manager does not replace licensed professionals. Design and site responsibility belong to an architect or engineer; permits are signed by them; contracts, tax and property transactions belong to lawyers, notaries and accountants. A good project manager knows where that line is, brings in the right professional and makes sure nothing waits between them.
A project manager is also not a contractor or a broker. They should not take commissions from the suppliers they recommend, so that their advice stays yours.
How to choose one
- A named lead who answers for the project, not a rotating team.
- Scope and fee clear before work begins, and an open answer to how they are paid.
- Discretion: your project, your property and your partners stay confidential.
- Languages: yours and those of the people doing the work, without an interpreter in between.
- Reports you can act on: what was seen, what was decided, and what needs your decision next.
Where to start
Start small: one brief, one visit, one clear report. If it works, extend it to the whole project.
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