It’s fair to say the construction industry runs in Sam Holman’s blood, with his dad, forging a career as a bricklayer, and his brother, Jake, working as a maintenance and heating engineer. Therefore, it’s no surprise that this family skill set inspired Holman to take a similar route, starting out with his dad, and then moving onto becoming a site manager after completing a construction management degree. ‘My five-year degree allowed me to work my way up the corporate ladder in large construction firms, until, eventually, I realised I wanted to start my own business. Teaming up with my brother, who was also in the building services, seemed like the obvious choice, so I made him quit his job and come on board. We haven’t looked back,’ says Holman.
In 2018, Project Nine Property Group was born, a construction company specialising in high-quality builds with first-class craftsmanship. The company prides itself on providing a smooth build process, with great collaboration from other professionals, such as architects, structural engineers and an in-house interior designer. However, building their construction business wasn’t always smooth sailing. ‘It was a steep learning curve at the beginning,’ admits Holman.
Here, Holman reveals the lessons learned that have helped shape their business, including the addition of Houzz Pro management software to improve the accuracy of their quotes and win more jobs.
Build estimates in half the time
For any business starting out, the early years are always informative, helping pros understand what works and what needs improvement. For Holman, he quickly realised that quotes which lacked detail would often lead to mis-communication with clients and subcontractors. ‘We quickly found out that if a quote wasn’t comprehensive, clients would become frustrated as they didn’t realise what was or wasn’t included in the cost, such as the flooring or tiling,’ says Holman. ‘We found that relationships could break down if things weren’t transparent.’
To combat the conundrum of delivering accurate quotes without spending hours on them, Holman decided to invest in Houzz Pro’s digital software to help him create quick yet thorough estimates in half the time. "We used to print out a drawing and then use a scale rule to actually mark-up the plan. However, now, we can put the scaled drawing on screen in minutes, work out the materials quickly and turn it into an estimate. It has been a really big help and saved us heaps of time,’ says Holman, which is a bonus when you don’t always win the job.
Detailed and accurate electrical and lighting plans are a crucial part of any new build or renovation, ensuring sockets are positioned practically and the illumination is sufficient. Holman also uses Houzz Pro to create their electrical takeoffs by inputting floorplans onto Houzz and then marking up the quantity of electrical points and light switches required, so this cost can be built into their estimate. ‘It’s important our clients understand the final budget and what it entails, so we break it down with detailed costs for each aspect of the build, such as electrics ,’ says Holman, again showing how Project Nine prides itself on the clear and transparent specification of a job.
Incorporate all the elements in your estimate
When quoting for a project, many building firms only estimate the cost of the construction materials and labour, without including the finishing touches, such as flooring, painting or any joinery work. This results in a false sense of security for the client, who isn’t being given the full picture of how much the project will finally cost. So, for Holman and his brother, having an in-house designer has been an invaluable asset to their business, as they can offer a detailed and concise estimate that incorporates everything, right down to the curtains. ‘Our interior designer discusses all the finishes, from flooring, tiling, wall colours, and kitchens, and this helps us price the work. These costs can vary immensely, so it’s fantastic that we can offer our clients an overall view of the budget from the outset,’ says Holman.
Project Nine’s interior designer also makes use of Houzz Pro software, building her interior concepts on the Mood Boards feature. ‘We love seeing her designs come to life through the useful 3D plans. Products, such as bathrooms and kitchens, can be added to the Mood Boards allowing our clients to clearly visualise their home. This is such a fun and exciting stage of the project and it’s a digital tool we use a lot,’ says Holman.
Rely on your Construction Daily Log
Holman chose Houzz Pro to help him streamline and manage his business processes, including the incredibly handy Time and Expense Tracking app, which works as a central hub for all communication across the project, keeping everything on track. ‘We use the Time and Tracking app as a site management tool. Our site foreman uses the app to log what is happening on a daily basis, and this information gets fed back to the office. We then have an accurate record of who was on the job and what they were doing,’ says Holman, who admits that the tool has been indispensable for managing their costs and preventing margins being squeezed. ‘It’s easy to lose important time chasing contractors to see what has been implemented, or tracking down materials that don’t appear to be on site. With the daily log app, every trade and every product is logged and accounted for, saving us precious time and money.’
Advice for your younger self
We’ve all wished we could turn back time and give our younger self a golden nugget of advice, and for Holman, his gem of knowledge would be to gain more education about running a construction company. ‘When we started it, as much as I knew how to run a construction project, I didn’t actually know how to run a business,’ he says. ‘I wished I’d done some business studies, like a short course, but instead I just said, let’s go for it. Obviously, you quickly start learning lessons about how business works and financial models, however, it would have saved a lot of time and energy in those early stages if I’d known more,’ says Holman.
Fortunately for Holman, now he has Houzz Pro helping him manage his business processes, he is able to spend precious time and energy on the day-to-day running of his company, and focus more on elevating the growth of his business. ‘For any builders who want to save time and improve the productivity of their business, Houzz Pro is the way forward if you want to do things professionally. Admittedly, it took us a while to get the hang of it all, but once we had, we realised how much more work we could squeeze into a day,’ says Holman.
It’s no surprise that Holman’s clients are more than happy to leave glowing reviews on his Houzz profile at the end of a project, as he strives to offer a professional service that delivers a quality product. ‘There will always be builders that will offer to do the job for less, but we take pride in offering a seamless high-standard package from start to finish. We even offer a handover process at the end of a job where we do a walk round with the client to make sure they are happy with everything. Then we hand over a pack with all the documentation, such as product guidelines, certificates and any guarantees for products like windows, doors, and electrical items. We feel it's all part of creating a five-star experience, and potential clients can see for themselves by reading our reviews on our Houzz profile.’
