7 Common Commercial Renovation Pitfalls and How To Avoid Them

Knowing what not to do when you take on an office renovation project in Mississauga will help you make the most of your time and money. To make your renovation easier, we've compiled a list of common remodeling pitfalls and how you may be able to avoid them.

Starting the work without planning

Make sure you have a design in mind that is used to create a detailed project plan with costing, resources, and deliverables. Review your plan and clearly define what you want and what you expect from the finished project. More floor space? Modernization?

Remodeling without a fixed budget

Make a list of work that must be done and corresponding price. If you are not sure about your budget you will likely overspend. Instead, work with a licensed, experienced contractor to understand your needs and what it costs

Using low quality Materials

While it may seem like you are saving money, low quality materials may cost you more in the long run due to faster wear and tear. Instead, consider investing in quality materials.Often they may even have additional features that make them worth the cost in addition to lasting longer and reducing future maintenance costs.

Taking Last minute decisions

Last minute decisions lead to long lasting regrets. Make all decisions in advance and execute it as per your plan. This will ensure you and your developers have a shared understanding of your project, budget, and deliverables.

Not discussing your project in detail

Discuss and put on paper the timeline of theremodeling project.What are the main phases? What areas of your office are off limits during the remodeling and which can be worked in? Talk to your commercial contractor about process, timing and disruption to your regular activities and communicate that with everyone involved.

Don’t change your mind too often

Once your project has begun, try your best to stick with your plan. Don’t get persuaded to change something that you may later regret based on a whim.

Hiring the Wrong Contractor

Get to know your commercial contractor. Check their references and licenses. Make sure they are the right one. Choosing the wrong contractor will lead to delays, subpar work, and even legal problems.

So don’t make your renovation any harder than it has to be by making these mistakes.Good Luck.

6 Ways Cornerstone’s Approach Delivers A Successful Office Renovation

Cornerstone Building and Property Services delivers store and office renovations that satisfies our customers way beyond their expectations. Our work speaks for itself, when you see a truly eye-catching office or storefront around Brampton or Greater Toronto it may just be a Cornerstone success story. Though store renovations in Toronto may seem straightforward, they can actually be quite challenging without an experienced contractor like Cornerstone at the helm. Six approaches that make Cornerstone’s renovations and remodels successful include :   

Proper planning and monitoring

Cornerstone’s systematic methodology for each project is the key to a successful renovation. We take the time to plan out all aspects of the project, which saves time, stress, and resources down the line. After proper planning, our continued monitoring and feedback process while the work is going on ensures that any hiccups that may pop up are quickly resolved, delivering a high-quality finished project to our clients. 

Focusing on the big picture–without ignoring the details

Cornerstone focuses on the big picture so that we can lead our team more effectively. Remodeling can sometimes feel like an endless series of decisions. At times it’s easy to get caught up in all of the details and forget about the big picture. Our remodeling decisions are made through experience, made in a timely fashion, and will meet all of your budget requirements.

Choosing The Right Materials 

Cornerstone knows where you want to splurge and where you can reasonably cut costs. Our material selection process minimizes cost while meeting product performance goals.

 Risk Tolerance

The ability to tolerate risk is part of our business. Our professional commercial contractors are aware of issues and risks beforehand and their helpful advices will ensure a successful outcome. The early identification and pre-purchasing of products that have long lead times can help reduce the extended construction schedule while our experience in the industry helps us head off issues before they even arise.

Effective Communication

We present plans and sample boards to communicate the vision and intent of the renovations, which is a good way to answer questions and dispel concerns. Ultimately,our job is not finished until you, your team members, and your customers love your space.

 Realistic Schedules That We Meet

We follow a timeline process showing you the steps at every stage so you can track progress and ensure that we deliver on time, every time.

As a specialist in commercial renovation, we deliver high standards and a great finish to your project, right down to the very last nail!

6 Ways To Plan Your Office Space

When it comes to your business’s future, it’s always good to have a plan. Ensuring that your office is an inspirational place to work is vital. Smart office renovations and space planning greatly impacts the efficiency of your work environment. 6 great ways to guide this process are listed below.

Make a list of your priorities

Making a list of your priorities and everything you would like to have in the space is a great way to simplify and organize your thoughts. These priorities will guide you when you have to start making hard decisions taking space, budget, and time into consideration.  

 Don’t ignore future growth

Include room for a reasonable growth. The goal of space planning is to maintain a productive environment for years to come. Consider what space and equipment you need to allow for additional staff, customers, and products.

Calculate the space per staff member required

Space outyour team according to the flow and circulation of your office space. In many places, there arelaws concerning the amount of space each employee must have. Make sure you understand your employees’ requirements and your obligations to them when planning. Speak to a licensed, professional commercial contractor if you need guidance in this area.

Don’t forget space to move around. 

Traffic jams aren’t only for roadways, they can happen in your office too – hindering production and creating frustration for your employees. Clutter closes down space; so de-clutter to avoid blocking circulation and common pathways.                                                                                                Cubicles aren’t always the best idea!

Plan your space according to your wants and needs, not according to trends and traditions. Consider collaborative workspaces instead of cubes, think about different layouts. Subdivide different activity zones to give definition to each part of the room. 

What your employees think?

Effective space planning should focus on employee’s needs. Professionals can make suggestions but they can’t always tell you what you need uniquely for your office.  

You and your employees have the most insight into your one-of-a-kind needs and know what is best for your work culture.

Do you have any other methods you use to effectively plan your work space? Let us know!

The Role of Cornerstone as Your Project Manager

Project management is all about a structured approach to planning and implementing construction projects to result in a smoother, headache free experience for you, our client. 

As a project manager on your next office or store renovation, Cornerstone will work closely with you, focusing on understanding and anticipating your needs.As an experienced project manager in the building, remodeling, and renovation of space,we have the technical knowledge and market awareness to meet the challenges in construction, development, and office/store renovations in the GTA. Cornerstone’s impartial advice leads to project cost savings, on time construction, and a happier client. We strive to provide a better journey for our clients. Our goal is to reduce cost and maximize project efficiency and project management is a critical part of that. When working with Cornerstone you will enjoy a phased approach to your project that includes: 

Project Initiation Phase

A project initiation document is created which defines the direction and scope of the project. The document reflects the current -status, plans and controls of the project.

Pre-construction Estimating (Planning Phase)

As a project manager, Cornerstone creates the project management plan which helps identify foreseeable risks in office renovations in Mississauga, including estimates, budgets, requirements, and resources. We work closely with the client, suppliers, and vendors alike to help identify the project scope, cost estimates, project schedules and budgets. By establishing client expectations and goals during this phase, our project team addresses the issues before they even arise.

Project Implementation Phase

The project is executed during this phase. Our team assigns resources and starts executing tasks according to the project management plan and updates the schedule and current status of the project. Project implementation is complete when all of the requirements have been met.

Managing and Monitoring Phase

During the monitoring phase,Cornerstone as a project manager closely manage subcontractor performance providing instructions, training, scheduling, and evaluating the project. Any client problems will be addressed during weekly meetings with the staffs and arrange human and material resources which is necessary to bring the project to a successful completion. 

Project Closure Phase    

The phase ensures the completion of the project. Cornerstone provides all project closeout information to the client during the closure phase. We aren’t happy until you are.

Therefore Cornerstone as a Project Manager actively participates in the process by planning,managing,and handling every detail of the project.