How to find a trustworthy builder who makes saving you money a priority - page
on Hebbern
Whenconstruction costs were rising, Calvary Aged Care was tasked with refurbishing their Hebburn Village site in Cessnock.
Linear Project Management’s David Arguelles was tasked by Calvary Aged Care with keeping costs down during the renovation.
One of the challenges David faced was the need to undertake a renovation within a live environment where one of the wings was already occupied by a large group of residents.
However, by utilizing Skope Constructions’ services, David could complete the project saving Calvary Aged Care - $80,000.
In this interview, David shares how Skope Constructions helped him to create these savings and why he is happy to recommend John Carolan and his team.
“The Calvary Cessnock facility had one of their wings within a live environment which was vacant because Skope Constructions had previously completed an earlier stage,” said David Arguelles.
“The residents that were technically in Hebburn Lodge had already moved across to the Kalingo Lodge, allowing the new work to commence.”
"Like many projects, there are extra costs. In the case of Hebbern
Lodge, there was a need for a new mechanical ventilation system and the replacement of toilets in various locations."
David, how John Carolan and the Skope Constructions team save Calvary Aged Care on this particular project?
“In terms of the mechanical ventilation system, the air conditioning system, they managed to provide a fifty-thousand-dollar saving,” said David.
“The mechanical engineer designed a system that replaced all the duct work within the ceiling spaces.
"Refurbishing the ventilation
system was very costly, and the associated time implications added to the work involved.
“So, there was a saving of approximately fifty thousand dollars in fixing the ventilation system, not only on the cost side of things but also on the time side.
“The other savings Skope were able to make concerned the toilet pans in the residence ensuites.
This was a real bonus as the team at Skope Constructions found an alternative toilet to what had been originally specified. They got a sample of the new toilets. We reviewed it and provided that sample to Calvary. They checked it and accepted it would be a good and compliant toilet.
“That was another saving in the order of thirty thousand dollars for the project.”
David also spoke highly of Skope Construction’s approach to communication and problemsolving as the project evolved.
“Given this facility was in the Hunter Valley region, it’s
not somewhere you can just drive to in an hour, it’s a twoand-a-half-hour drive each way, and we would conduct weekly or fortnightly site meetings with Calvary and Skope Constructions,” said David.
“The way Skope operates is that they are very open and transparent with everything.
“So, we’re on the phone every couple of days or daily, talking to the site manager and looking ahead at any potential issues that might arise.
“They are always willing to work with us to find a solution to any issues that arise, making my job easier.”
Thanks to David’s leadership and expertise, Calvary Aged Care was able to refurbish their Hebburn Village site in Cessnock successfully, saving in total eighty thousand dollars in the process.
Having worked on many projects with Skope Constructions, David was more than happy to recommend the Skope Constructions team to others.
As we concluded our interview with David, he commented, “With Skope Constructions helping you, many other organizations would also be able to save costs on their renovation projects.
“I know from first-hand experience that John asnd his team work hard to ensure their clients are successful by saving them from unecessary expense.”
Are you looking at refurbishing your Aged Care centre, then talk to John Carolan from Skope Constructions on 02 9659 8461.
David Arguelles - Linear Project Management
"Calvary Aged Care saved $80,000 on Hebbern Lodge,"
Finding a trustworthy builder is essential for any construction project, and it's important to do your research and choose a company with a proven track record of delivering quality work on time and within budget. One such company is Skope Constructions, founded by John Carolyn.
"Well, I think one of the top priorities on most projects is saving money for my clients," said John.
"More recently, we had a project in Canton Beach, Central Coast, NSW which was an affordable housing project for Pacific Link Housing.
"During the planning phase, we were able to obtain and plan for over a hundred thousand dollars worth of savings on that project."
Wall Edgell, the Chairman of Pacific Link Housing, commented on the savings John and his team found on this project.
"The hundred thousand dollars you talk about savings, that's the equivalent of half a unit in that development," said Wall.
"And because we're a registered charity, I have to say money is always the bone of our existence or the lack of money so getting a competitive tender and also having a builder who's prepared to sit alongside us and work to minimize costs for anything that we might come across is a great benefit Skope brought to the table."
Recovery Aged Care has also benefited from cost savings thanks to Skope Constructions.
David Argueles, the project manager, said, "We're always looking to put a bit of money back into contingency if you can.
"So a couple of areas where
Skope saved us are, was one in terms of the mechanical ventilation system at Hebbern Lodge.
"Working on the air conditioning system they managed to provide a fifty-thousand dollar saving and the reason for that was the mechanical engineer designed a system that included the replacement of all the duct work within the ceiling spaces.
"So this was going to be both a very costly exercise to do and also the time implications associated with it because you needed to pull the ceiling down pull the duct work out redo the duct work redo the ceilings.
"So there's a saving in the order of approximately fifty thousand dollars in just doing that and not only obviously the cost side of things the time side of things as well."
Saving time on your building project is crucial, and John Carolyn shared an example of a time-sensitive project that Skope Constructions had to deliver on schedule.
"The project we completed that was time sensitive was for IDEX Laboratories," said John.
"They had only a six-week period where they had to have their fitout
completed on time.
"They had to move from one building to a new building, and they had something like 200 staff to move. All in all it was a 24-hour operation to make the move.
"IDEX is a Veterinary pathology provider, and it runs around the clock. That was a time-sensitive project.
"We had to have it done in the six weeks to prevent damage to the company's brand and reputation,"
Tim White, the former managing director of IDEX Laboratories, said,
"It was a collaborative decision across the business to go with Skope Construction, and it was unanimous, and we were pleased that we chose them in the end.
"Our team were impressed with theoir efforts to help us out!"
In conclusion, when looking for a trustworthy builder, choosing a company with a proven track record of delivering quality work on time and on budget is crucial.
Skope Constructions is an excellent example of such a company, having saved clients money and time on various projects, including affordable housing, aged care, and veterinary pathology.
