One thing about Cape Town that differs from the rest of our beautiful country is that we have winter rains. This is fantastic for the Winelands but it can of course make life a little difficult for those in the construction industry. A lot of wet days are likely to hold up building projects quite a lot – even to the point that many builders will not take on projects that will fall in this period.
With every disadvantage, there is another advantage however, and we being ‘glass half full’ kind of people, tend to encourage this line of thinking. Whereas this is not a great time to build from scratch, or initiate large building projects, there are some great reasons to renovate in winter in the Cape, so let’s take a look at some of these….
It’s usually more cost-effective
Remembering that this is most builder’s ‘off season’, they are more likely to be flexible with their pricing in terms of renovations undertaken during winter. The jobs are primarily done indoors and are not interrupted by the rains so it is preferred work for builders at this time and they will be more likely to give better pricing accordingly. Builders like to keep their teams busy in the off season if they can.
Outdoor areas are not in use
Remember that outdoor areas need refurbishing sometimes too and pool houses, patios, outdoor entertainment areas etc can all rather be renovated in winter when not in use. It is also useful to have space for temporary builders rubble, scaffolding etc at a time that you are less likely to go outside to see it.
Gardens can recover in time for spring
Unfortunately, some damage to the outdoor areas is also a possibility no matter how careful or professional your builders are. This is what we call collateral damage and is just temporary, but truly professional builders will not inflict permanent damage on any part of the garden. It is better to have some recovery time for the garden, however, by renovating in winter.
You get better quality work
Really good builders will not compromise on the quality of their work no matter how large or small a job may be. In summer in the Cape when the best builders are seldom available for smaller jobs you will probably have to settle for bakkie builders and that’s a road you would best not go down. Rather do your renovations in winter so you can get better quality builders to do it.
Davel and Lottering Construction handle everything from large scale residential renovations to residential and commercial building projects and all are handled with the same level of professionalism, integrity and accountability.
Regardless of what your specific needs may be, come rain or shine, contact us today and find out that in an industry full of ‘bakkie builders,’ we have for more than 25 years of combined experience and offer professional solutions that take no shortcuts!
Stay safe – stay optimistic and keep building!