ᐅ Construction complete – now time to get the mess under control!
Created on: 21 Feb 2017 16:23
H
hausbaunerd
Hello everyone,
I have a few quick questions about paperwork and such: When you think back to the purchase contract, land register entry, structural engineering report, site plan, cadastral map, floor plan, energy certificate (?), utility connections, cable installation plans, heating system, numerous expert reports, photos, invoices, own work, quotes, warranties, and so on... All of this was once recorded, agreed upon, documented, and now it’s scattered around in various places (at least in my case). Most of it is in paper form.
I’m interested in how you approach this:
- What has been the biggest challenge for you?
- How have you handled it?
- How do you keep track of everything?
Does anyone else get similar worries with thoughts like “When exactly does my heating system’s warranty expire? Who will remind me to have it checked before then?” … I can’t be the only one xD
I hope to learn something useful from your answers. I’m really not a neat-freak, but at this point, I think: organization is essential. Thanks for your experiences and tips 🙂
I have a few quick questions about paperwork and such: When you think back to the purchase contract, land register entry, structural engineering report, site plan, cadastral map, floor plan, energy certificate (?), utility connections, cable installation plans, heating system, numerous expert reports, photos, invoices, own work, quotes, warranties, and so on... All of this was once recorded, agreed upon, documented, and now it’s scattered around in various places (at least in my case). Most of it is in paper form.
I’m interested in how you approach this:
- What has been the biggest challenge for you?
- How have you handled it?
- How do you keep track of everything?
Does anyone else get similar worries with thoughts like “When exactly does my heating system’s warranty expire? Who will remind me to have it checked before then?” … I can’t be the only one xD
I hope to learn something useful from your answers. I’m really not a neat-freak, but at this point, I think: organization is essential. Thanks for your experiences and tips 🙂
For organizing during the construction, I use Trello.com. It’s great for keeping everything organized and maintaining an overview.
I try to handle as much as possible digitally and store it in my cloud. I still put unsorted paper documents in a folder.
Long-term appointments are entered into a digital calendar.
I try to handle as much as possible digitally and store it in my cloud. I still put unsorted paper documents in a folder.
Long-term appointments are entered into a digital calendar.
The problem with digital storage is not the location. You can easily move data around. Much more important is the format! Who can confidently say that PDF will still be the standard document format in 20 years?
We have a hybrid system. Everything we receive in paper form I already file properly. I hate having to search for documents for a long time.
Everything I regularly need and have to send, I keep on the drive.
We have a hybrid system. Everything we receive in paper form I already file properly. I hate having to search for documents for a long time.
Everything I regularly need and have to send, I keep on the drive.
H
HilfeHilfe22 Feb 2017 07:00I'm a bit old school when it comes to this.
Everything neatly filed away and stored. I often needed to refer back to something even after the construction phase.
Additionally, you can scan it and upload it to the cloud. However, I’m a bit hesitant about that because I’m afraid the files might get lost. If I don’t see something, I tend to forget it quickly.
Everything neatly filed away and stored. I often needed to refer back to something even after the construction phase.
Additionally, you can scan it and upload it to the cloud. However, I’m a bit hesitant about that because I’m afraid the files might get lost. If I don’t see something, I tend to forget it quickly.
B
Bieber081522 Feb 2017 07:2377.willo schrieb:
I scanned everything and uploaded it to Google Drive.Did you destroy the originals afterward? Does this also apply to notarized and loan agreements (if available)? What about manuals (in which the contractor later places a stamp during maintenance)?And is there a sophisticated folder structure on Google Drive, or is everything stored in one folder?
Whether "paper" or "digital" does not really matter in my opinion when it comes to organization. In both cases, you need to think about it. Either keep everything in chronological order in one stack, with the newest document on top... or use some kind of structure.
Nordlys schrieb:
Let me say this as someone experienced in administration. Paper. Not digital. There are retention periods for invoices. There is also the need to have plans, structural calculations, permits, etc. available even fifty years from now. Will there still be CDs then? USB sticks? Cloud drives? Do you want to rely on Google for 50 years? Paper is patient. Durable. We still have files from the 16th century in the archive. You have to handle them carefully, but the writing is still legible. I would actually argue that a digital document is more durable than paper!
By the way, one does not necessarily exclude the other: During the construction phase, I scanned everything immediately, which was sometimes very helpful on site or during planning meetings. The scanned documents were then organized into (now) two folders and that was it.
Evolith schrieb:
Who can say for sure that PDF will still be the standard document format in 20 years? And this coming from someone who works in IT 🙄