Construction Advisory | The Beekeeper Writer

Independent Construction Advisory

I provide independent, remote construction advisory services for homeowners and expats planning renovations, new builds, self-builds and small-scale developments.

With a background in construction management, surveying and hands-on building across the UK, France and Portugal, my role is to help clients avoid costly mistakes, unclear responsibilities and unrealistic assumptions before they commit significant time and money.

All advisory work is carried out remotely and independently. I do not sell construction services, recommend contractors, or take commission. My focus is clarity, risk awareness and informed decision-making.

Who I Work With

UK homeowners planning renovations, extensions or self-builds
Expats building or renovating in Portugal, France, Spain and beyond
Off-grid and tiny-house builders seeking realistic costs and risk clarity

If you’re about to invest serious money into a build and you’re not

fully confident about the quotes, scope or risks, this is where I come in.

The Problem

Most people only discover what’s wrong with their project when it’s too late:

Quotes that hide thousands in extras
Schedules that were never realistic
Variations and “small changes” that quietly blow the budget

But the biggest hidden issue is this:

Homeowners often assume the architect is managing the project. They aren’t.

Architects design the building, but they do not manage contractors, budgets, sequencing, variations, or day-to-day decisions. When no one is clearly managing the build, the contractor naturally fills the gap. Not through bad intent, but because no one else is watching closely enough.

This is how projects drift off budget: not through one big failure, but through dozens of small unchecked decisions.

You don’t need to learn all of this yourself. You just need someone who understands both design intent and real-world construction and who works only for you, not the contractor.

Services I Offer

Tender & Quote Review

I analyse your quotes, drawings and schedules and provide:

– Missing items
– Overpricing
– Scope gaps
– Unrealistic timelines
– Key questions to ask your contractor

Ideal before choosing a contractor.

Pre-Construction Advisory Package

A deeper technical assessment before you commit:

– Feasibility and budget sanity check
– Contractor comparison
– Payment schedule review
– Risk analysis (where and how things could go wrong)

Ideal if you're unsure whether to proceed, scale down, or renegotiate.

Remote Project Oversight (Ongoing)

Your remote “project brain”:

– Review invoices and variation claims
– Sanity-check progress vs. billing
– Push back on unreasonable costs
– Flag issues early, before they escalate

Ideal if you're away from site or managing a build in another country.

Most clients invest between €750 and €6,000 depending on the stage, size and complexity of their project.

📩 Contact me for a clear, no-pressure quote.

How It Works

You share your project information: drawings, quotations, scope documents, photos or videos.

I review everything remotely, using my background in construction management, estimating and surveying to identify unclear responsibility, risk and cost exposure.

We then have a focused call where I walk you through what stands out, in plain English, so you can see the situation clearly without pressure.

You receive a written advisory summary highlighting key observations, risks to be aware of, and practical actions to consider before proceeding. Everything is handled online. I don’t need to be on site to help you avoid costly mistakes or difficult decisions later.

For clients navigating projects that involve broader property decisions.

My role remains focused on construction risk, cost exposure, and build-stage decision-making. Occasionally, a project also involves separate property or relocation considerations that sit outside construction itself. In those cases, and only where helpful, I can suggest an independent property consultant, such as Kristina Swift, to provide additional perspective alongside my advisory work.

Learn more about an independent property consultant.

Architect vs Contractor vs Advisor

Who Does What?

Most homeowners assume everyone on a project works together with the same goals.
They don’t.

Understanding each person’s role is the key to avoiding expensive mistakes.

Architect — Designs the Building

Architects are responsible for:

✔ design and drawings
✔ planning compliance
✔ visual concepts
✔ structural coordination (with engineers)

But architects do NOT:

✘ manage contractors
✘ control budgets
✘ monitor progress
✘ review invoices
✘ negotiate variations
✘ oversee build sequencing
✘ protect you from overcharging

They design the building —
they don’t manage the build.

Contractor — Builds the Project (and Protects Their Margin)

Contractors are responsible for:

✔ delivering the construction work
✔ coordinating trades
✔ ordering materials
✔ organising labour

But because architects are not managing the project, here’s what usually happens:

The contractor quietly becomes the “project manager” by default.

This means they:

– decide what gets done and when
– control information flow
– introduce variations that increase revenue
– choose materials and methods that benefit them
– present invoices the client assumes are correct
– make decisions the homeowner doesn’t fully understand

Advisor. Protects You AND Aligns the Architect & Contractor

Your advisor is the only person whose sole job is to keep everyone working in the client’s best interest.

A Construction Advisor is responsible for:

✔ reviewing quotes and finding hidden risks
✔ ensuring budgets and timelines are realistic
✔ monitoring variations and preventing surprise costs
✔ explaining everything clearly in plain English
✔ protecting you from contractor overreach

But just as importantly:
I help pull together the architect and the contractor,
so the project moves forward with clarity, alignment and accountability.

This means I:

– ensure the architect’s drawings match real-world buildability
– confirm the contractor understands the design expectations
– highlight conflicts before they become costly disputes
– make sure both sides communicate clearly
– provide the client’s perspective when decisions are made
– identify when either party is making assumptions

Architects design.
Contractors build.

But neither of them is responsible for:

➡ coordinating each other
➡ aligning expectations
➡ balancing budget vs design
➡ protecting the client’s financial risk

That’s where your advisor comes in.

I ensure:

✔ design intent is respected
✔ the contractor stays honest
✔ the client stays informed
✔ the entire team stays aligned

Your advisor is the only person whose sole job is to keep everyone working in the client’s best interest, not their own.

Who I Am

My name is Marc. I spent years working in construction management, surveying,

estimating and project delivery on major UK projects, from National English Heritage

stately homes to multi-million-pound superstructure builds, and high-value residential

developments.

I’ve worked across timber frame, stone, concrete, block, and brick construction, and

have surveyed, tendered, and managed projects for clients who expect absolute

precision and accountability.

Alongside managing large, complex builds, I’ve also physically built homes myself,

in England, France, and most recently my own tiny house here in Portugal.

Each project taught me something different about cost, risk, sequencing, buildability

and what really happens on site when drawings meet reality.

Today I write and beekeep as The Beekeeper Writer, but the same technical skills and

hard-won experience from major construction projects still drive the advisory work I do: reading drawings deeply, spotting risk early, and ensuring the numbers make sense before you spend a penny.

Most people only ever experience construction from one perspective, the homeowner, the architect, or the contractor.

I’ve lived all three.

Why My On-Site Experience Matters

Most advisors and architects understand drawings, but not the physical work.
Most contractors understand the physical work, but not the budgeting, surveying, or contractual risk.

I’ve done both.

I’ve physically built houses myself, from concrete foundations all the way up to the finished roof, entirely on my own. I’ve installed timber frames, roofing trusses, structural components, and completed full builds from start to finish. This gives me a level of insight into real labour, sequencing, time, and cost that most advisors simply cannot offer.

And from the management side, I’ve:

✔ surveyed, tendered, and priced complex builds
✔ managed contractors on multi-million-pound projects
✔ overseen restorations of protected, historical English Heritage buildings
✔ controlled budgets, procurement, schedules and risk
✔ ensured work met both design intent and real-world feasibility

This matters because:

✔ Contractors can’t hide unrealistic timelines
✔ Inflated variation claims become obvious instantly
✔ I know when pricing is fair and when it definitely isn’t
✔ I can see buildability problems before they happen
✔ I recognise scope gaps that lead to “surprise” extras
✔ I understand the real sequence of labour because I’ve done it myself

My combined experience, design understanding, project management, and real-world construction allows me to bridge the gap between architect, contractor and client.

It’s why people hire me:
I see the entire project, not just one side of it.

Ready to Talk About Your Project?

If you’d like an independent advisory review, please complete the short intake form below. This helps clarify context before any discussion takes place.