The Right Way to Utilise a Cost Consultant

If you work in Facilities Management, CRE or Procurement, there is a good chance you are regularly involved in office fit-outs, refurbishments or relocations. Whether it is a minor “churn” or a major capital investment, the pressure to deliver on time, on budget and with minimal disruption is always there.

Notwithstanding that pressure, most organisations are not making the most of one of the most valuable resources available to them.

That resource is an cost consultant. And more specifically, an experienced, early-stage cost consultant.

Far too often, we are only brought into a project once the wheels are already turning. The lease is signed. The board has already approved a budget. The procurement strategy is half-baked, or worse, politically locked in.

By that point, you are no longer in setup mode. You are in firefight mode.

What most clients don’t realise is just how much value we can bring before any of that happens.

The missed opportunity in timing

The biggest mistake we see time and time again is engaging with a cost consultant after the project has “kicked off.”

By then, the internal narrative of the project has already been written. Budgets have been approved based on ballpark figures, outdated benchmarks or contractor advice. Internal stakeholders have fixed ideas about what the project will deliver. And yet, no one has done the deep work of pressure testing those assumptions and budgets.

When this happens, projects get boxed in. Compromises have to be made. Reapprovals become necessary. Value engineering kills the original vision. Internal credibility takes a hit. And all of this is avoidable.

What early engagement unlocks

When we are brought in early, we are not just estimate/budgeting costs. We are helping you shape the entire foundation of the project.

Here is where we add strategic value in the earliest stages:

1. Creating board-ready budgets that build trust

We help you prepare robust, credible, transparent cost models that give your board confidence from day one. We do not just plug in generic rates. We align your budget with real project parameters, market conditions, and stakeholder requirements. The result is a number that holds up under scrutiny, even as the project evolves. Most importantly it provides a robust basis of your budget including its assumptions and exclusions.

2. Helping manage internal stakeholder aspirations

Your HR, IT, ESG and executive teams all have different goals. We help you gather, organise and rationalise those inputs so your budget reflects real business needs, not just guesswork or ambition. This helps you set expectations early and avoid scope creep later.

3. Aligning company values with procurement strategy

Whether you prioritise sustainability, speed, design quality or long-term value, your procurement strategy should reflect that. We help you choose the right route to market, whether that is single, two-stage or a hybrid approach. And we make sure your chosen path supports your values and commercial goals.

4. Advising on when and how to appoint the right team

We guide you on when to bring in project managers, designers, technical advisors and contractors. Get this sequencing wrong, and you can waste time, mismanage expectations or lock in cost before clarity. Get it right, and your whole project flows more smoothly and professionally.

A powerful resource for busy FMs, CRE and Procurement teams

In large organisations, internal real estate and procurement teams are constantly spinning plates.

There are always multiple small projects running, often alongside a few major capital programmes.

In our experience, most internal teams are more than capable of managing churn and internal stakeholder demands. But even the best teams benefit from specialist input when things get complex or political.

Here is what typically happens. The internal team is given a new brief for a significant office project. You scramble to create a budget, often referencing old numbers or internal benchmarks. The project gains traction, and before you know it, you are deep in design meetings, lease negotiations and procurement discussions.

Only then do you think, “we should probably get a cost consultant involved.”

By that point, our role becomes more about solving problems than preventing them.

But there is a smarter way.

Work smart - A retained cost consultant - an extension of your team

Some clients have asked us, “We would love to have someone like you on staff, but we cannot justify a full-time £150k salary for a permanent member.”

Our response is simple: you don’t need to.

Instead, consider working with us on a monthly retainer basis. For a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire, you get direct install access to senior cost consultancy support, whenever you need it. Building up a relationship overtime to the point that it feels as though we are part of your internal team.

This gives your FM, CRE or Procurement team a strategic partner they can call upon whenever they need expert advice and support. Whether it is stress-testing a new project brief, validating costs before board submission, reviewing a tender or support during a project to review some contractor costs - we are there.

You stay agile, your projects get set up right from the start, your team takes the credit.

Could you and your team benefit from a retainer?

I have created a free 10-question scorecard to help you assess whether your team could benefit from this kind of support.

It only takes a few minutes and gives you a clear indication of whether you could benefit from this innovative approach.

Imagine this…

Imagine presenting a project budget that holds up under pressure and gives you room to breathe.

Imagine a design and delivery process that reflects your business values and does not get derailed by hidden costs or stakeholder conflict.

Imagine your team feeling supported, not stretched, knowing they have someone in their corner to sense-check every big decision before it hits your inbox.

This is what happens when you engage early, plan properly, and treat cost consultancy not as a line item, but as a leadership tool.

No more firefighting.

Could you and your team benefit from a retainer?

I have created a free 10-question scorecard to help you assess whether your team could benefit from this kind of support.