An appraisal of the project management approach for property refurbishment in the real estate sector in Dublin, Ireland

Abstract

The study was conducted to appraise project management approach that would be effective to facilitate property refurbishment in the real estate industry in Ireland. The objectives of the study were to examine the processes, policies, and procedures in terms of best practices that exist in the application of project management approaches used in sustainable property refurbishment as well as determine the factors that are required for the effective implementation of such projects in Dublin. The study also assesses if there were advantages derived by using project management techniques in property refurbishment projects within the case study area. Mixed research design was adopted in the quest of achieving the objectives and providing valid and reliable answers to the research questions of the study. To this end, the researcher embarked on a questionnaire survey of 45 property developers and project managers as well as carrying out key informant interviews with 5 housing Planners within the Dublin area of Ireland. It emerged that sustainable property refurbishment follows the standard processes and procedures of project initiation, planning, implementation, monitoring and control and project delivery in Dublin as it is applicable in other climes globally. It was also discovered that time, quality, client satisfaction, dispute and litigation, health and safety, communication, technical requirements and environmental issues are very important for successful implementation of sustainable property refurbishment in Dublin. It was recommended that officials of the town planning authority should improve on their technical knowledge on the job through acquisition of professional training relating to project management and town planning. Property developers and project managers were also advised to improve on their technical know-how and expertise of project management for property refurbishment projects.