Get Exactly What You Want from Your Renovation
We are fortunate in our area to have no short supply of qualified contractors to make our renovation dreams a reality. Knowing which one is right for your project and will carry out your dreams can be a bit more of a challenge. Fortunately there are a number of valuable tools that can help to make the process smooth and avoid miscommunication.
It’s important that hopeful renovators first have a one-on-one with themselves, and any other family member that will have a say in the renovation. Often I like to sit in on this meeting as it gives me the opportunity to learn how each person communicates their ‘wants’; how they deal with disagreement and compromise. It is also is a great way to identify how you make decisions and one’s ability to communicate personal style and tastes.
Identify your wants and separate them from your must-haves. This may seem kind of obvious, but it’s not uncommon for homeowners to avoid communicating their wants for fear of project creep (that’s when the scope and cost of the project gets beyond anyone’s control). Get everything you want out on the table early on so your designer and/or contractor understands your vision. You never know if they may have a simple, cost effective solution to make more of your wants a reality without blowing the budget. I once had a client describe for me their perfect shower that they thought was out of their budget. By keeping the plumbing layout simple and doing some extra legwork shopping fixtures they now have the back massagers they didn’t think were possible.
Communicate your personal style using online tools such as Houzz.com. Clients often say that they don’t know what their style is. Start an album of photos that you connect with and share them with your designer and contractor. It’s okay if you don’t know why you like the photo; they are merely talking points to engage in design and get excited about what is to come. Often it is unassuming details that create the most amazing spaces.
