3 Essential Things to Do Before Building a Beautiful New Home
From the outside, building or renovating a home might look seamless, or terrifying, depending on which side of the excitement scale you fall. In a large remodel, almost every day new people will be on site, and new materials being delivered and installed.
But what you don't see is that once the design plan is established; the orchestrated management of permitting, orders and back orders, installations and delays, and the weather-related and uncontrollable situations where each team member and subcontractor must adapt.
When you decide to build or remodel your dream home, second home, or home for retirement, the professional team you have around you matters more than anything.
Step #1: Design Your Dream Home
Hiring an Interior Designer as part of your team in the beginning of the planning process is critical to the flow and function of your interiors, and often the aesthetic of your home's exterior. Your designer works with you to establish your lifestyle goals for your new home. We concentrate on function first; placement, size and orientation of rooms, windows, hallways, entries and exits. We create your floor plan and the types and use of materials in the design.
Your interior designer will preview the architectural plans to make any necessary changes to layouts in order to provide the flow, function and aesthetics you would like to achieve. Your designer will also create a document to detail your finishes. This, together with the structural plans from the architect, is the only way you'll be able to get accurate pricing from your builder.
An architect is part of the design team, and creates a plan that details every structural square inch. The architect will map out a plan based on your build site and project costs, zoning laws and building restrictions, and property orientation. An engineer will make sure the construction plans meet building codes, and can withstand weather and ground shifts in your area.
There will be many others also involved in the construction process - from your builder or general contractor, to plumbing and electrical. But the more preliminary planning you can do with the architect and designer, the better your final result will be. Check out these 3 Expert Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Home Renovation.
Step #2: Budget for Your Beautiful New Space
A plan for how much you'd like to invest is an important preliminary step. If you have a budgeted amount you'd like to work with, the architect will work it into a plan based on square footage, and a few other factors. However, until you have an Interior Design plan, along with the structural plan, you won't really know your end costs. At times a builder will offer costs upfront, known as allowances, however oftentimes these allowances don't fit into the types of materials, finishes, and end result you would like to achieve. For this reason, we always recommend your Interior Design plan be established before the builder or GC offers any bids.
Step #3: Manage Your Project Throughout
You'll want to put the management of your new build or remodel in the hands of an experienced project manager working directly with your builder or GC. Often a GC will take this role as well. With so many moving parts, from orders, to tracking, to hiring and managing subcontractors, you'll be at ease knowing the building process is being properly handled to completion.
We work with the professionals in the field to ensure your lifestyle needs are taken into consideration every step in the process. We are thrilled to be part of your new build or renovation team.
Looking for a team that can handle your project from concept to completion? We've got your back! Reach out and let's get acquainted.
Cheers!
Suzi