Month: July 2015

The Design/Build selections process

A large number of clients tell us that they are overwhelmed when they go into Plumbing fixture, cabinet, appliance, or tile showrooms because of the thousands of options they have.

The great thing about working with an experience design remodeler like Finesse is that we listen to your ideas and then use our design expertise and experience to create your new space exactly the way you dreamed it.  We scheduling meetings with you at the various vendor showrooms where selections can be done in a few short hours.

Let’s use tile as an example:

If you’ve ever walked into a tile showroom you know that there are thousands of tiles to choose from. Don’t fear, your input regarding budget and design criteria helps us narrow down the myriad of tile choices to a manageable few. We get a good idea of what to look for based on the theme or style we are designing to.  Once we narrow the search, we spend the time it takes to compare the choices and to see how those choices compliment the other finishes, textures, and colors in the space. We will guide you to the final few choices and perhaps recommend one more strongly than another for good reason, however, the final choice is yours.

The end result is a fun and stress-free experience for each and every client.

When homeowners take on a home remodeling or renovation project, they have several options to consider regarding how to approach the project when considering obtaining design concept drawings, permit-ready plans, and use of these plans for use completing their project.

Although a homeowner could feasibly use inspiration photos and idea books and hire a general contractor to provide a scope of work and carry out the work directly, the best route for tackling any home renovation project is to hire a reputable design/build firm and here is why:

Design/Build

• Free in home consultation where project scope and budget are established
• Assuming budget for the project is reasonable, the design process can begin and concepts can be completed in less than two weeks.
• Design fees are usually around 6% of the projected construction cost which is typically ½ of the fees associated with Architectural firms.
• The project estimate is presented at each iteration of the design process so the owner always knows what he is buying and the associated costs.
• The entire design to construction agreement process can be done in 3 to 6 weeks depending on the size and complexity of the project.
• Good design-build firms can match the design to their client’s aesthetic and functional needs while guiding the client and avoiding design and budget mishaps.
• The design team works closely with the crews on site to ensure proper construction and implementation of the design.
• Design team assists each homeowner with all materials and fixtures selections which saves the homeowner money because fewer specifications need to be added to the drawings. Meetings at various vendor showrooms can be arranged at the homeowner’s convenience.

Over the past 25 years, we have found that the design-build process is the most efficient, expedient, and cost-effective solution to any home renovation project.