Being an ideal client will do wonders in creating a successful remodeling and building experience. Architects, designers and builders will tell you that the more you are positively engaged with your project, the smoother the process of designing and building will go. An actively participating client that takes the time to understand the design and building process, will feel much more in touch with their project.
What are the things you can do to make sure your project runs smoothly?
- Make yourself accessible and available
This, to me, is one of the most important things you can do to help us create a successful project. If you make yourself available to review drawings, go to appliance and tile stores and meet with the contractors, you just took a big, massive step towards a happy and successful remodeling journey. One of the first questions that clients ask me on our initial meeting is: “ How long is this thing going to take?” And my answer is always the same: “ It depends on you!” The more you make yourself available, the faster I can put everything together. It is important to realize that when you are ready to jump into remodeling your house, you need to set aside quality time for meetings, shopping trips and emergency phone calls.
2. Respect your team’s time frame
It is important to set aside realistic time slots for meeting with your architect or designer. Often clients tell me that they work all day, that they have the kid’s soccer on Saturday and church on Sunday. They may be able to squeeze in a meeting on Sunday evening, say 6pm? That is really not fair to everybody involved, and it is also not the most productive way to get ahead. Once you commit yourself to your project, make sure you also set aside time from work so that you can attend meetings at a reasonable hour and that you can have the time to shop when the stores are open. Your willingness to be a team player will go a long way in making sure everybody feels respected and acknowledged as a professional. Contractors on the other hand, start early and leave early. Here it is equally important to set the weekly meetings at a time where the entire team can be present. The more effort and interest you show in your project, the better everybody feels and the happier the outcome will be.
3. Recognize and trust the professional’s expertise
Here we have to make a very important distinction between your visions, dreams and expectations and the professional’s expertise to get you there. Trust is a big factor. You need to trust your team and that everybody wants the best for you. So once you voiced your vision and provided visuals to support your ideas, then allow the professional to take these dreams and create the necessary path to realize all that you have wished for. It is important that all the professionals are allowed to do their job in the field of their expertise.
4. Make quick, firm and educated decisions
The easy part is to dream up your new space, the harder part is to create the blueprint into realty. A remodel of any size requires a myriad of decisions. Every little detail will be looked at, thought about and decided upon. That takes time, expertise and a focused attention to detail. It is important for you to be present, be pro active and be educated on every item so you can be sure about the decisions that are being made moving forward. Part of an educated client is that they ask questions. It is very important to figure out the things that you do not understand, so you can feel good about your input into all the design and building decisions. And here we come back to our first and most important point. Be available. If you are regularly present in all the design meetings and job site meetings, you quickly get the hang of the rhythm of the work and you can feel confident in the process that moves the project along.
5. Speak up and ask questions
As a valuable team member of the building process, it is important that you find the courage to speak up if you see things that may not match your expectations. Your eyes matter as much as the eyes of the designer and contractor on the job. Often the client is on the site on a daily basis and can catch little mistakes before they turn into big problems. Professionals will value your input when voiced in a calm and matter of fact way. Things happen on the job site. Even the best laid out plans and the tightest specifications and the meticulously written order can run into baubles along the way. It is in everybody’s best interest to catch all the discrepancies as fast as possible. You, as the client, are a valuable member of the supervision team and therefor, do not be afraid to speak up, point out the things you see and ask questions about why are things being done differently than expected.
6. Manage expectations
“Manage expectations” was one of my client’s favorite saying and I thought it was the best mindset to deal with problems that come along when remodeling a house. When you update an existing home, you never know what you can find. Back in the days, things were built differently; mostly the rules were less stringent than today, and often codes were loosely interpreted by contractors that had a lot more leeway to built freely. Consequently, we find curious framing details, run away pipes and obscure electrical lines within the walls. All these things are not visible when the project is first designed and bid. They come to light after the demo is done, and here many times, adjustments and different decisions have to be made. So maybe, you cannot have certain design items, because the cost of re running a vent pipe would be too great. Or maybe the entire bath room has to be re worked, so the toilet can still connect to the sewer. And maybe the soffett has to stay because the heating vent is fixed at that spot. There are many maybes along the way, and sometimes you could feel overwhelmed with all the perceived problems and misfortunes that are befalling the project. Here, flexibility is the key. Knowing and trusting that all things are possible can go along way to keeping a cool head and a positive outlook. Just manage your expectations and know that there are many roads that can lead to a happy ending. When one door closes, another one opens. The building process is a creative endeavor that rolls with the punches and celebrates successes. Allow yourself to be part of that journey and you will come out of this experience happier, more relaxed and incredibly proud.
Overall, if you are pro active, engaged and invested into your remodel, you will find a lot of joy, a sense of pride and fierce ownership of your completed project. A remodel that is handled with mutual respect, teamwork and a lot of patience will pay off at the end. You will find extreme happiness and satisfaction at the final leg of your journey and you will have many stories to share on how you got to the finish line, happy and in peace.
Read more here on how to assemble your construction team
Happy Building
Are you ready to take the first step in your journey of remodeling your house. ? Schedule a virtual design consultation today to receive guidance on how to start the process.
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