GETTING STARTED ON YOUR PROJECT

Maximizing the return on your investment -financial and emotional- by evaluating all your options before beginning your project is crucial.

It is vital to make sure that this effort represents the right investment for you.

Like any sound investment, the rewards are best harvested after the investment has had a chance to mature. In most neighborhoods, this is especially true for large projects of $400,000 or more.

WILL YOUR PROJECT INCREASE THE RESALE VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTY?

Many homeowners cite increased resale value as a good reason to remodel their home. That can also be true for a new home, but much depends on the kind of work being done and the neighborhood itself.

Kitchens and bath remodels, as well as remodels that add to the existing square footage of the house, usually experience the most immediate return on an investment. On the other hand, unusual renovations or very idiosyncratic adjustments to the house may make a home less appealing to potential buyers. The latter type of remodel works best when the owner intends to stay in the house for a long time.

Also, examine your neighborhood. Are your neighbors improving? What are the property values of the homes within a half mile radius? Will your improvement bring your home’s resale value in line with increasing property values? In some communities, a remodel can increase the resale value of the house almost immediately!

However, the most important factor to consider is the quality of the work done – good design and good construction will appreciate value; poor design and craftmanship will depreciate value.

HOW LONG DO YOU PLAN TO STAY IN YOUR HOUSE?

In our experience, most homeowners who remain in the house for eight years or more realize the full benefit of their remodeling projects, in terms of both their satisfaction with the project and the added value to the selling price of the home.

DO YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DEVOTE TO A LABOR OF LOVE?

The remodeling process is both labor and love, and it takes both to do a job right. Since it’s your home, you don’t want to settle for anything less. A remodel or a new home does take significant time commitment from the homeowner. This level of involvement is key and crucial during all phases of the work even if you are working with an experienced architect and builder team.

Additionally, there are a lot of expenses involved in a home project. These expenses represent a significant portion of the home’s original cost. However, nothing compares to a home that looks great and works well. Your designer and builder should help you manage your budget to get the most of your project investment.

IS YOUR PROJECT POSSIBLE WITHIN YOUR LOCAL JURISDICTION?

Residential zoning regulations vary greatly within urban and suburban areas. Many municipal departments, from historic landmark to forestry, sewer, and transportation have a say in what can and can’t be done on a specific residential site. Understanding the possibilities and constraints of any project on your property at the beginning of this effort is fundamental. We can help you with the due diligence to make sure that your vision is attainable.

A mid-century home. © Google

DOES THE CHARACTER OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT YOUR PROJECT’S VISION?

Often this seems like a strange question to clients, but it’s a valid concern. Adding a second story to your home may seem like a good idea, but if it disturbs the visual line and urban fabric of the neighborhood or the overall character of it, your home will look out of place and out of scale. Likewise, bold, very modern designs in an older, traditional neighborhood may disrupt aesthetics and consistency.

Take the addition below for example: a new second story and garage take the scale completely out of balance with its surroundings, making the house the only two-story building in the neighborhood. Despite emulating the gentle roof slope common to mid-century homes, this addition disrupts the visual line and living experience of neighboring properties.

DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA IN MIND ABOUT WHAT YOU’D LIKE TO DO?

Are there certain problem areas in your house that a remodel could address? Is there something you have always wanted to do in your house or a function you have always wanted your house to perform?

Homeowners experience a more successful project when they have a clear objective for the space to be designed. For example, ”a space for the kids to play away from adults” or “a spacious kitchen with enough room for several adults to maneuver.” Understanding your unique spatial wants and needs will help us understand what type of project is right for you and your home.

HAVE YOU GATHERED IDEAS ABOUT YOUR SPACE?

Good design planning often makes the difference between a good project and a great project. However, it’s often difficult to think critically about where we live, a place that we have seen day after day for years. The following exercises can help you set your design goals:

1 THINK ABOUT SPACES

Look at the places where you live, work, and visit. Browse through the web and magazines for buildings, spaces, colors, styles, and items that catch your eye. Which places make you feel comfortable? Also, which places make you feel uncomfortable? Look to the details that make you feel one way or the other. Go with your instinctive reactions to the space.

Gather your pictures and notes. Look for patterns and similarities. Does sunlight – or lack thereof – affect your attitude about a place? Really examining the spaces around you and your relation to them might bring some surprises and call to mind some ideas that can be incorporated into your home.

2 UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU LIVE NOW

List the existing rooms in your home. Under each room, list what activities the room is used for and how often. Finally, prioritize the list according to most/ least used. Identifying this will be useful in determining where and how design efforts may best be utilized. For example, a homeowner may find that adding to an existing formal dining room may not be as helpful as adding to an existing kitchen, since the kitchen is used more than the dining room. Clarifying design focus is the beginning stage of developing the right project – one that responds to how you live and is tailored to your lifestyle accordingly.

3 MAKE “WANT-TO-HAVE” AND “NEED-TO-HAVE” LISTS

Start by making a “want-to-have” list. Remember the traits, details and designs on houses, rooms, and places that you have seen and found appealing. Don’t think about cost or practicality factors yet – remember, these are things that you want to have!

Once your “want-to-have” list is completed, go through it, and identify which items are the most important to you. These may become your project priorities. These are the elements that you need in your environment to make daily living more enjoyable.

Next, make your “need-to-have” list. These are things which may not have been part of your “want-to-have,“ but are necessary nonetheless (e.g. “an entryway that allows for guests to remove muddy shoes and store them, as well as hanging coats”)

After you have completed both lists, describe each item of the lists in more detail. All of this data will act as a useful guide in planning a realistic and fulfilling design.  This information will also serve as a road map for the important and expensive decisions to be made later during the design.

Before embarking on a design project, it is crucial to understand the cost and reward, feasibility, and goals of your project.

Design is an exploration and response to your goals and limitations: these first steps are necessary for a designer to successfully propose a design solution for your project.

With your thoughts organized and personal preparations complete, an important next step is to learn more about working with an architect.