Preparing for an In-Home Consultation With Cottage Industries
You have a dream, a vision, or a rough idea of what your home could become with a little hard work. How do you make your whole house remodeling or renovating thoughts a reality? Call on the design and build experts at Cottage Industries, and begin preparing for an in-home consultation.
At Cottage Industries, we have a well-defined design and build process that’s been consistently improved for over 25 years. Our procedures take into account the uniqueness of every home and every homeowners’ needs to make the development of your project go as smoothly as possible while making your ideas become a reality.
Once you contact us we’ll set up an in-home consultation where one of our partners will come to your home and listen carefully to your ideas, concerns, and objectives. We will honestly assess the possibilities of your project within the desired schedule and budget and we will not try to sell you something that doesn’t achieve your goals.
To make the in-home consultation productive, it’s best if you do a little homework before our first meeting. Don’t worry… you won’t be graded on this assignment! However, just a few helpful preparations to help us do our job and serve you better.
- Have all important decision makers present
Good communication is such an important aspect of the design and build process. That’s why we ask all decision makers be at the in-home consultation. You and your spouse / partner may be aligned on the goals, but each person brings a unique perspective to the table that will help us understand your needs even better. Having all involved together for a meeting of the minds is the way to start to a great partnership.
- Know your budget
Before your in-home consultation, determine a budget for your renovation project. This doesn’t need to be an exact figure, but should generally define the upper boundary of what you can comfortably spend. The budget needs to be part of the initial conversation to understand what’s possible. We’ll discuss rough numbers for construction cost as well, but costs can vary widely depending on the complexity and details of the job. Knowing what you want to spend will guide us in the design process so that what gets put in the plans can be comfortably built.
- Prioritize your wish list
It’s very important to prioritize what you wish to accomplish so that if there are constraints on what can be done, we can make sure the highest priority items get included. You might need a new kitchen and master suite, but perhaps the expanded family room is not as important as getting the finishes you want in the other parts of your home renovation or remodel. You might even list rooms you wish to add and we can find a way to reconfigure an existing space to make your wish list come true and save money as well!
- Bring images
Images go a long way toward helping us envision what it is you want to accomplish, what your sense of style is, and what kind of materials and products you are attracted to.
In the old days, you would create a manila folder of pictures cut out of magazines to bring to the in-home consultation. These days, the on-line tools are a much better way to go. Use Pinterest, Facebook, or Houzz.com for example, to create groups of images you like for your home.
The more pictures, the merrier. The important part is for us to be able to see a range of images of what it is you love about a bathroom, kitchen, or living room.
- Set aside enough time
We’ll need at least an hour for our in-home consultation, and it could take more time than that. We know that you have a busy schedule, but try not to book another appointment or commitment too close to our consultation. Give your project the time it deserves, and you’ll be happy you did in the end.
- Meet during work hours
We want to maximize our time together. We’ll be most productive during work hours, so try to schedule your in-home consultation during the day, when everyone is on top of his or her game. Once in awhile an evening or weekend meeting will be necessary, but we prefer to reserve those times for family!
The conclusion
After we’ve met with you for the in-home consultation, we’ll create a meaningful proposal for the next step in the design and construction of your remodel, renovation, or addition.
But don’t worry. There’s no obligation to partner with us, even after having an in-home consultation. So go ahead and take the first step toward getting your remodeling dream underway. Schedule a conversation today to start the conversation.
