The Design and Planning Stage – Our Design Build Process On The Main Line

What does a perfect home mean to you? While there are many features that add value to a home and make it more livable and enjoyable, we believe the perfect home is one that satisfies all your needs, simplifies your life, and functions like a dream.

At Cottage Industries, we love working with our clients to capture their remodeling, renovation, or restoration vision to create an aesthetically pleasing environment that also meets the needs of their family’s lifestyle. We can certainly do the same for you!

Design and Planning Stage

This is when the “magic” begins. Just about anything you envision for your home can be achieved as long as it’s physically possible, structurally sound, and falls within your budget. Plans are fine-tuned and budgets are discussed – it’s a true collaborative process that includes multiple meetings with you and the creative talent who will be involved in your project.

There are three objectives at this point:

• Form: Get the design plans to a place where they match your vision.
• Function: Make sure the plans meet the needs of your family’s lifestyle.
• Budget: Keep your budget top-of-mind as the design and planning stage moves forward.

The design-build method is a collaborative one that allows us to handle your entire project from concept to punch list and touch-up. It fosters a sense of teamwork that translates into a more cost-effective, streamlined process, and it personalizes the home remodeling experience, giving us the best opportunity to turn your wishes into reality. Because it utilizes our extensive knowledge of building and material methods and costs, we’re able to take your ideas, tastes, and needs and combine them with architectural creativity to give your family the look and the space you dream of. Here’s how the design and planning stage typically plays out.

The Construction Walkthrough

Once the design is complete, we schedule a walkthrough where you meet everyone who will be involved in your project; they, in turn, get to see what the job will entail. This allows them to give valuable feedback on how to best accomplish the construction goals called for in the design plans. It’s an important step, as their industry expertise often provides us with ideas and options that add real improvement and value to your remodel. You benefit by receiving a project design that fully and accurately reflects your desires. Of course, if there are changes you want to make as the project progresses, we’re here to help you accomplish them, too.

The Construction Proposal

By now, we know exactly what your project will involve, including construction details, possible design options, and a sense of what the schedule will be. This is everything we need to know to create a construction proposal that brings all these elements to the table and puts a firm dollar figure to them. Even if something needs to change, we’ll work with you to get the proposal to a place that’s not only on budget, but meets your function and aesthetic needs.

Permit Ready

Once you’ve signed off on the construction proposal, it’s time to get the permits needed to get the project underway. Our design team takes care of creating whatever plan details are necessary to obtain the building permits. The construction start date depends mostly on the township’s permit process.

As the project moves forward, other design tweaks may still be done as you continue to choose design details that express your home’s personality. You may also ask us to bring in an interior designer to help you make cabinet, countertop, flooring, or other material selections. A good designer can shorten the decision-making process by doing a lot of the legwork for you, eliminating the stress that can come from the often-overwhelming variety of products that are available today.

At Cottage Industries, our craftsmen and artisans are chosen for pride in their work, commitment to quality, and mastery of their trade. Our team members are here to guide you every step of the way during your remodeling project. Built on a foundation of excellence, our process is dedicated to producing designs that reach your goals but don’t exceed your budget. If you’re ready to begin remodeling your Main Line or Philadelphia area home, schedule a conversation with us today. We look forward to meeting you!