Whether you’re undertaking a home renovation project or having your dream home built from the ground up, being kept in the loop on costs or unexpected challenges is a must.
Dan Dueck at Stattonrock Design and Build stresses that for any company involved in those areas of construction, communication is the key to keeping projects progressing on time and on budget.
His Abbotsford company is active in both renos and new home builds, but no matter the size of job, the client has to be a central part of discussions about costs, he says, especially around what can be accomplished for the money.
How much do you want to invest in your home?
“If I’m meeting a client either at our office or on site, getting the general concept of what they want to do comes first, but pretty quickly I get into asking them what they want to spend,” Dueck says.
And having done estimates for numerous projects over Stattonrock’s 10-plus years in the business, he feels very comfortable with his ability to gauge the price of additional requests, whether on new builds or renovation projects.
“A lot of people aren’t aware of how much things cost,” he says. Homeowners looking to renovate often have to make tough choices. “They might say we want to spend $90,000 but we only have $60,000. Sometimes it comes down to making compromises.”
Some renovations offer better value
Recently, a client had ideas for renovating their kitchen, but also had fairly specific ideas for a backyard landscape update.
“I had to tell them they could do one or the other, but I also advised them that the landscaping could probably wait until the spring,” he says. “We’re experienced enough that we can offer advice on where the best place to spend their money is, from a value perspective.”
Full-service firms have an advantage
Having the various professionals involved in a design-build process under one roof can be a help not only for the company, but for the client as well.
Sometimes getting a question answered about design constraints or budgeting challenges can be as simple as walking across the office and speaking with a colleague, Dueck says.
“In design and build, that’s key for us for in controlling timelines and budgets. We take care of clients from the get-go. Understanding their projects start to finish, that’s the main thing.”
To learn more about your options for new home construction or renovations, visit the Stattonrock office in Abbotsford or call them at 604-624-0100.