For reasons I won’t go into here, they removed the fireplace, and exposed this.

For some reason, the roof repair person (I only hope it wasn’t a contractor) didn’t flash the chimney properly, nor build a cricket behind it to move water away from the chimney.

Had proper details and procedures been observed, someone could have been saved a lot of headache. In this situation, the mistakes did bite someone. Watching out for small details, mitigates small mistakes, and assures that larger issues like this don’t arise.  Is someone watching out for you?

Hence, we reviewed the needs and created a 3D model of the concept of how it could work.  Then, I created this video.  There may be other concepts coming.  We’ll see how it turns out!  Watch the video and let me know what do you think of this concept?

I like to turn this saying into a positive, pro-active tool during our projects as a reminder that details do matter.  How do they matter?  When do they matter?  Why do they matter?  Can we keep the devil away?

Yes, we can keep the devil away.  One of our major goals during  the complete design and documentation process is to communicate with everyone openly and frankly about the details of the project.

The details matter from the very beginning of planning.  A contractor needs details to properly affix a dollar value to the project. The homeowner needs details to approve the design and financial investment.  Even the designer needs details to ensure proper design.

Ultimately, these details are for the benefit of the homeowner, for the project is going to be used, and lived in by the homeowner.  Consider this picture.  What “little” detail was missed during the process (not our design), and how will it affect the homeowner until someone pays even more money to fix it.

By the way, I can tell you a professional would not have designed it this way.

It does seem to be an oxymoron to say that one can save money by spending it.  Old adages about saving & earning pennies, getting what you pay for, etc., often lead one to sidestep what could be the most important part of any project: planning.  In order to save money on your next remodeling project, I believe we must discuss Proper Planning, Effective Presentation, and Critical Collaboration.

Proper planning

First, using the proper techniques of research and planning will fulfill a homeowner’s needs much better than what is often portrayed in popular TV home improvement shows.  Those shows only have 30-60 minutes of airtime, and interviewing a homeowner isn’t the glitzy, glamorous TV stuff that producers want to air.  Also, designers need to listen to their clients more.  There is nothing more frustrating to me than to hear a designer going on and on about what he or she sees in this project.  Let’s get this straight, the homeowner is living there, not the designer!  Ok, I digress, back to planning.

When a designer asks questions such as, “How many people do you entertain at one time?” or “What would you feel about something different, say moving the laundry somewhere else in the home?” he is looking for your taste and thoughts of how to provide an equitable solution to your needs.  There have been many occasions where a homeowner has one idea of how to provide a solution, where there may be another, even less expensive way to solve the problem.

The example that comes to mind is when I was first starting this business.  A local doctor was needing some more space, along with other needs to accomodate the handicapped.  Their thought was that they needed another 20 feet added onto the office.  After studying the floor plan, and the typical traffic patterns of the staff, I found that an 8 foot addition would provide the space they needed.  Planning saved them about 300 square feet of addition materials and taxes.  There are many other similar stories where we found the ability to make the project work using creative methods to not cause the typical “scope creep” or “Remodeler’s 15″ which both create a greater cost.

Effective Presentation

I find it amazing with the technology capabilities and availability we have, some are still working with tools from decades ago.  Many of our clients appreciate the ability to see their project in 3D before they settle on the design.  The accuracy and quality we maintain to build that model also helps the contractor make educated decisions about building the project.

Effective presentation also means that we are not stuck on the design we present.  This means that we don’t argue with the homeowner if they want it changed.  The good news is, many changes are easy.  Granted, it is rewarding when the client says that they love the design.

Critical Collaboration

The last key to saving money by design is the collaboration piece.  I say it is critical because ultimately, every project owner wants to control what the project looks like, and how much it will cost.  Consider the roles: the designer works on the looks, and the contractor works on the cost.  There must be collaboration – which requires communication.

If a homeowner does not include both contractor and designer from the beginning, control of both looks and cost will be lost.  A professional design/build team actually ensures control in such a manner that homeowners cannot get elsewhere.  If this collaboration and communication drops, then money is being spent to spin wheels.

Also critical is that collaboration provides a team effort on your project.  I recently heard of one woman who opted to hire another company to draft her project.  She chose not to have our team design it.  Some ceiling leaks, 18-24 months and several thousand dollars after the project was completed, her dormers had to be moved.  Yes, she would have paid us more than the other company, but had much less stress of another minor remodeling project down the road, and most likely, less output in the long run.

Let me tell you that as easy as those young kids make it, it ISN’T!  I’ve seen these toys before, and often wondered how they did it – on two wheels that swivel, no less!  I fell off many times this afternoon, while my daughter and son were offering their sage advise: “Maybe if you were younger, Daddy” and “Dad, you just start by pushing off and then move your feet.”  Ah, the great wisdom of a 7 and 9 year-old!

At certain times during the falling off, try again, falling off routine, I felt like giving up.  A couple of times I did go inside and get a drink, and then went back at it again.  I was close to giving up, when I realized that I really wanted to conquer this little barrier.  I kept trying, after watching my 9-yr old son and his friend “show me how”, and I was able to finally stay upright for a few feet down the driveway.  (Yes, there are small joys in life.)

I walked inside realizing that this is similar to many adventures we take in life.  These adventures may take the form of anything from business to home remodeling.  My wife just had a similar experience yesterday, sewing invisible zippers in some dresses.  Just like I’ve had “experience” on a typical skateboard (I am NO Shaun White, mind you), many Americans have had a bit of “experience” in their own adventure.

Home improvement projects are no exception to this analogy.  While one may know how to draw a scaled sketch, cut a 2×4, or mix some drywall mud, there may be some knowledge yet to learn.  New technology arrives almost daily…just look at what pops up on the internet (another relatively new technology of itself).

Getting back up doesn’t have to be by yourself.  You may want a hand to hold – you know, like someone did for us when we learned to ride a bike.  If you’re sewing, call my wife; if it’s business, I would enjoy introducing you to a friend of mine; if it’s home improvement, I may be able to help you…or I can find someone who can.

No matter what, if you are trying to get “back up”, I would encourage you to try it again.   Comment below to share your story of getting back up, or how you are trying to get back up so we can encourage you!