Bang for your Buck
Picking the best remodeler for your project
In the January 2017 issue of Milwaukee Magazine, I outlined general procedures of a practical approach to the design stage of a remodeling project and how to meet your goals through that process.
Let’s step back prior to that stage. Let’s look at the very start of finding a company that can help you through the design and construction of your remodeling project.
So you have made some decisions on what your project is going to be and have an idea of what your budget will be. If you haven’t done extensive remodeling before, or even if you have, how do you know who to choose, and who you can trust to work with on your home?
Suppose your project will require the input of an experienced professional because of challenges and complexities beyond the average do-it-yourselfer. One of the first choices you may be faced with is to “hire” a designer with the firm that will do the construction – or go the route of finding a firm offering free design, or even one that claims to give free quotes.
DESIGN FEE OR DESIGN FREE?
Is paying for design a good idea? Or should it be offered free as a way of “earning” your trust and respect?
If you accept free design, then you can also expect a certain amount of sales pitch included. It’s part of that game, after all. There’s only so much anyone can or will do for free before expecting to be recognized for their efforts. That’s where the sales pitch comes in. You know the drill.
In this case the designer may also have an attitude of lowered expectations on your part because the design is free. A possible outcome of this scenario is that after testing the waters, you may find that this really isn’t the right person or company for you, and worst case is you’ve wasted your time and are left frustrated.
The flip side of that coin is entering into a relationship with a professional who charges a fair fee for his or her commitment to your project. This commitment should include the designer being responsive and professional, with a level of talent and experience commensurate with the fee structure. Ideally, this is someone with whom you feel a connection, because he or she understands your goals and takes a real interest in your project. That commitment creates a level of trust and comfort that goes both ways – as with any quality relationship built to last.
DELICATE SUBJECTS
Inevitably, there are going to be discussions that touch on some personal or tricky topics. None have the potential to be more sensitive than the budget.
We all know that you don’t have a project without a design. And there are two stages to every project – the design stage and the construction stage. No one would ever argue over whether you would be expected to pay for the construction of your project.
The term “design” really means truly everything that goes into the process of coming up with an agreed-upon project for a certain dollar amount. I call it “getting what you want for what you want to pay.” It should be your road map, and the success of the entire project, plus your ongoing comfort level, depend upon it.
If you place your emphasis on how the company you are going to be working with engages you, that process may be the most important indication of how happy you will be in the end.
Tim Benkowski, CMKBD, is the only Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designer in Southeastern Wisconsin and one of approximately 120 nationwide. He owns and operates timothyj kitchen & bath, inc., a full-service design/ build remodeling firm, with his wife, Kelly, out of their Walker’s Point studio.