01 Sep What To Expect – Your In-Home Consultation and Moving into Phase 1: Conceptual Design
The prospect of embarking on a remodeling project is often marked by excitement and anticipation mixed with more than a little trepidation. Will you decide on the right design? How long will it take, what will be involved, and how much will it cost?
We get it. For us, having a comprehensive and transparent process from our initial consultation to final project completion is crucial to successful engagement and beautiful results. Accountability is key. As a prospective client we invest the time to thoroughly understand your needs before proposing design solutions.
We’ll start together by getting to know each other and discussing your specific needs by scheduling an in-home consultation. We’ll meet with you in your home to learn more about you, your space, and your vision. While preliminary, the in-home consultation is the keystone to a successful collaboration. It isn’t just about what you want to do with your space but for us to have a deep understanding of what you feel is most important.
The in-home consultation is also an opportunity for us to learn more about each other. After all, inviting others into your home, especially a company you are going to rely on to materially change your space over time, requires a high level of trust and comfort.
In the initial consultation, we’ll answer any questions you may have about our company and our process, and we will want to get a sense of your budget and provide some early feedback for the type of project you are considering. Then we will outline our engagement for the design process.
The next step is Phase 1, Conceptual Design and Feasibility. In Phase 1, we’ll apply what we’ve learned in the in-home consultation and take a deeper dive with your designer in a follow up interview. This includes asking key questions to learn exactly how you will use the space. Details matter. We may ask about aspects you haven’t considered, or you may alert us to personal priorities we might not have otherwise known. Then we will “document” the home including taking measurements and photographs. We will develop an existing conditions plan of your space and then we will come up with design solutions to present to you by way of conceptual plans and 3D computer models to help you visualize the new space. And, if you are open to it, we can often offer some expanded renovation ideas for consideration that naturally flow when your goals and vision meet our expertise and innovative approach.
Often we come up with more than one solution, and we believe it is beneficial to be able to compare these ideas. After feedback and fine-tuning, we will develop the project scope and provide you with a preliminary estimate. From here we can adjust the design, scope, and preliminary pricing if needed. These will be initial estimates and are intended to provide you with an early look at the design, scope, and pricing so you can feel confident moving forward. We will finalize pricing in phase 2 as detailed plans and specifications are developed and agreed to.
For us, it is important you have the information you need to make an informed decision on moving forward as well as the scope and timing of the project. In our next post, we will discuss Phase 2, Design Development.
This is only a broad overview of these important first steps in working together. No two projects are the same. At Lee Kimball, our passion is partnering with each homeowner to uniquely transform their personal living space. We love the work we do and doing it together as a dedicated team. Are you ready to explore your vision for your home with us? We’d love to talk. Reach out to our team here to begin a conversation about your project or connect with us on Facebook or Instagram to see what we’re currently working on.
