1 minute read
Remodeling Talk...
“Design to a Number”
Remodeling for Your Budget
Home remodeling projects often exceed customer budgets, and it’s usually a matter of these all-too-common issues in our industry:
Outsourcing Architects and Designers:
Typically remodelers, architects, and designers collaborate on a project as separate businesses. When an architect is employed separately by the homeowner, he doesn’t have access to the remodeler’s expertise in costing. He simply provides a blueprint with the features the buyer wants. Similarly, separately employed designers also create plans without the remodeler’s cost expertise.
At Bella Vista Company, we “Design to a Number”, as we call it. We have our own architects and designers, and we work together as a team from the outset. Before we create the architectural and design plans, we work together to balance your budget with your wishes. The centralization of “Designing to a Number” – that our cost expertise is a prominent factor in every discussion – ensures your project won’t go over budget.
Our collaboration also prevents the inefficiencies of competing visions. When an architect sees something differently in his mind’s eye than a remodeler, costly mistakes arise. The design isn’t cohesive. Time is wasted. The way to avoid this is to avoid outsourcing. Hire a team that works well together.
Non-Transparency of Costs:
In a well-intentioned, but misguided attempt to always be polite, some remodelers don’t talk about costs when they should. Many remodelers give round number estimates without itemization. Or they don’t provide up-front pricing, buying time to first discuss their profit behind the scenes before they tell you about their costs. What results is an inflated estimate and no ability for you to make lineitem cost decisions.
During the design process, if you ask about adding a feature, we’ll gladly tell you the incremental cost, rather than politely saying “no problem”. Costs matter, because a remodel is an investment, and at Bella Vista Company, we believe it should be an informed one.
Bars and restaurants at White Rock Lake?
The buzz is that it’s a topic of casual discussion at City Hall, so we asked for neighbors’ thoughts on the matter*:
34%
Yes. Bring on the bars, restaurants and souvenir shops.
14%
No. Commercialization will ruin the lake and park — leave it alone!
18% No permanent structures, but mobile vendors such as food trucks would be OK.
33%
One nice restaurant/bar overlooking the lake would be cool.
