Hot of the presses – Alair Homes Delta has completed over 100 renovations and builds! Over the past nine years, we have completed over 100 renovations, additions and custom homes in the Delta and Tsawwassen areas.
All of this experience in the building industry has taught us so much. Here are a six big lessons learned after successfully completing all of these projects.
Over-Communicate
When it comes to building and renovating, there is no such thing as too much communication with our clients. There are so many decisions to be made in a construction project. And a lot of time goes into working through those decisions in manageable increments. It’s our mission to guide our clients through the entire process.
No matter the size of the project, we send weekly updates to our clients. Using our Client Control software, clients get to see real time budgeted and real costs, scheduling updates, goals and objectives. In addition, we are always available by text and email and have regular phone calls, video meetings and in-person meetings about site updates.
Don’t Make Assumptions
One very important thing we’ve learned after finishing over 100 renovations and builds in Delta is to never make assumptions. Just because we would do something one way doesn’t mean the client would want it done that way. So, it’s very important to understand clients’ values and needs. Once again, it all comes back to communication, asking the right questions and understanding our clients’ goals and vision.
Transparency and Trust are Key
At Alair, we operate in a client controlled cost plus model. There are so many vendors and trades involved in a project. We manage that through controlled vendor and trade scopes with an agreed markup. And, we’re completely transparent about it.
Changes and design adjustments can impact the budget and schedule. Plus, they’re one of the biggest challenges for budget increases and schedule delays.
We aim to be fair to everyone. We don’t want to have our client hammered by excessive costs for changes. But we also want to ensure the construction team is compensated for the adjustments that can happen throughout. Every cost is shown.
Don’t Rush Planning
It’s extremely important for clients to see drawings and even 3D models to be able to visualize end results. Do our clients understand how a room is going to feel? Can they imagine moving through the space? With decades of experience and countless project drawings, we know that it’s extremely important that everyone is on the same page.
Planning also means budgeting well in advance. Every client has a different budget, different values and needs. We work with the client to understand their true budget and their project must-haves.
We work to determine the real cost of the project, BEFORE we begin. And it’s one of the most challenging things we have to do. That said, we’ve been in the industry for over 20 years and we still can’t always accurately predict what everything will cost. No one can. There are so many factors at play including: commodity fluctuations, labour costs, and specific finish products that can be substantially more than a square foot rate budget allowance.
So, it’s imperative to remember that proper planning takes time. We consult with dozens of trades and vendors to get the real cost of the project firmed up before we start demolition. Every successful project started with extensive planning that had 95% or more of our scope and costs firmed up before we started construction.
Balance Wants and Needs
Design will always push the budget. But we can’t achieve unique and interesting finishes and results without it. It’s important to balance both. We communicate with clients to find out what level of finish we’re trying to achieve and what components they’re willing to splurge on.
Change is Inevitable
The only constant, even in construction, is change. There are always changes to plans or construction challenges. Alair Delta has completed over 100 renovations and builds and we’ve learned that construction is not a controlled manufacturing environment and that it inherently leads to some challenges.
Drawings and engineering do not 100% translate to the real world. There are always some discrepancies and challenges we need to work through. The good news is that after all our experience, we are very good at adjusting on the fly. All of our planning helps us identify as many of these issues and challenges before construction, creating the very best results for our clients.
Looking to start a home renovation or build a custom home with a company that has over a hundred projects under their belt? Then you’re definitely in the right place. For more information or to schedule a consultation, be sure to get in touch.