Remodeling Doesn’t Need To Be A Nightmare Use The DesignBuild Process

You’ve heard the horror stories and perchance lived during your own. The house remodel that has been likely to simply take 6 months, eventually ends up taking a year or more. And the budget? Well, that has been pretty much shot by the third month. The architect and the contractor (when you are able find either one) are pointing fingers at one another. Subcontractors forget what day they’re supposed to show up. And the materials? Wasn’t the flooring said to be bamboo, not pine?

Welcome to the world of remodeling phoenix. A process that’s guaranteed to create your every moment, either asleep or awake, a perpetual nightmare. For many individuals this is like entering their own Twilight Zone. A hellish host to missed deadlines, cost overruns, and headaches that start at the pupils and sear through the brain. This is simply not a great place to be. Now, you don’t have to take it.

Why? Because design/build firms around the country have taken the remodeling phoenix process and turned it on its head. What was previously a gruesome task has been changed into a thoroughly pleasant experience that saves time and money.

This is actually the world of design/build. A procedure for remodeling phoenix that goes entirely back to the Egyptians, a method that unifies and integrates every section of the remodeling phoenix process, from initial design to final completion. All under one roof, all in the hands of just one company, and all with 100% accountability. If it worked for the pharaohs, you better believe it is wonderful for you.

The sweetness of design/build is in the simplicity of its structure. For comparison this can be a way most remodeling phoenix jobs are currently handled.

With a regular remodeling phoenix job, the client typically consults with an architect who does set up the plans for the project. Once a design has client approval the plans venture out to bid to many general contractors. Once the bids get back, more often than not the customer is surprised to learn that the architect’s initial estimate for the design is off by 50% or even more. At this time the client’s architect must revise the look and resubmit the revised design to the general contractors in order to revise their bids. This process may go several rounds, several thousands and frequently creates tension between all involved. This is a situation rife for playing the blame game. If at the end with this excruciating process one of many contractors is selected the method moves about the next step. The contractor gives the client his contract and timetable. And voila, it begins! T’s crossed, I’s dotted, one nice straight line from beginning to end. The client assumes he’ll be enjoying that new addition, kitchen, whatever in a few months. The cash is budgeted and the client can hardly wait. But in this instance ‘wait’ will be the operative word.

Shortly to the job, the electrician tells the overall contractor that he’s come across problems, because the plans weren’t drawn right (“problems” is a word the customer will hear a lot). The contractor contacts the customer who then has to track down the architect. Construction, obviously, stops. Playing phone tag with the architect, who chances are has shifted to other jobs, comes next. And when he is finally reached, he’s totally miffed that a subcontractor may think his plans were anything less than perfection. Good lord, what’s the entire world arriving at! And now the imbroglio gets hot in earnest.

The electrician gets to it with the architect, the contractor wrings his hands in despair, and the client stands helplessly by. Finally, obviously, agreement is reached on how to proceed, usually without one assuming any responsibility for the error much less the delay.

But that’s far from the conclusion of the story, because chances are the general contractor’s subs have all gone off in numerous directions while the job was stalled. New work schedules, new supply delivery schedules, and more or less new everything have to be re-figured. Also it continues on, and on, and on. What doesn’t keep going on may be the money budgeted for the remodel. It could be more or less gone, period.

This scenario could be repeated may times before the job is finally finished ‘ late, over budget, with probably twelve compromises along the way. To paraphrase, “the horror, the horror”. Now the normal design/build scenario: Your client comes to the design/build firm making use of their ideas and concepts. The in-house design team, that will normally add a project coordinator, possibly an architect and a designer, take the client’s some ideas and pops up with the design that matches the client’s wants and desires. It’s that easy, and the design process costs 1/2 up to likely to an architect.

Nonetheless it gets even simpler. The in-house design team passes the blueprints on to the estimator who gets perfect prices from suppliers and comes up with the total cost, and a construction timetable. Usually this is then presented to the client as a fixed price contract. And as the design/build firm is the general contractor on the remodel, everything is checked and double checked to produce very sure that everything will run smoothly and efficiently. They designed it ‘ now it is time to build it!

Because the process is under one roof with one primary source for accountability, the likelihood of squabbles, missed deadlines and cost overruns is much less likely.

Anyone who is contemplating remodeling phoenix plans later on really owe it to themselves to take a seat with a design/build firm inside their area to share their project. Prospective clients should ask to see pictures of jobs that the design/build firm has been doing, and get testimonials from clients who have had jobs completed.

It doesn’t make any difference if you’re thinking about remodeling phoenix your bathroom, or adding a {5}, 000 sq. ft. addition. The design/build approach will ultimately save that client money, time and aggravation (probably a lot of aggravation). And, of course, the remodel has a better possibility of being how you are interested – on-time and on-budget.