Design-Build Remodel Projects: Our Process - the Secret to our Success
We work in a multi-step process. It begins with ideas — a blending of yours and ours. Working together, we create a plan, transforming our shared vision into living space that fits your family's personality and lifestyle needs.
1. Consultation Meeting
This first meeting is at your home and generally takes about an hour and a half to two hours. We'll take a look around — ask lots of specific questions and listen carefully to your answers. Our intention of this meeting is not only to instill confidence in our expertise build trust by knowing we listen and will uncover your architectural and design goals. We want to know how you wish to live in your home and what problems you hope to resolve through remodeling.
2. Design Agreement & Concept Development
Should you decide to go forward with Eren Design and Remodel at the Consultation Meeting, you'll sign a design agreement and we will set the appointment for the next step. Our designer will return to your home, take photographs to serve as a source to the creation of the existing conditions, and measure the work areas to move towards a detailed set of conceptual drawings. Our designer will then create one to three sets of concept drawings. When the concept drawings are fully developed and reflect your desired project, generally a discovery process is conducted at your home to reveal any potential cost drivers, such as the need to update an electric panel or plumbing lines. We have found that this process reduces surprises and more clearly identifies a “best approach”.
3. The selection and specification process
Now the fun really begins! By this time, our designer becomes your designer and they will take you through a guided selection process. If you are in town, your designer will take you through a guided selection process. You will go to local suppliers and shop with the benefit of the showroom experts and our designer, who holds your vision to pull it all together. If you are out of town, or simply prefer an internet selection process, our designer is happy to offer you a multiple choice internet selection process for any number of items.
4. Design Development, Scope of Work and Budgets
A key advantage of the design-to-build approach to remodeling is that you get a comprehensive, integrated package of services from start to finish. At the same time, you also receive a budget that corresponds to your design plan and materials selections. The same company that develops the concept also takes responsibility for cost accounting. No surprises!
By the end of the design phase we'll have walked you through a number of possible approaches to your project, produced a detailed scope of work, a schedule of all of your selections, detailed drawings and the one number that is the budget for your project. You'll have made final decisions as to the design and materials to be used. You'll understand exactly what you're getting and how much it will cost.
5. Construction Agreement
Once you have approved the final design, scope of work and the budget, you will sign a construction agreement, pay a retainer to hold the date and the project will be scheduled. We will discuss how you need to prepare your home for the planned remodel, the services Eren will provide to protect your home and how to accommodate the relocation of household items that are within the planned work areas.
6. Construction Phase
The construction phase begins with a Pre-Construction Conference that involves you, your designer and your newly assigned Project Manager. The purpose of this meeting is to complete a hand-off from Design to Production. You will meet your project manager, who will then be on-site every working day of our job: ordering supplies, scheduling trade contractors and maintaining strict quality control standards.
During the construction phase, weekly meetings will be conducted at your home at a time that works for you. We use these meetings to ensure that communication remains open between you and your project manager and to provide an opportunity for periodic visits from your designer and our company president, Janice Donald. These weekly meetings include a review of schedule: where the project is at currently, what is coming up and what still needs to be done. At Eren, we believe respect for the schedule is good for both of us: you need to know what to expect and receive progress reports, and we need to achieve the deadlines on which we base our estimate.
7. The Punch List and on to Warranty
In the final few days of your remodel, you will walk through all of the physical changes to your home with your project manager and make note of any details that still need attention. When we wrap up and remove the dumpster, we shift from daily visits to your home to periodic warranty or follow up visits.