Designs and Designers – the Make or Break of every project

6 Steps to a good design

6 steps to a good design

Are good designs a good idea? They are not only a good idea they are every bit as important as a solid foundation. Your customer has poured hours of thought and care into deciding to build a new home, or expand their current one. Having good designs in place before you break ground will ensure that your project goes together seamlessly and will truly hit the mark with your clients.

Clients have an idea in their minds, and conceptual thought that is at best a day dream. Getting those thoughts into the perfect design is a tricky but crucial procedure. Your client is trusting you, trusting that you know exactly what you are doing, that you care about their project, that you are only offering up the options that fit their needs, and can bring their dream into reality.

The best way to answer any of these questions is to have a person that is highly skilled in design work and has great vision. This person will be one of the best tools you will have in your company. The good old phrase “You get what you pay for” is going to be the golden rule with this person. This person will be the make or break of every project that you start.

Steps to making your design hit the mark

Step 1: Start with the big picture – Start with the overall concept and then work towards the more specific needs of the design. Even before the room size is picked, most people know what colors they want each room to be painted. It is important to start with the land and go up from there. Keep your client focused on the steps.

Step 2: Answer the question “Why are we building and what are the specific needs?”. Have specific parameters that your customers can go buy to avoid confusion. Ask questions: Why are we building this home now? Is this to make for more room for your growing family? What activities in your home are most important? Do you have big dinner parties? Know what each room means to the client and ensure that you are making sure all components will fit together perfectly.

Step 3: Budget Talk – Clients can have great ideas and amazing vision when it comes to what they want when building their home. The budget they have to work with will be essential in helping them understand just how big that dream can be. Keeping the topic of size of house for the budget on a positive. If your client will not waiver from what they want, you will be at an impasse, so keeping the topic very clear, but positive will be crucial. Keep in mind all costs associated with the building. From foundation to the carpet in the house, all factors cost and must be associated with the budget. Helping your client know how to cut costs without losing their dream will be very important. Items such as the types of fixtures, exterior items such as shingles, roofing, and landscaping are all areas that you can help trim a surpass in budget.

Step 4: Where are we going to build – If your customer is looking for a large lavish home, building it in a heavily populated urban area is just not going to do. This will be an important process in budgeting as well. Know the restrictions in the specific areas that you are looking to build. Make sure your clients are looking at such items as neighborhood aesthetics, and local and private schools available. Keep a close eye on the square footage a home is, and the size of the lot you will be purchasing. Know what landscaping needs they client will have to ensure you are getting the right size lot to fit all of their needs.

Step 5: Floor plans rule – Now that you have all of your questions asked, and assumedly until the point that you can see the same vision as your client, you are ready to start with the floor plan. Know where the rooms should be placed in relation to each other based on the lifestyle of the client. Make sure you are staying within the realm of the budget and needs of the client. Start from the foundation and work up and then out. Make sure you know all the building codes for the area you will be building in. Make sure all items such as architectural style, colors of the exterior and any landscaping are factored in.

Step 6: Get your client’s approval – the last and most important step is to get the client to approve the plans. Go over every step from start to finish and help them conceptualize the plan. Make any changes that are needed and then finalize all plans.

Arrow Building Center has everything you will need. Please visit our designing department for more.