Renovation Consultations

The truth is: renovation is time consuming, stressful, and incredibly expensive. Also true: great design can impact your life immensely. You surely have ideas of what you want. But how do you even know where to begin?

Most homeowners undertaking major construction are inexperienced (of course!). Every stage of the process can feel overwhelming. You know that professional advice will save you time and money. But a full-service architect or designer may not be part of your budget, or your project may be ‘too small’ for professionals you’ve spoken with. Maybe you are just trying to wrap your head around your home, and don’t even know whose services you might need.

Renovation Consultation (by the hour, virtual) Renovation Consultation (by the hour, virtual)
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Renovation Consultation (by the hour, virtual)
$200.00
In-person visit In-person visit
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In-person visit
$250.00
Floor plan Consultation (one hour, virtual) Floor plan Consultation (one hour, virtual)
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Floor plan Consultation (one hour, virtual)
$200.00
Add on: Floor plan Options (by the floor) Add on: Floor plan Options (by the floor)
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Add on: Floor plan Options (by the floor)
$150.00

What might a consultation look like?

Problem: You know you need to update a problem area in your home, but you have no clue how any of this works yet. How do you find a contractor? Do you need to file for permits? Do you need a GC? Do you have to move out? Do you need an architect?

Discussion: first, identify the scope of your project. Then, a breakdown of how the process usually works. Who handles what, how many people need to get involved, when you might need permits vs. not, how long things often take, how to set realistic expectations.

Problem: You’re partway into a renovation, and you’re concerned about your contractor. You’re being told excuses, but are they reliable? The price is going up, your timeline is shot, or you’ve lost trust in some other way. Is it time to pull the plug? Is it all actually completely reasonable, and renovation is just challenging? Who pays for mistakes? What are real red flags?

Discussion: first up, a general education in the (inevitable) troubleshooting phase of construction. Every single project hits snags and problems; the important thing is how they are handled. We will cover common legitimate issues, and industry-standard ways to handle them. A basic breakdown of when the contractor pays, and when the client pays. Then, of course, some insights based on your specific situation, and what sorts of questions to be asking going forward. Having been a third party for a decade between GCs and clients, I have a fairly balanced sympathy for both sides, and can hopefully give you some insight into whether your trust is secure or if you may need to push back.

This contractor was, happily, a great guy.

Problem: You figured out what you want, called architects or contractors, told them your ideas, and they gave you a price. It’s WAY out of budget. But you don’t even know if there would be ways to bring the price down! Are there ways to cut costs, that would leave you just as happy with the end result? How do you figure that out without hiring a full-service designer that you can’t afford?

Discussion: what are the big goals of what you asked for? What is a non-negotiable, and what’s a nice-to-have? We may be able to identify ways to achieve your needs by making tweaks that would drastically simplify the labor, or identify high-ticket requests that you’re not actually all that attached to, or even solve some problems through furniture and storage rather than renovation. Or, if what you want is really that expensive, you’ll have some peace of mind knowing that you can either choose to compromise, or keep saving up.

Problem: You’re real estate hunting, and you’re looking at fixer-uppers. But you don’t have a good handle on how expensive different fixes might be. Without getting a contractor to come estimate at every house you consider (this is unfeasible, trust me), how can you be a savvy shopper? Maybe you’ve even had a home inspection, and it’s 25 terrifying pages but the inspector swears the house is in good shape. Which renovation items are a big deal?

Discussion: what sort of jobs are expensive, and which are not so bad. Things to keep in mind to simplify labor and save money in your planning phases (hint: you certainly CAN put plumbing any old place, but it comes at a cost). What kinds of requests will add a zero onto your estimate, and how you might revise or rephrase your goals to rein it in. What kinds of jobs you can DIY, and which absolutely need a professional. When might you need permits in NYC, and do you need an architect or engineer. And hopefully you’ll end up having a ballpark of knowing what your renovation tolerance currently is, and which homes may be more than you want to take on.

I bought this fixer-upper. It worked out!

Problem: You know you need to renovate, but you can’t figure out how to start the design part. There are so. Many. Options. For. Everything. How do you figure out your design style and just pick something, already? This is one of the most expensive things you’ll ever undertake - what if you pick wrong?! What’s worth splurging on, and where can you save? How do you design something that’s not going to feel dated in a year or two?

Discussion: a whole bunch of tips and tricks for narrowing down your choices and figuring out what you like for your home. How to define your personal style, if you’re fuzzy on it, so that your online searches and shopping are focused and finite. How to avoid decision paralysis, and shake yourself out of it when it inevitably sets in. Where to splurge, and what a reasonable range of prices might be for a material. A list of some good sources for common materials. A way to organize your selections in a way that contractors are used to seeing, to streamline your project and make sure you get what you want.

Please note: this sort of consultation WILL NOT be able to give you specific dollar estimates on any sort of work.

Between discrepancies in locations, labor prices, GC insurance costs, building requirements, materials, and other unknown variables, any kind of pricing would be unreliable.

What it CAN give you is a better understanding of scale and scope, reasonable ranges, questions to ask your construction teams to become better informed, and insight into forces that may be driving your costs that the average homeowner might not know.

The goal is to make you a more informed consumer, so that you have confidence in your decisions moving forward.