Design-Build Considerations
Get More Space Without an Addition
Priorities vs Budget
At J. Francis Company, LLC, we strive to make your remodeling experience a pleasurable one. In order for that to happen we need to understand your vision.
It may not be possible to get 100% of everything. No one house will ever fulfill all of your wishes. The goal is to create a design that satisfies 90% of your wishes without leaving any “must have” items behind, optimizing design while maximizing your priorities. The final design should reflect your desires, needs, lifestyle, and budget.
While going through the design concepts if something isn’t quite right or you don’t understand something, please share your thoughts. We can review where the design started and where it is currently and why. This will reveal that some of the initial ideas or designs may or may not be relevant due to budget, site issues, or your priorities.
What to consider
- The design-build process will change your initial list of design criteria. As concepts develop, the opportunities and the problems of the project and your current desires come to light.
- The most fundamental tradeoff is budget vs size and complexity. Typically, the initial list of rooms & wishes will add up to more square footage than the budget will allow. This is where tradeoffs begin. The numbers have to come close to matching. Thus, something will have to be adjusted. You will have to rethink the square footage or your budget.
- A remodeling project requires effective planning and clear communication. A lack of any one of these areas creates pitfalls that are easily avoided.
- Have fun! This is only the beginning and although the process can seem overwhelming, demanding, fulfilling, enlightening and exasperating all at the same time, it really is rewarding and magical to see your vision become a reality.
Trade-offs
Commonly Encountered Tradeoffs include:
- Quality of material vs. cost of the material
- Initial high cost of materials vs. the cost of maintenance or replacement of materials (materials with a high initial cost can reduce the maintenance, whereas material that costs less can cost more in maintenance)
- Wall space: cabinetry, appliances, windows, doors can compete against each other for space. The more you include of one item, the less wall space is available for another.
- Lots of windows vs. the energy efficiency of the house. The more windows there are, the less efficient the house becomes.
- Efficiency of the structure vs. economic construction costs. The more complex the structure is (several rooflines, curved windows and walls, lot of corners, etc.) the more it will cost to build.
- Higher ceilings vs. lower ceilings. The higher the ceiling, the more sound travels and echoes and the more cold it feels.
- Open spaces vs. divided spaces. The more open a space is, the less privacy there will be. The more divided the space is, the more chopped up and restricted it will feel.
Contact
Have questions? Get in touch for more information.