Design & Pre-Construction Process: Why You Need One
When you are ready to embark on a major home renovation, you might start seeking inspiration by looking at pictures of beautiful finished projects on Instagram, Pinterest or Houzz. But behind every stunning transformation lies a calculated and intentional process. It’s arguably the most important investment in making sure your project meets your goals, meets your budget and gives you the stunning results you are looking for (all while making the renovation process a more enjoyable one for all parties involved).
At Otis Interiors, we believe that to achieve great results, it all starts with planning that’s design-led. Without solid upfront planning, it’s likely that you move into your project making decisions “on the fly” without a thoughtful plan to guide the way which can lead to a ripple effect which can lead to confusion, frustration and to mistakes and no end in sight (for you or your contractor). Let us tell you, there is a better way.
We’re here to preach (we’ll sing it from the rooftops) why there is magic in the planning and to share insights into our own Design and Pre-Construction process to help you understand why this method sets you up for success and excitement as it leads you into your renovation project. There is so much thought, creativity, and collaboration that go into making your space truly exceptional so here’s a glimpse into how we guide you from day one to help set you up for success as we take you from planning into implementation and into your dream home.
Project Launch Meeting
Every project starts with a comprehensive kick-off meeting. We give you a bit of homework to prepare for the discussion as we make plans to meet with you in your home to chat about your lifestyle, preferences, and what you’re hoping to achieve. Whether you’re looking for a complete makeover or just a few updates, this step is key for getting everything on track and establishing a scope of work for everyone. We’ll dig deeper into your goals, your must-haves vs nice-to-haves, your budget, and your timeline so that it gives us a strong sense of what you are after from the get-go. We also collect measurements of your home/spaces so we have these to build plans off of (spoiler: we need more information than just the home layout/room dimensions from a real estate listing).
Preliminary Design Concepts & Structural Analysis
After our launch meeting, our team gets busy with some early design work and sets the tone for overall look and feel for the project to keep things on track. It starts with a team brainstorm, sketching and researching ideas. Next, we move onto creating more detailed floor plans that build on those initial concepts.
You might be surprised to hear this, but we also develop a draft plan for your mechanicals too (ie. electrical, plumbing, HVAC). Knowing and being able to digest this early on (without the distraction of pretty layers yet), allows you to focus on functionality first. We can make anything beautiful, but it has to function well too for you to really love it in the end. We'll loop in team members and our trades as needed to get eyes on your home and to begin the process of a structural analysis to ensure we can discuss our ideas to ensure they are possible and review what considerations it may come with. It’s all about outlining options and equipping homeowners with the right knowledge to make informed decisions to land on the intended direction. Depending on the complexity of the project, we may end up doing a few revisions before landing on the direction to move forward with. When everyone's on the same page, it’s a beautiful thing.
Construction Estimating & Contract
Once we’ve nailed down our direction and concepts for your home, we move forward with creating a detailed and comprehensive construction estimate to review with you. How to we do it? We hold a Team and Trade Day to bring the exact players who will be working on your home to the table to review project scope and collectively come up with a team game plan for execution. Having eyes on the home and plan early, helps us come up with a strategy even before hammers start swinging. It also ensures accurate quoting to give you peace of mind knowing what you will be paying for up front as we work to minimize surprises. We always encourage setting aside a contingency of approx. 10-15% of the overall budget for anything unknown (we haven’t quite developed x-ray vision yet). We’ll sit with you in your home to review the budget in detail and work through any revisions needed based on your feedback.
Once everyone is in agreement, we work to sign the construction contract, secure thhe project deposit and work to build out a draft construction schedule for your project. Things start to feel real and this signals you can start planning your family logistics for your renovation!
Finalizing Permits and The Permit Application
At this stage, your permit package is underway. We work to review it with you and then use the package to apply for your permit through the regional municipality. Once they have approved the permit and we have it in hand, we are ready to move into construction.
Final Design Presentation of Selections
This is the final phase leading into a construction start! Our team works with you to finalize floor plans, mechanical plans as well as cabinetry details to prepare for your project. We also prepare for the highly anticipated final design presentation that showcases all our proposed selections (materials, fixtures and furnishings) for your project.
If any revisions are needed, we complete a round of this before on boarding you onto our project management platform to facilitate approvals of all selections to line them up against our construction schedule. We’ll handle ordering, tracking, and storing them so they are safe and ready when we need them. Our aim is to make this process as easy as possible and an enjoyable one for you. We take on everything so that you can sit back, enjoy the transformation of your space and all you need at the end of your project is your toothbrush to move back in!
“A goal without a plan is just a wish”
This process will give you the confidence in both the design and the implementation to follow by knowing that there is a team of people involved who are helping you achieve your dream home. We advocate for the plans and they act as a blueprint for the whole project. Think of it as the “yellow brick road” and if ever you veer, you can come back to trust in the path and we’ll be there to hold your hand throughout the journey. Engaging in a intentional design and pre-construction process will set everyone up for a smooth construction process, crafting your vision into a beautiful reality.