PROJECT PLANNING

What is Planning?

In every home renovation, we always  value project planning. It's this first stage that covers the necessary details to ensure success, efficiency, and satisfaction. Planning is arguably the most important stage of renovation. Planning has two main factors: vision, and scope.

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Planning is a cooperative process. To see a project through to completion, we as builders rely heavily on your vision as the homeowner. Vision is looking into a space, and imagining what could be. Ideally, your vision is a very clear idea of the project’s end result. Through purposing and planning your vision, we partner with you to help solidify details and make instrumental decisions. For example, a couple that decides they want new cabinets should also consider overall context of a space: do they want to keep the lighting, or change it? Will they also change the flooring to better match the cabinets? Is there an existing design scheme to adhere to? Or are we starting from scratch? The more detailed the vision, the clearer the project's scope.

Scope is the measuring stick we use to estimate your project’s duration, needed materials, budget, and involvement of third parties. Clear scope not only produces better results, but also ensures we can give our very best effort to be more efficient and concise during execution. In the long run, poorly defined scope often leads to stacked and unforeseen expenses. Some problems can be as simple as unanswered questions that surface midway in the project, halting construction progress. Poor scope can also lead to backtracking which, while somewhat common, can still be a costly mistake. That is why we make planning a top priority. Taking the time avoids mistakes and ensures preemptive success. We use our expertise and decision-making tools: i.e. design checklists.

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Planning greatly shapes the project’s overall success. Having established the 'what' of project planning, let's move on to the question of 'how': “How do we plan well?”

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Defining the problem

As a homeowner, you know your home best, including the areas you want to renovate. However, renovation is no simple task. That's why it's important to first establish the goal of the project. What are the problems you want fixed? Concrete goals provide a solid foundation upon which to build your vision. Our job is to help you establish those goals.

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Once you've the simplified goal (“a new kitchen,” “getting rid of that ugly flooring,” etc.) you can specify details and preferences. This is where we come in. Our planning team always keeps a checklist for common projects to help streamline the decision-making process. For your part as the homeowner, we also recommend use of reference photos, renderings, and real-world examples of materials you plan on using in the project.

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Example

Let’s look at a practical example of planning a project. A couple, let's call them Phillip and Robin, want to renovate their master bathroom. They meet with their contractor to plan the renovation, and explain the basic problem, “The beige vanity looks really dreary, and the room's arrangement feels claustrophobic…” Robin shares some of their project vision: “We want some sort of white tiling. Something to make the space feel fresh and clean when you walk in…” We takes down the details listed so far, also looking at any reference images and samples the homeowners have. During this discussion, we use our checklist to fill in any gaps in the homeowners' vision.

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This example demonstrates the proper dynamic we seek in all of our projects: you as the homeowner establish your vision of your project and preferences, and we provide practical solutions tailored to your preferences. Together, we streamline the planning process and set the project’s scope accurately. Generation Builders owner Benjamin Helmuth sums up his past experiences on this matter. The most important part of the planning process is “knowing what you [the homeowner] want.” “As a project leader, I’ve run into the most trouble at this stage [planning] when the customers don’t clearly define what they want. Our job serving you, is to help articulate and guide you through this process."

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If you forget everything you just read, remember this: planning consists of vision and scope. First, clarify the design problem the project is aimed toward. Second, “know what you want.” Have confidence in your creative vision! We will work together as a team to ensure your design aligns with best practice. Our hope is that these steps will catalyze your next home project’s momentum, allowing both parties to arrive with an accurate and detailed plan, tailored to your project’s specifications.