Casa Millie’s Guide to a Well-Informed Design-Build Project Investment

Photo credit: East and Lane

Whether you’re a design-build newbie or veteran, one of the most important considerations and initial questions for clients is cost. Understanding the realities of a design-build investment from the inception of a project is critical, and honoring this step helps us to meet expectations and reduce frustration for everyone!

At Casa Millie, in the beginning stages of our work with clients, we do our best to define these costs on a conceptual level, sharing similar projects and developing an estimated range of investment based on those completed projects. On a more concrete level, we carefully capture costs of labor and materials during our detailed design phase and present those to our clients for review and as needed, find more cost-effective solutions.

It's important to us that our clients are well-informed throughout the process, which is why they receive regular updates. We also work to ensure that our clients understand that we don’t have a crystal ball and unanticipated costs may arise, particularly in a renovation project.

Photo credit: David Clode

Step #1: Understanding the Ins & Outs of Any Investment

An investment in a design-build project is an investment in your home and possibly even an investment in your future (think resale value!) This investment requires a careful balancing of wants and needs in terms of aesthetics, function, and timeline, all carefully viewed through the lens of the available budget.

At a high, conceptual level, we start by providing our clients with an estimated investment range for their desired project. As we iron out the design direction and finalize selections, we provide our clients with clearer estimates and timelines and work with them to “value engineer” (a favorite term in design which indicates cost savings) whether through making similar quality selections, reducing the project scope, or even phasing the project execution out over a longer period of time.

It’s important that our clients understand our intention and desire is to deliver on time and on budget, but even the best laid plans can run up against unforeseen circumstances and related costs (e.g. when a wall is opened in a renovation to reveal unanticipated duct work or we learn the wiring isn’t up to code).  When this happens, our team works to address these challenges, smooth out edges, ensure your alignment, and expedite the process wherever possible. 

Photo credit: Aaron Burden

Step #2: Write Out, Research & Revise the Overall Wishlist

The best way to start a project is to create a list of functional needs in your spaces.  If these needs aren’t met, even the most beautiful project, in our opinion, is a failure (e.g. do you need a kitchen with an electric oven for precision baking; do you need space to accommodate relaxed seating for large groups; do you need a dining room for 10?).

From there, start dreaming and sharing with us!  What gives you butterflies in your stomach when you think about your space?  A steam shower with body sprays? Reclaimed wood flooring? An island in your closet with endless storage? Perhaps you're like me, and what most excites you is incorporating inspiration and elements from your heritage/family history or from your travels making your home feel even more special and unique to you!

No matter the project or the scope, if all decision makers aren’t aligned on their vision, preferences and needs, significant delays can arise, tempers can flare, and costs can increase with each additional round of revisions (two revisions for any element of the project, maximum, is typical for our clients).  Communication and a clear plan are key to success from the get go! 

Photo credit: Ben Wicks

Step #3: Set a Meeting & Stay Open-Minded Throughout

While we can provide our clients with examples of “investment ranges” for projects similar in scale and scope, we strongly prefer to delve into the investment conversation during our initial concept/materiality meeting where we lay out the overall project direction, most importantly the aesthetics and function for the space.  Using historical data, we can present our clients with a more realistic budget range and help them to refine their wants, needs, and moonshot goals.

After the investment range has been defined, we develop the detailed designs and obtain firm quotes for labor and products.  We present this investment amount to the client at the detailed design meeting, but the client still has the opportunity, with our help, to adjust the budget, as needed.

Rest assured that we will educate our clients on where it’s possible to “value engineer” and where it’s not to help ensure they meet their design goals and vision.

If there’s anything I’ve learned in my 11+ years of design, it’s that communication and transparency are essential.  Our clients are never in the dark about the process, or the investment. As a former lawyer, I love researching and finding unique products and cost-effective solutions, which has been key in being able to deliver projects that meet clients’ hopes and expectations.

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Until next time,
Andrea