Residential
Client Checklist
The process of design and construction can be a daunting and mysterious one if you haven't experienced it before. We hope the information to the right may shed some light.
1
Have Realistic Expectations
Construction is expensive! It is not that contractors are gouging or taking you for a ride. Almost all construction materials have to be imported into the Island either as raw materials or as finished products with the cost of shipping, handling and customs duty added. Labour rates are also higher compared to other parts of the world. This all adds up quickly.
2
Have a Budget
Our duty as professionals is to be upfront with you about costs – both for your project’s construction and for our design fees. This is to ensure that you don’t go down a design path which is unrealistic financially. It is a major part of our job to ensure that our design ideas and your budget are aligned if the project is to be successful. We usually ask about your budget at the initial meeting before any design is started.
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Having a budget at the outset allows us the chance to design the space you want and still meet your financial requirements without sacrificing quality.
3
Have Available Any Existing Information
Any and all existing information or drawings are extremely useful – even if they are old, partial or obsolete. Old blueprints from previous renovations or the property deed plans are useful to understand the history of your project and will speed up our own information gathering process. This will ultimately translate into our fee being more cost effective for the early stage.
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The deed plan showing the property boundaries is also particularly useful. This is usually an old photocopied plan hidden in your safe deposit box or lawyer’s office with the deeds to the property. Have this document ready when you sit down with us saves you rushing around later. It is one of the first things we will usually ask for.
4
Have Questions
Feel free to ask questions about how we work, what happens next and why do we need to do ‘that’. Designing and constructing a building is a complex process. The more transparent we can be about all of the various inner workings allows you to feel more comfortable and secure about what will be one of your most significant financial investments.
5
And Finally…
Have thoughts on what you want to achieve but be open to how to go about achieving them. That’s our job!