A couple of thoughts on making this first meeting effective, efficient, and beneficial.
Maybe you’ve been thinking about this project for years and now you want to get some thoughts and advice on how a professional remodeler would approach a project like yours.
- First, call Case and speak with a person in our client services center. At Case, that person is a former carpenter with many years of field experience, not a typical “call center” information gatherer. Briefly describe your project and the top 2 or 3 things that are important for us to know about your project. He’ll fit the designer best suited for your project and it’s scope of work; this is one of the clear advantages of working with Case.
- Expect a 5-10 minute chat by phone with the person you’ll be meeting with. Here’s your chance to discuss the project and your goals – both scope of work and budget – before you meet. This brief chat allows us both to properly prepare for our meeting. We may bring drawings, before & after photos, or examples of contracts for projects similar to yours.
- You may want to create a “Needs, Wants, Someday” list. What projects NEED to get done, what you WANT to get done if there’s money left in the budget after the needs are met. Lastly, the SOMEDAY list is for projects you know will allow you to enjoy your home more than ever. Examples include: a kitchen addition, new master bathroom, family room, or finished basement.
- Plan to give our meeting 60-90 minutes of your undivided attention, try to eliminate television and radio, let phone calls go to voicemail if possible. If you have young children, a new coloring book is a great distraction.
- Share your ideas, and inspirations from websites, magazines, and my iPad. Let me know what you like or don’t like. I only wish I was a mind reader.
- Tell me what’s most important to you about your project – most important to you, not me. Sometimes it’s not about the finished project, it’s about keeping our work area clean and safe, or not letting your escape artist kitty get out. If I know what you really care about, I’ll care about it too.
This common sense approach to our meeting encourages a collaborative, “working together” partnership that’ll benefit you and your project and foster a great home remodeling experience.
Makes sense and cents,
S S
