Posts tagged with "remodeling"

The most important factor that San Diego homeowners look for when interviewing contractors are as follows:

• Honesty
• Excellent communication
• Quality craftsmanship
• Promptness
• Cleanliness during remodel

During this time of continued quarantine, social distancing, and exceptional safety standards to slow and flatten the curve, here is what our home owners have been asking:

• How soon can I get back to my remodel if the lock down starts to loosen in May?
• How do we keep planning and making decisions so that we are ready when things open up?
• How can I make sure I am covering all basis if we aren't meeting with the contractor in person?

During such an important time for the safety of our community, it is vital that we are careful in asking and answering these questions.

But don’t worry. You’re in the perfect place! 

In this article, we'll answer all your questions so you can make a great decision about your remodel for you and your family.  

The nature of the design-build process allows us to work with you and for you whether we are meeting in person or not. The collaboration and design decisions can often be made remotely and with the aid of Zoom meetings and material sample deliveries. 

Though there should be no need for you to delay design and collaboration, the process of construction has slowed somewhat, so you may find a later start or completion since all the projects that were going on during the second half of March are also experiencing delayed wrap up.

Regardless, we recommend getting started sooner rather than later.

How Can We Keep Planning & Making Decisions So We Are Ready When Things Open Up?

If you are already engaged with a design-build firm, then each meeting in their process should include homework and next steps for you to complete between meetings. 

1. Contractor--If you are still kicking tires or looking to choose a contractor soon, follow these steps to make the right selection
   1. Call 3 to 5 contractors
   2. Intentionally qualify each over the phone considering character, integrity, experience, and follow-up.
   3. Schedule a site visit with only your top 1 or 2 and get a ballpark range from each based on pictures and experience.
   4. Select your contractor 
   5. Follow the remote process to collaborate on a design, layout, and scope that you love. This collaboration will produce your detailed estimate, or Teknik True Quote. Yes, this price will fall within the initial ballpark, unless the scope is increased. 
   6. Complete your project on time!
2. Materials--Create a Houzz.com Ideabook
   1. Create a Houzz.com account.
   2. Hover over the "My Account" button on the top-right of your screen
   3. Click on My Ideabooks
   4. Create a new one and choose a name

Finally, use the search bar to find photos that you love! You may find your tile, plumbing, flooring, and light fixtures. Ensure that you make notes under each photo to specify which features you've noticed in each photo. When you select your contractor, you can share it with them on houzz.com. This will save you lots of time during your interior design & finish material meetings.

How Can I Make Sure I Cover All Bases If We Aren't Meeting With The Contractor In Person?

Will The Design Process Ever Get Back To Normal?

In some ways, this is like asking if our cell phones will ever go back to normal. Change can be a great thing, even if a tragic pandemic was what forced us to be better.

We will keep our improvements and avoid slacking off or letting old habits sneak back into our NEW sharper processes. 

The biggest way that we have become better is to take on the burden of planning and organization more fully and even more upfront.

The site visit used to be step 3/4, depending on the situation. Now, we stack a lot more work up on ourselves to make your life easier before its necessary to send anyone to your home. 

What Should We Expect In The New Normal?

“A ton of people’s lives are going to change. A ton of people are going to realize that they love working from home but they can’t work out of their kitchen so they will have to change their lives accordingly.” – Dave Rubin

We can expect the remodel focus with shift slightly to include more living spaces, dens, and office remodels. 

“This is changing everything. People don’t realize, but things will never be the same again.  This is going to change things permanently”. – Gary Vaynerchuck

Historically, during times of uncertainty and instability, an unprecedented number of people turn from full-time employment toward starting small or online businesses as a way of having greater control of time and money. Expect to see more internet business, expect the flip from brick and mortar to online!

“Back to normal? No. Nothing is going back to normal. We don’t want normal. Things will never be the same again.” – Steven Furtick

Human resilience and human kindness are unbeatable. We are more kind, more patient, better listeners. We can expect significant loss. We can also expect to get through it and come together with more conviction to serve our fellow man and with more resolve to find great ways of doing business. 

Why Choose Teknik for Your Remodel?

Let us show you our perfect remodel process and demonstrate how we have been helping families avoid this frustration for over 20 years!

From your Dream Design, to collaborating to build your True Quote, we will walk you through each step to get your project Complete On-Time.