The Pre-Planning Phase
GATHER IDEAS & DETERMINE WISH LIST
Your ideas and wish list are very important in the remodeling process because we want your project to reflect your vision, tastes and preferences. While we are happy to work from magazine clippings you might have snipped and saved, today there is a more powerful and convienent way for you to share with us the things you're dreaming of. To get started, we highly encourage you to begin by signing up for a free account at Houzz.com, and then creating an Idea book for your project(s). Following are the simple steps you will need to take to make the most of this highly effective collaborative tool.
Creating Your Houzz Account
When you first click on the Houzz link, you'll be greeted with a sign-up screen. If you don't already have an account, you'll need to create one. For security reasons, we recommend signing up with your email address and creating a password unique to your Houzz account.
Finding Inspiration
For many of our clients, finding photos on Houzz that provide ideas and inspiration for your project is one of the most exciting and enjoyable parts of the remodeling experience. Once you've created your account and have signed in, you'll find yourself at the home page. From there you'll see the menu option "Photos" at the top left corner just below the Houzz logo. At the heart of Houzz are millions of photos that you'll be able to browse.
Hovering on the Photos menu option will bring up the many areas the project photos are divided. Select the appropriate area of the home you in interested in seeing photos for to begin your journey. Notice that you can fine tune your search by clicking on the Style menu in the left hand column and that you can further refine your search by clicking on the drop down menu in the center column that will allow you to select by "All Time Popular" or "Latest Activity" among others. Additionally, you can create a specific search by entering key words that describe what you are looking for at the search box at the top of the page. For example, you could enter "white kitchen cabinets with dark wood island" to find inpiration photos that match what you may already have in mind.
CREATING YOUR IDEA BOOK
As you find photos with elements you'd like to consider for your project, click the +Save button that will appear at the bottom of the photo which will appear when you hover over the photo. A dialogue box will appear giving you the opportunity to +Create New idea book. Make sure to name your Idea Book using your first and last name followed by the area of the home this idea book is for, example: "Sue Smith Kitchen". Providing this information will allow us to more easily find and keep track of your idea book later on when you share with it us.
SAVING PHOTOS TO YOUR IDEA BOOK
After selecting which Idea Book the photo will be saved in, you'll see an area you can add notes about what you see in the photo that you like. Adding information about what you both like and don't like in the photo is critical in helping us understand what it is you want us to focus on. An example of a note you might add would be "Love the color of the cabinets and counter tops, not so crazy about the color of the floor - would prefer a light colored tile with this color scheme instead of the dark hardwood..." After you've added notes to your photo click on "Done", DO NOT click on Email this Photo. Continue adding photos to your idea book until you feel you've added enough photos to adequately reflect your tastes, preferences and ideas. Don't worry if many of the photos you've saved seemed rather different from one another - together these photos will create a mosaic and together we'll find the perfect combination of ideas and inspiration to create a design that is perfect for you.
SHARE YOUR IDEA BOOK
Once you have saved a number of photos to your idea book it's time to share it with your designer, or family and friends you'd like to get input from. You can do this by clicking on the "Your Houzz" menu option at the top right corner of the screen, and then the Ideabooks tab which will appear. Next, click on the Idea Book you'd like to share and then the "Add or Edit Collaborators" option. Enter the email address of the person you'd like to share your Ideabook with and then "Send". Remember, you can always add additional photos to your Ideabook, or create a new Ideabook for other areas of your home. Have fun!
Let's Get Acquainted
Most of projects begin with a short phone converstation to give us an opportunity to understand the basics of the project you are considering. During this call we'll want to learn about the work you want to have completed, the scope of the project, and the budget you have in mind. This initial call will take 15-20 minutes. Items we will discuss during our first phone call:
● Where is your home located
● Overview of the project you are considering
● What stage of the process you are in
● Your approximate budget
● Your time frame for completing the project
At the end of our conversation together we will determine if it makes sense to set up an appointment for the discovery meeting. If it doesn’t seem like we are the right fit for your project, we will try to refer you to another qualified contractor that can serve you better.
Project Feasibility & Investment Development
IN HOME CONSULTATION
Provided we've determined that our company is a good fit for your project, we'll arrange to meet with you in your home to begin the process of creating a detailed design and proposal. We encourage that anyone wanting to provide input into the project be present during this meeting.
If possible, we ask that you create and share with us your Houzz Ideabook in advance of our in home meeting. At the time of scheduling this meeting we will provide you with the email address you will need to use to share your Ideabook. Having some advance insight into the elements you are hoping to incorporate into your project will help us to ask the right questions and adequeately explore the areas of your home we will need to consider