In-Depth and Contemplated Design: A Path to Efficient and Cost-Effective Home and Cottage Construction

You are unlikely to buy airplane tickets to Europe and then decide what to do when you get there. Building a custom home or cottage is much the same.

When embarking on a home or cottage construction or renovation project, it helps to make decisions up front. From general layout to the finish on your kitchen cabinets, making decisions before construction work begins will assure a smoother project and better outcomes. We call this ‘in-depth and contemplated design’.

A new home build is like a European vacation

Planning your new home is a lot like planning a vacation. You are unlikely to buy airplane tickets to Europe and then decide what to do when you get there. Most people have an itinerary in mind, or at least the outline of one. And if you’re using a high-end tour company, you would expect them to have a fairly in-depth and well-contemplated tour put together for you. They would know if you have any dietary restrictions, if you like a soft or a hard mattress, if you prefer beaches and outdoor pursuits or lean towards art galleries and historical sites.

The more detailed and specific the plan you determine before you begin, the more likely you are to have a smooth and enjoyable experience

When you book a plane ticket and ‘wing it’, it can be exciting but there are inherent risks: you may not be able to get the room you wanted in your hotel of choice, join a local tour that has filled up, or get a dinner reservation for the night that you wanted. The more specific the vacation package, the more inclusions there are, the more it’s going to cost in total. But if you were to ‘wing it’ and manage to put together the same package, you would incur higher costs in certain areas: if you don’t buy Eurostar Train tickets well ahead of time, for example, you’re going to pay top dollar.

Building a custom home or cottage is not dissimilar to planning an elaborate vacation. The more detailed and specific the plan you determine before you begin, the more likely you are to have a smooth and enjoyable experience. A well-defined design and construction plan for your home project ensures that everything from materials to labour is coordinated effectively, minimizing risks and unexpected costs.

A detailed game plan

Builders need to plan ahead. That’s because there is a fair bit of orchestration required to make a build run smoothly, efficiently and on schedule over its entire progression. You need to slot the right trades teams in at the right time and coordinate deliveries of materials to match the pace of the build. It’s no good to have bathroom components all ready to go if the engineered beams required to build the structure haven’t arrived.

So while some clients prefer to make decisions as they go, it can cause delays. We know it can take weeks or months to get certain materials in hand, so prior planning really does make for a more predictable build. It ensures that all materials are available when needed and that the project progresses without unnecessary interruptions.

The power of renderings, samples and expert advice

One issue that many clients have is figuring out how exactly to plan everything ahead of time. How will the finish you have selected look once the kitchen is built? Are the windows big enough? Will those bath fixtures really complement the space?

home renderring
Leverage the power of renderings, samples and expert advice

Selecting countertop materials, baseboard style and hardwood flooring at the outset makes for a smoother workflow and more predictable timeline, but visualizing the end result is not always easy. Two-dimensional plans on a roll of paper don’t exactly stimulate the imagination.

This is where high-quality three-dimensional renderings and tangible samples play a vital role. If you’re working with a design studio, as DeCarli Contractors works with Rêve, you can see and handle samples of just about every material and finishing element you might like to have in your new home. Plug your choices into a realistic (on-screen) scale-model of your kitchen, with all the finishings you have chosen, and you will have a realistic preview of the final outcome. Don’t like the granite countertop against the white cabinetry you have chosen? Swap it out in the rendering and see how your next selection looks.

It’s much easier to make changes on a screen than sending back a custom-cut countertop, or living with a poor choice. The beauty of the DeCarli / Rêve relationship is that instead of saying “go to this store and pick out your tile, let them know I sent ya,” you can make the most of your home-finishing decisions in one place, with curated samples and expert guidance.

DeCarli Contractors works with Rêve interior designers where you can see and handle samples of just about every material and finishing element you might like to have in your new home.

Rêve are expert interior designers who give you good, sound interior design tools and advice, and charge very little for that expertise in exchange for the ability to sell you the materials you need for your home or cottage build. What they provide is not simply aesthetic advice, but also practical solutions that consider the structural and functional aspects of your home.

The same logic applies to architectural design. As a BCIN-qualified architectural design company, DeCarli often handles the architectural designs and renderings of our clients’ homes. We work with clients to land on just the right style and configuration for their home, from great room and kitchen to closet and storage space. We do so at a reduced cost because the build that comes afterwards is the main part of the job.

Balancing costs and expertise

Whether it’s your designer or ours, investing in professional design services is a small percentage of the overall budget that can deliver significant value in terms of quality and satisfaction. While some may balk at the additional costs associated with professional interior design services, it’s important to weigh these against the potential savings from mistakes and re-work you’ve avoided, and ensuring a cohesive design.

In-depth and contemplated design is a strategic approach to home construction and renovation that prioritizes efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and client satisfaction. By planning ahead, pulling in professional guidance, and making informed decisions early in the process, homeowners can achieve their dream homes with fewer headaches and greater success. Generally speaking, the more you prepare and invest in the planning phase, the smoother and more rewarding your construction journey will be.

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