By Caroline Wingenbach
As an Interior Designer, I work with lots of homeowners each year who are getting ready to renovate. It’s an exciting time, when dreams are about to become a reality. Most are very eager to get the project going, but before beginning, there are a few key things to remember in order to have the process run smoothly.
Plan ahead. We never start a project before having a plan in place. It’s so tempting to begin demo before flushing out all the plan details, but we find we have fewer surprises and change orders when decisions are finalized beforehand. This means documenting the measurements of the space, drawing a demo plan, a proposed plan, and an electrical plan for lighting and switch locations. We also like to draw out elevations of any
cabinetry or custom work to confirm that everyone-from the client to the designer to the installer-are all on the same page. Of course there are always surprises once you open up walls, but skipping this step increases the chances.
Order ahead. Lead times will vary depending on what materials you’re selecting and where you’re sourcing them, but it’s a good idea to leave at least 4-6 weeks for delivery. Currently we are experiencing huge delays and are having lots of availability issues due to the pandemic, sometimes up to 9 weeks. No one wants to see the project come to a complete stop or be delayed in order to wait for supplies to show up. We like to order all supplies right after the planning phase is done, so we know the items that were selected will be available for install.
Trust your team. One of the main advantages of hiring a pro is that they have done this before-many times! If you’ve done your research and chosen a talented team to help you renovate, then sit back and let them manage the project for you. Of course it’s very important to communicate during the renovation, but too much input from the client can really sidetrack the team and potentially delay a designer or project manager from completing the job on time. So, let the team you hired do their jobs and trust that they will bring any issues to you that need your attention.