Into the Unknown

The process of renovating an existing home, or building a new custom home, can be complex and fraught with uncertainty, even for experienced homeowners. The challenges are often compounded if key stakeholders are dealt with individually, rather than as part of a unified team. RS Homes’ President Ramtin Sotoadeh (P.Eng.), speaks to this challenge: “We have home owners approaching us with designs, and even permit drawings, that have not been reviewed by a builder. Of course having a compelling architectural concept is important, but we see people spending a lot of money up front on design, without considering the impact on the overall cost, or ‘build-ability’. They are shocked when we highlight potential problems, provide a realistic sense of budget, and show them simpler and more elegant solutions.”

Integrated Design Process

RS Homes’ Integrated Design Process (IDP) offers an important alternative to the conventional isolated approach described above. An IDP brings together the key stakeholders at the start of a project, to ensure that things move forward with a unified vision, on time, and on budget. “Integration is the key to a successful project,” says RS Homes’ Project Manager and Sustainability Consultant Johann Kyser. “By bringing the designers and construction team together at the beginning, you avoid countless problems and delays.” Homeowners take note: consulting a builder during the design process can improve results, and save you valuable time, money and aggravation.

Citing a recent example, Sotoadeh explains: “We had a client who paid a substantial amount of money to have an architect design their addition, without consulting a builder along the way. One section could not be built as planned, and the cost to complete the work would have been significantly more than they expected. Fortunately, we were able to work with their architect to arrive at a simpler and more cost-effective alternative … one that met their goals and simultaneously exceeded their original expectations.”

In short, client expectations, designs on paper and final, real-life outcomes are three different things. Including a builder in the design process however, increases the likelihood that initial expectations will be fully realized in both the design and the final project.

Renovation As An Investment

A key stakeholder that is often overlooked when planning a reno or new build is a real estate professional who can accurately assess the project’s true value relative to the local real estate market. It likely isn’t worth investing large sums of money in a renovation that won’t result in a comparable increase in property value. Similarly, in order to optimize your investment in a new home, it’s important to understand the market dynamics of the local neighborhood – including the proposed home’s square footage and quality of interior and exterior finishing relative to neighbouring area homes.

Turnkey Services

With these concerns in mind RS Homes’ turnkey services are somewhat of a rarity. Their 30 years of industry experience and in-house expertise in real estate, architecture, interior design, engineering and construction provide a multidisciplinary and integrated approach for people seeking to renovate or build a new home. The RS Homes team is highly qualified to take a homeowner from A to Z including assessing the functional and technical aspects of a design, and determining its true financial worth, which is undertaken by in-house real estate agent Michael Sotoadeh. This level of integration is a unique value-added service that few other builders can offer. To learn more about RS Homes, visit the website, or contact them today by email or phone to book a complimentary consultation.