Why an Integrated Design Process is Important
Looking back on the past 12 months, we’ve seen people with very different projects learn the same important lesson: consult with an experienced builder during (not after) designing your new home, renovation or addition.
When you bring your designers together (architects, engineers, interior designers) along with your builder, this is known as an integrated design process (IDP). It is important because it benefits you – you are more likely to get a design that meets your needs in terms of aesthetics, function, schedule, and cost. (For more on the design-build process, click here).
Case 1:
In January of 2014, a young business owner F. and his wife A. asked us to provide our price to build a large custom home in Whitchurch-Stouffville for their young family. The design was a work of art and clearly involved a lot of personal involvement and inspiration. The complete architectural package had cost over $75,000, but it wasn’t the design cost itself that was problematic. Rather, somewhere along the way, our friends had been (mis)led to believe that a home of this caliber could be built at $200-250 per square foot.
In their annual construction cost guide, the Altus Group indicates 2015 costs for custom home building in the GTA at $400 to 1000 per square foot. While this range is quite broad, it is clear that F. and A.’s expectations were more in line with building a subdivision home than a high quality custom home.
After extensive consultations, we concluded that F. and A.’s project would exceed their budget by over 30%. It was a non-starter. Shortly afterward, they decided they could not go forward for the time being. Had they come to us during the design process, we could have identified ways to maintain the integrity of the design while reducing costs to stay on budget.
Case 2:
In February of last year, we were approached by a couple who were seeking to renovate their beloved home in downtown Toronto shortly before retirement.
In this case, the design work they had commissioned was subpar, a predictable result given the very low price they paid (buyer beware) and their designer’s lack of experience. The new powder room opened inappropriately onto the family room, and was so narrow that it would require squeezing past the sink to get to the toilet. Their cost would also have exceeded their limited budget by tens of thousands of dollars.
Again, had the owner consulted with an experienced builder during the design process, this folly and the loss of valuable time and energy could have been avoided.
Case 3:
D. & S. had seen us at numerous home shows in the past. Unfortunately, without asking, they assumed that they could not afford our services for a rear addition to their North York home.
The engineering firm they initially selected proved to be uncooperative, took too long, cost more than expected, and did not provide sufficient detail to complete or even accurately price the job.
Disappointed, but eager to forge ahead, D. & S. obtained a permit and hired a contractor who requested most of the money up front. Their project took a turn for the worse when the excavator drove too close and collapsed a foundation wall. The company made off with almost 30% of their budget, and they were left with a real mess on their hands. This is when they came to RS Homes.
Over the course of the next year, we did our best to help D. & S. out, visiting the site numerous times with trades and consultants. They also revisited the design independently, to try and save a few extra dollars, but the proposed solutions only served to drive costs higher. Ultimately there was no way to pull the project back online because of the losses they incurred through subpar design and shady contracting. Had they worked with RS Homes from day one, they would be living in their dream home today, instead of having lost a significant sum of money and time.
Reflecting on the above, it has been difficult to watch these good people lose time, money and, in some cases, their dreams for improving their homes and lives. While their stories aren’t the happiest, we hope that in sharing them, we might save others from similar problems. And we feel that there is an important lesson for anyone considering building a new home, renovation or addition: consult with an experienced custom home builder as part of an integrated design process (IDP).
The value of consulting with a custom home builder comes from their unique perspective – from pricing materials and labour on a daily basis, and building homes of all shapes and sizes. Integrating your builder into the design process will therefore ensure the best results in terms of feasibility, cost control and risk management. This is true regardless of whether you choose to work with RS Homes or another builder, though of course, we would love to earn your business.
Sincerely,
Johann Kyser
Account Manager, RS Homes