Dirk Dallas: what I wish I knew before starting my home project

When it came to choosing products we considered three things: (1) our budget (2) the amount of usage the product would get (3) our goals. In the very early planning stages, we made a list of goals that were important to us and then organized that list starting with things that were absolute must-haves down to things that would be nice to have.

Some of our top priorities were maximizing our lake views, having an open floor plan to encourage togetherness, and building a kitchen ready for entertaining and cooking daily meals for our family. When it came time to purchase a product, we would find what we loved and then consider how it would fit in our budget and if it would help us meet our priorities. We chose higher-end products on things like appliances, flooring, 100 Series windows and E-Series doors from Andersen and then went with lower-end, but still good quality products on things like bathroom vanities, mirrors and plumbing fixtures.

• Do your research! Spend as much time as possible to get a clear picture of what you might be getting into. This can include interviewing others who have done something similar, reading relevant books/blogs/magazines, or following home building or renovation accounts on social media.
• Form a solid team. You will need a great architect/draftsman, contractor, and engineer. Make sure they have proven records and are willing to be accessible, communicative and collaborative with one another.
• Have realistic expectations. Sometimes social media, magazines or even some TV shows can make this process feel so dreamy and surreal but there is real work that needs to go into an endeavor like this. So make sure to have realistic expectations that hopefully allow your team to either meet your expectations or over-deliver on them.

The biggest challenge for us was to constantly be patient and prepared to problem solve.

Whether that was something related to our vision, budget or timeline, being a problem-solver was key to completing our project.

Always add extra time and money to any of your expectations for the project. That doesn’t mean you need to share those details with your construction crew but it could save you from the unexpected surprises, delays, overages, and disappointments that big building projects can have.

Second, know your why. It will be helpful to remind yourself why you started the project in the first place. Sometimes it can be hard to remember why you embarked on something that requires a lot from you when things don’t seem to be going right.

While the upfront cost for higher quality products is usually more costly, we found there is added value and cost savings in the long run. Paying particular attention to areas that would increase our home’s value was also important since there are some areas where a higher quality product might make a bigger difference than other areas. For example, high-end bathroom fixtures won’t significantly affect home value like high-quality windows from Andersen or premium appliances.

As we searched for all of the products for our home, we found that higher quality products often came with more advantages like proven track records, better warranties, GreenGuard certifications and exceptional customer service, just to name a few.

I highly recommend you physically visit at least three of the contractor’s completed projects. This will help you make sure their craftsmanship is up to your liking and will allow you to interview their previous clients.

You should be able to ask their previous clients:

• How was the process working with the contractor from beginning to end?
• Was the contractor available and easy to communicate with?
• Was the project completed on time and to the agreed specifications? (If not, why, and how could that have been prevented?)
• Was the project completed on budget? (If not, why, and how could that have been prevented?)

When it came to choosing products we considered three things: (1) our budget (2) the amount of usage the product would get (3) our goals. In the very early planning stages, we made a list of goals that were important to us and then organized that list starting with things that were absolute must-haves down to things that would be nice to have.

Some of our top priorities were maximizing our lake views, having an open floor plan to encourage togetherness, and building a kitchen ready for entertaining and cooking daily meals for our family. When it came time to purchase a product, we would find what we loved and then consider how it would fit in our budget and if it would help us meet our priorities. We chose higher-end products on things like appliances, flooring, 100 Series windows and E-Series doors from Andersen and then went with lower-end, but still good quality products on things like bathroom vanities, mirrors and plumbing fixtures.