Determining Expertise
Determining Expertise » Questions for Renovators
Olympia Renovations has prepared questions for you to consider as you interview potential renovation companies.
Question: How do I decide between rebuilding and renovating?
Answer: Consider the following:
- Is there an architectural or historical significance to your house, or your neighborhood? Older homes may have a special character that is difficult to replicate with a new structure constructed on the same site. Beautiful homes are worth renovating and bringing up to date.
- How solid are the structure and the foundation?
- What will it take to get the house to the level you want it to be — in terms of energy efficiency, comfort, and appearance? Older homes may have little insulation, poorly sealed duct systems, single-pane windows and other areas that leak energy.
- Is it worth it? You need to decide if the money you invest in this project will add value to the home. Are you trying to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear, or are you renovating something that is timeless and irreplaceable?
Olympia Renovations knows these two paths well. If you’re trying to decide between rebuilding or renovating, I would say call us. As a company that specializes in both, we are in the unique position to provide you with the unbiased opinion on:
- Deciding what’s best in the long-term — To create a fan of Olympia, we are obligated to provide you with the advice that best suits your long-term interests. We specialize in work that contributes to the long-term value of a home. Often, we see some properties undertake thousands of dollars in renovation work that contributes little, if any value to the long-term value. Conversely, some properties make wonderful candidates for renovation work up to a certain level in certain areas of the home.
- Looking at unique situations - In some areas, the homes have such unique charm it would be a travesty to simply tear them down. These special homes are wonderful candidates for full renovation and modernization.
- The most comfortable decision - Ultimately, the final decision rests with the property owner. Our job is simply to provide the tools and resources to help make the best and most comfortable decision for that individual. As a company, we are in a position to work with you in either capacity. We talk it through and listen to the buyer and what they’re wanting. We’re confident the answer will float to the top.
Question: What should I look for in a renovator?
Answer: Look for a dream team, led by project managers who are competent, trustworthy and a comfortable fit.
- Check them out. Talk with previous customers. Visit past projects and ongoing renovations. You should be happy with what you see and what you hear.
- Look for someone personable, yet professional. They should be on time for appointments, be available for phone calls and follow through on promises.
- Find out what services they offer. Many renovation contractors have a menu of products and expertise, including design and planning services.
- Look for good communicators. Good renovators are good listeners. They are also able to translate your ideas into a working plan. The best in the business are the ones who have a bedside manner that makes you feel valued and part of the process.
Olympia Renovations' advice is to look for a good match. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together and there are a lot of decisions to be made. Pick the renovator who gets along with you best because that makes a difference over the life of a project.
Talk to our past clients — these are people you can relate to and talking with them can relieve stress and anxiety. We’ve worked with generations of families, and often keep in touch with clients long after the project is finished.
Our customers tell us our strengths are:
- Being on target and on budget — Our goal on every job is to provide wise counsel, great ideas, operate within a predetermined budget and deliver the project of the utmost quality in a timely manner. As a builder with real estate acquisition knowledge, our experience helps the project stay within the scope of the budget and the surrounding community.
- Custom-tailoring renovations — We also build high-end custom homes, so we’re well practiced on understanding the whole project. Typically, we work with our clients from drawing board to turnkey. Along with our experience, our clients will have access to a stable of incredible architectural and interior design talent to help create the project, and true craftsman to complete the project.
- Renovations that ring true — We have an affinity for blending the technology of today with the charm of the intended architecture. We are not simply remodeling what is already there. We work with top architects and decorators to make sure homes don’t just look good, but wear well.
Question: How do we get bids for our renovation project?
Answer: Narrow the field to three or four nominees. Set up meetings to view their proposal and bid. In most situations, the contractor will come to your home, see the lay of the land, listen and get all the details of your ideas.
Some contractors may have a scrapbook of past projects to show you. They may put together a design board, showing colors, textures and design details, utilizing the services of architects and designers.
Pencil in a budget range, considering construction costs, permit costs, clean-up, temporary moves or storage, even the costs of eating out, or brown-bagging it.
Pencil in a timeframe.
Get down to the details. Do you want energy-efficient stainless steel appliances? Do you want green, ecologically sound sealants? The more details you list, the more accurate the bid.
Expect the renovator to send you a proposal with estimates. Make sure they’ve listened to your expectations on budget and timeframe.
Olympia Renovations provides a fixed bid in a timely manner, along with a timeline. The principles, the owners of Olympia, are involved every step of the way. Everybody has our cell numbers. We’re accessible.
As a renovator that also builds high-end custom homes, we are uniquely positioned to have a great understanding of the whole project. Typically, we work with our clients to help establish the early conceptual vision of the project through the planning and development process to completion of the project.
Question: Will the renovator be upfront with the facts before work begins? What will be involved? What will it cost? How long will it take?
Answer: Start off with a budget for the entire project and discuss it with the project manager. Lock-target on a ceiling price and what you envision you’ll get for your money.
Plan on the costs involved in the construction portion of the process. Work with the project manager to get a vision of the scope of the job and the goal. Ask the project manager to inform you about the steps needed to meet the goal.
Go over the planned schedule, along with start and completion dates. Realize that some items like cabinetry and special order items may take weeks to deliver, and may be scheduled accordingly.
Olympia Renovations' goal from the initial meeting is to grasp a firm understanding of the client’s wishes and limitations. As the client advocate, we can help to ensure that their desires are translated into the working design of the new project.
To ease client anxiety, we:
- Provide a fixed bid for the project upon the completion of working drawings. It is nice to know this is not a surprise because we have been with them throughout the process, and made sure the design is within their expressed desires and limitations.
- This bid is supplemented with a timeline for the project, including clearly defined roles of the customer regarding selections. To help navigate the selection process, we have a team members assigned to walk the client through the process and our expansive network of suppliers that can provide materials needed to complete the project. This helps to keep the customer informed, on budget and within the timeframe committed for the project.
Question: What about green building practices?
Answer: Green builders work to efficiently use energy and water in their designs, and reduce waste and pollution. Green building is becoming popular in renovations. The goals include lowering ongoing operating costs of a house, improving health and comfort of the occupants and improving marketability for resale.
Olympia Renovations is committed to building the most energy-efficient project possible, using better design, construction, maintenance and removal techniques.
Our projects often involve bio-based foam insulation, using recycled stone and metal, and installation of energy efficient heating and cooling systems. As far as green building practices go, if there’s a better way to do it, that’s the way we do it.
Question: How do I prepare for this, and what should I expect?
Answer: Your home, your castle, is going to be invaded. Clear the deck for action by packing up items in the renovation project zone in clearly marked boxes that can be moved from one section of the house to another. Remove paintings, pictures and other items from walls in adjoining rooms, safe from construction vibrations that could cause breakage.
Expect regular communication with your contractor. Expect glitches and uncooperative weather and maybe even mistakes that will need to be worked out.
Living through a renovation can be an adventure worthy of scrapbook pages to come. You’ll get to see a transformation unfold before you. You’ll develop an appreciation of the work and skill involved.
Olympia Renovations gets the biggest kick out of people coming in at different stages, and we can see in their eyes they’re just tickled to death. You hand them the keys and they’re so happy to be there. The reward for us is seeing that completed house and how people look at it, and how proud they are to show their friends.
Most builders create their own problems with lack of communication, lack of follow-through and the loss of a client’s trust. We can’t afford that. We’re here to do this for a long time, and customer service is at the center of what we do. Our customers are the ones who provide us with a continuous network of new friends within the community that we will work for tomorrow.
We’ve learned we have the opportunity, with access to some of the best architects in the city, to create timeless projects that harmonize with their surroundings. Our challenge has been to cultivate a team that shares the same excitement about what we do, and has the long-term vision to treat each job and client with the respect and care they deserve.