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Remodeling is a BIG investment, right? An exciting investment to help improve and enhance the way YOU live in your home! Don't you deserve to know what will happen next? There’s a lot to do before your dream comes to life. Let's talk about Kaufman Constructions step by step process.
Introductions
To begin the process, we will first want to get some basic information so we know how to get in touch with anyone who will be involved in the project. Next, we'll ask you to tell us a little bit about the project you have in mind. That way we can determine the best next steps to help you decide if we are the remodeling company of your dreams! If you need routine maintenance or something repaired on your home, you probably qualify for our KC Handyman division and we might just get you on the schedule or schedule a time for our salesperson to visit your home for an estimate. If your project requires more planning, we will set a time for someone to call you back to get more details and answer more questions.
Good Fit
Making a decision about who will transform your home is not easy. There isn’t a one size fits all approach for every project, and no one remodeling firm fits everyone’s needs. We want to make it as easy on you as possible. Determining whether we could be a good fit for you and your project is key to making it easy and efficient, and understanding your expectations and concerns helps make the decision easier. If our expectations don't line up, we might have to face the hard fact that we aren’t the team best fit for you individual needs.
Phone Call
First, we will give you a call. On this call, we will talk about what you expect and who we are. Additionally, we will talk a little bit about you're project. You should expect us to ask some tough questions. Especially the BIG one:
W H A T I S Y O U R B U D G E T ?
The most common answer to this question is "I have no idea what something like this costs!" We don’t know either, we haven’t even seen your house. If you think hard enough, though, I bet you know how much you would spend to transform your home life - or maybe it’s easier to think about how much you wouldn’t spend. We will do our part by letting you know if we are even in the ballpark. You can ask us the tough questions, too. In fact, here is a cheat sheet.
If we agree that we could be the right solution for you and your project, we will schedule a meeting at your home, the initial consultation, and let you know what to expect during the meeting. If we agree that we aren’t the right fit, we can part as friends. We might even be able to refer you to another remodeler.
Initial Consultation
When we meet at your house we will finally meet in person. This will be the first time we see your home and the space you wish to remodel. We will have more questions about your expectations and your concerns and be ready to answer more tough questions from you. Together, we will gather your ideas, understand your concerns, and we can throw out some of our ideas. Then, we'll want to talk about your budget again. We may feel that your original budget fits the project you have in mind, or we will discuss what to do if the budget is a concern. If it's agreed that we can provide a solution that will fit your needs, we will let you know what to expect when we present our solution, and we will set the appointment.
Proposal
You can’t make a decision until you know what we propose to do and how we propose to do it. Some projects are not complex, and it is easy to be quite specific about what is included and how much it will cost. Other projects are merely concepts at this point. It makes sense for the proposal to match the project. If we can be specific we will be. If there is only a concept, we will present a proposal that is very specific about the process that we will use to turn the concept into a final construction proposal.
KC Handyman
It’s repair and replacement. Let’s not make it complicated. We will compile a simple estimate listing the work to be completed and the expected costs for the time, materials, and trade contractors needed to complete the project. It’s an estimate – so you will be billed for the actual time, materials, and trade contractor costs to complete your project. You can pick and choose what parts of the estimate you want us to complete.
KC Small Projects
Do you have a list of several small updates you might want to do to your kitchen or bathroom? Are you handy and want to take on a remodeling project, but are uncomfortable with part of the work – the flooring in your bathroom, setting your kitchen cabinets, replacing your countertops? We can replace that countertop and make sure the old one is removed and disposed of, the faucets and drains are unhooked and re-hooked and even add a beautiful tile backsplash. This is still an estimate because we are going to need your help picking the materials and you might decide to replace your countertops now and tile your floor in six months.
KC Design-Build
You know the plan. You know the scope. You just need help selecting the fixtures and finishes. Managing all the material orders and tradespeople doesn’t sound like anything you have time for. We can give you a Preliminary Estimate with allowances for the fixtures and finishes and the costs for everything else are pretty well set. Now you can decide whether you want to work with us. If you do we will lead you through the design and get you a fixed price to complete the project.
KC Signature
Something in your home just doesn't fit your lifestyle – or maybe most things in your home don't fit your idea of "home". This is where Devan can put the Kaufman signature on your space. We will talk about what isn't working and our process to change the way you live in your home. Then we will present a Preliminary Budget and a 3-step Design Build Agreement so you can decide if we have the process to fit your neeeds.
Planning and Design
A good plan eliminates anxiety about the final results. Now that we have proposed a solution that you like for your project, let's dig into the details. Maybe we just need to schedule a handyman to visit your home, or maybe we need to get to work on a full set of architectural drawings. The solution is tailored to your needs and project.
Handyman
If it's a couple hours of work, let's just get you on the schedule. If we provided an estimate, let's go over the estimate to make sure we agree on the work to be performed and materials needed and schedule the work.
Small Projects
We're probably going to need to order some material and/or line up trade contractors. We'll go over the estimate and talk about what decisions have to be made before the project can start. We may need to make a plan to select materials and/or coordinate with trade contractors. Then, we'll revisit the estimate and schedule the work.
KC Design-Build
The plan is set. Let's get started on selections. We will schedule appointments to lead you through the process. This is the fun part. We blend your ideas with our expertise and experience to paint the picture of your remodeled space. Then, we'll present you the Construction Agreement so that we can schedule the work.
KC Signature
Your looking for ideas and we have them. Let's start to bring some of them to life by knocking down walls, re-arranging rooms and maybe adding on (on paper and in the digital world). Once we land on the concept that you love we can develop a Conceptual Estimate. After you approve the concept and estimate, we can get started on selections. Our designer paints the picture of your new space, incorporating the materials that you love and the custom touches to fit your lifestyle and tastes. Now, we can compile the final pricing and Construction Agreement so that we can turn things over to our craftspeople and your lifestyle transformation can take shape.
Production
It’s still your home. Remodeling is certainly an inconvenience, but that doesn’t give us a license to turn your home into a construction zone. You can expect to know when people will be coming and going as well as what is going to happen and when. We will also contain our mess and protect the areas that are not part of the project. One point of contact makes sure that things don’t get forgotten and there is no “he said, she said” going on.
Communication
You aren’t our only client or our only project, but that doesn’t mean that you get any less attention. In fact, you will have a very personal relationship with your dedicated Project Manager. They will be your first point of contact as your home is transformed. He won’t be waiting to hear from you, though. You will hear from them daily to let you know who will be at your home in the next few days, what work will be completed, and answer any questions you might have. You will also have a weekly meeting so everyone has a chance to discuss upcoming work, possible inconveniences and final decisions that might need to be made.
Schedule
Knowing that there is a timeline eases your mind. That way you can know what to expect and when. Sure, it won’t go exactly as planned, but shouldn’t you know the when, why and now what? It’s not just a guess, it’s a communicated plan.
Craftsmanship
Timeless in every aspect – that is our goal. This is one of the main reasons you considered Kaufman Construction in the first place. We won’t let you down. We don’t want to just make you happy today. Our goal is for you to appreciate our attention to detail for years after we are gone.
Cleaning Expectations
You’ve hired us to do a messy job. It’s still your home. We respect that. Leave the cleaning to us. A few of our policies:
- Broom clean at the end of each day
- We don't work on unprotected surfaces
- If we damage it, we fix it!
- Thorough cleaning at the end of each week
Cost Management
You hired us to manage the project. That means you don’t have to lift a finger. All of our trade contractors work under a sub-contract agreement and when they start work on your home we remind them of the rules in our pre-construction checklist. You won’t get any surprises when the bill comes either – we won’t come to you “begging”. Either the cost for their work was included in a fixed cost agreement (KC 2-Step and KC Signature) or we have clearly communicated the estimated cost (KC Handyman and KC 2-Step). You might decide to change your mind or add work – no worries, you will get a written change order before we commence work on the change.
