Idahome Phase 2: building your team
Where to begin?
A whirlwind decision to purchase the property left us with a list of next steps. First and foremost, putting together a team of talented people to execute our home was paramount. We started with selecting an architect as the interior design team was slam-dunk :). I am so fortunate to work with many talented architects and am inspired by them constantly, so having to select just one was not easy. See below for a short list of some of my favorite architecture firms. We ultimately selected Brandon Architects to design our home as Chris Brandon leads a team of super talented people and we knew they would come up with something really special.
How to prepare?
After we signed with our architect, Robert and I found 5 images of homes that we liked and a short list of must-haves. Always start with function. Every household has a system, necessities they need, etc. For us, this included lot’s of bedrooms, a bunk room, dirty kitchen, a feeling of separate buildings that were connected, and lot’s of glass to enjoy the view. We intentionally kept this very abbreviated so as not to squelch the architect’s ability to be creative and to bring ideas to the table. Create your list, gather a few images and leave it to the architects to work their magic. Less is more!
How to choose a builder?
While the architects began their process we made a couple trips to Idaho to make initial contacts with potential builders. MI has projects all across the country and we work with a variety of amazing builders, and with that we have learned this is a very important decision for your team. We interviewed four, hired one, fired one, and landed on the perfect choice(that’s why we always suggest three options to clients). We looked for a builder that valued communication, details, and high quality execution and ultimately landed on a great building firm, Aspen Builders. Some of the key deciding factors were prompt communication, thorough bid, reputation and personality. It’s a long process and we felt really comfortable with the team and their desire to build a beautiful home for us.
We received several different bids for our project and they come in a variety of different ways. Sometimes it takes a little analysis to make sure you are measuring apples to apples. Given my experience, I have a good understanding of the estimated costs/allowances for things like plumbing/appliances/decorative fixtures etc. so was able to make sure that the allowances aligned with the quality expected. The lowest bid can sometimes be deceiving if the allowance numbers don’t align with your expectations. This is where your design team can help be a second set of eyes.
“Picking an architect was hard, especially being fortunate enough to have worked with so many talented ones”
What happens next?
While putting together both the interior and architectural design plans, Robert took the lead to demo the existing house, but not before donating all the salvageable fixtures to my sister and her husband who are doing a “flip” in Southern Idaho. It’s always hard for me to demo, but I knew the existing home did not have enough for us to work with to try to remodel. Once the site was cleared, there was an exciting appreciation for the possibilities of the property and to look at it as a clean slate. Let the fun begin!
Tips, Tricks, & Advise:
Trust plays a large part in this process.
The old saying, “you get what you pay for” really applies when hiring your team and especially when creating a second home. Even though we could’ve gone a less expensive route, very complete architectural plans in conjunction with thorough interior design plans are critical to making sure your builder knows what is intended and your home is accurately built. Particularly in building a second home, not being on site very much means you really have to trust your builder. They have the best chance of executing your vision if all the details needed for the build are carefully added to your architectural and interior plans.
In a recent meeting at our office, a client was reading off a list of builders that had been suggested for their project looking for our feedback. I replied to one of the suggestions, “They are amazing.” The clients looked at me with puzzled eyes and asked “What makes them amazing, we have know idea.” So here is the short answer… A builder is the quarterback of your team. They will take over from the architect and handle all the coordination of people involved in your build and there will be many. A firm that has a very organized process, communicates frequently and thoroughly to the team and client, cares about quality execution and manages your budget is what makes a builder amazing! You also will be working very closely with them for at least a year, so personality also needs to be considered. I always tell clients that if they don’t feel comfortable with us or have any red-flags about our personalities clicking, then they shouldn’t hire us. It’s a long process to build and it should be fun and collaborative. Making sure your team is comfortable with each other is another key component.
There are also several different ways your proposals will be presented. Some builders will do a fixed fee, but with ever-changing pricing most are reluctant to provide this type of quote. We opted for a cost-plus bid. Basically that means we pay a percentage of cost of the project to the builder usually ranging from 10-20% of the total. That allows a lot of flexibility to spend more on things that matter more to you and perhaps looks for savings in other places. For us, this approach feels more collaborative with our builder. If something doesn’t seem right on pricing from a vendor, we have the ability to say we’d like a second bid. We do however have an overall estimated budget from the builder and that is what we are using as our guideline.
Stay tuned for new developments as we let the design process unfold. We will be sharing how we begin a project and where we find inspiration.