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Good design makes their lives more comfortable. It adapts to the client’s needs. It persuades them to think outside the box and outside the living room when they are planning for the future.
Good Design Won’t Stretch Clients' Wallets
Your clients may have Mercedes dreams but a beat-up Chevy in the garage. Good design accommodates their bank account so they get the best of what they can afford. It means knowing what suppliers and products are out there, and how best to fit them into what your clients want.
While you may have to steer your clients from the top-of-the-line washer and dryer so they won’t have to take in laundry to pay for it, the best construction crew can’t save a poor design.
A good design saves your clients money by getting their wants and needs right the first time. That way, your subcontractor doesn’t’ become a permanent fixture in their home and you don’t earn a reputation around town as “the guy who built that really ugly addition.”
Good Design Preserves the Character of the Original House
A well-designed project may be innovative, but it always preserves the character of the original house and site. A remodeled Victorian becomes an improved Victorian, not a modern horror that neighbors point to and snicker.
Good design means finding a place for a piano or a treasured antique. It gives an old house new life and preserves what the home owners already know and love about their house.
Good design is a good neighbor that considers easements, codes and the community. It helps your clients keep up with the Joneses, not thumb their noses at them — unless that’s what they want.
Good Design Brings Referrals
Finally, good design can bring you more work. If your clients like your work, the whole neighborhood will hear about it. And that’s the best advertising you can hope for.
Doug Sutton, Sr., CGR, CAPS, president of Sutton Siding & Remodeling in Springfield, IL, is the 2004 Remodelors™ Council chairman and active in his local, state and national associations. He was the first remodeler to be elected president of the Greater Springfield Home Builders Association and president of the Home Builders Association of Illinois. Sutton is a past chairman of NAHB National Representatives and was the first individual to be named National Representative of the Year twice. He is also an NAHB life director and served as chairman of the Remodelors™ Council in 1998. For more information, e-mail Sutton.
Nominate the Best of the Best for Remodelor™ of the Year
Applications for the Remodelors™ Council’s most prestigious awards program, the Remodelor™ of the Year Award, are now available online at www.nahb.org/remodelors under the Awards section.
The Remodelor™ of the Year Award recognizes exemplary NAHB involvement at any level, superior business management and an outstanding contribution to the remodeling industry. Councils should nominate individual remodelers, but the nominee must write his or her own entry essay.
The winner will be announced at the Remodelors™ Council Gala during the 2004 Remodeling Show in Chicago (Oct. 8).
Local Councils Honored With CADRE Awards
The Council Awards for Demonstrating Remodeling Excellence (CADRE) is awarded to local Remodelors™ Councils for superior member service in the categories of:
- Membership Recruitment & Retention
- Community Service Project
- Public Relations & Promotion
- Outstanding Associate Member
- Member Service/Education
- Government Affairs/Legislation
- Outstanding Council Chair
- Outstanding Executive Officer/Council Coordinator
For information, e-mail the Remodelors™ Council or call 800-368-5242 x8216.
The NAHB University of Housing Offers Courses and Designation Programs
The NAHB University of Housing offers a variety of business management courses and professional designation programs that set builders and remodelers apart from the competition. For a complete list of current offerings, click here.
Attend the 2005 Custom Builder Symposium
Expand your knowledge “Beyond the Tool Belt” at this year’s Custom Builder Symposium. This is the one event where custom builders can go for world-class education and exceptional networking opportunities. For more information, click here.
'Creating the Not So Big House' Available at BuilderBooks.com
"Creating the Not So Big House," vailable at BuilderBooks.com, focuses on key design strategies such as visual weight, layering and framed openings as it takes an up-close look at 25 houses designed according to Not So Big principles — creating houses that value quality over quantity with an emphasis on comfort, beauty and details. The houses are from all over the country in a rich varity of styles. To view or purchase "Creating the Not So Big House" online, click here, or call 800-223-2665 or order.
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Good design equals good customer service. A well-designed remodeling project can give a family more time together.
