Mandate and Service Offerings
As suggested by the questions posed on the preceding page, Renovation Navigation will be your counselor, your facilitator, and, most importantly, your advocate in designing, negotiating and bringing to fruition--from concept to completion--your renovation project, no matter how large or small.
The role of Renovation Navigation is somewhat analogous to that of a “buyer’s agent” in real estate. Years ago, real estate agents only represented sellers, and accordingly their interests and incentives were aligned with the owner of the home up for sale. Home buyers were left to fend and negotiate for themselves, and sales agents would typically have a bias in showing them houses that either they or other agents in their real estate companies had the mandate to sell.
Then came along “buyer’s agents”, who work only in the interest of the buyer(s) and negotiate with sales agents on the buyers’ behalf. They have no bias toward showing any set of houses to their clients. This is the same motivation behind Renovation Navigation.
In this vein, Renovation Navigation can assist you in:
- Interviewing architects (if one is needed) and selecting one that demonstrates they fully understand why and what you are seeking to do, and takes the time to present options for you to select an approach that best suits to accomplish your objectives, including costs.
- Interviewing and selecting general contractors, or frankly, more often than not—depending on the scale and scope of the project at hand—individual specialized trades-people, e.g., carpenters, plumbers, electricians, HVAC experts, roofers, masons, painters, drywallers, landscapers etc., once you’ve settled on the design of a renovation project.
- Conducting rigorous independent due diligence on architects/contractors being considered, the outcome of which is a more critical component of the section process than most homeowners recognize.
- Reviewing with you and then with both you and the architect and subsequently with both you and the contractor(s) to ensure you fully understand the scope of the tasks the architect/contractor are proposing to undertake (and what is excluded). This would include a detailed review of the blueprints and design drawings. It would also include a decision about the specific construction approaches that are to be undertaken.
- Assessing with you how your renovation project fits in not only with the overall design/ambience of your home but also your and your family's day to day routines and uses of your living spaces. Our own experience is that this one of the most critical pieces that people omit or forget thinking through before the renovation starts—or worse—after it is completed.
- Reviewing with you first and then with you and the architects/contractors all of the terms of the contracts, including contingencies for discovery of possibly hidden conditions that can alter the scale and time of the work needed to be done.
- Shopping/purchasing for you--after presenting to you recommended options--plumbing and electrical fixtures, tile and other flooring, fabrics and other materials, landscaping, masonry, paint colors etc.
- And of course, overseeing all of the construction contracted for to ensure it is completed in both a timely manner and according to the highest quality standards.
In short, we can guide and assist you on virtually any task related to the renovation process.