7 TIPS TO BE YOUR BEST DESIGNER; Get the Confidence and Skills to Design and Build Your Home

It’s 90 degrees. The humidity is so thick it’s hard to breathe and the air conditioning has just crapped out.  Summer in the city. 

I sit in my big powerful truck, powerless and sweaty, I watch the mechanic leaning over a running engine with a lit cigarette butt hanging precariously from his lips. 

‘About an hour’, he says and I’m grateful. 

I have no idea if it’s just a simple fix or if there’s something more. Let’s be honest, I’ll never really know. I don’t know anything about automotive goings on.  

All I know is that the hood is up and I’ll have AC soon. It might cost a fortune and might not. So I wait, like a lamb to slaughter.  

He tells me $140.  Seems reasonable as it’s getting hotter by the minute.  I pull out cash and the price changes to $100.  I’m suspicious, but grateful and I’m no closer to knowing if I just paid for the work I received. But I’ll pay. 

It’s an uncomfortable feeling at best. 

Have you ever felt that way?  Your fate, future, In someone’s hands, trusting the experts?

It’s a terrible feeling.  

That uncertainty can make you doubt your confidence.

I see it all the time in my clients faces the first time we meet. 

• They just want to make sure they're not making a mistake. 
• They just want to know that what is drawn is what they want. 
• They just want to know they are getting the right stuff, putting it in the right place and won’t go broke doing it. 

Oh yeah, add to that, a fabulous space that makes them proud to have their holiday party, show off their beautifully appointed interiors, kitchen and of course, the fabulous master bath!

So how do you know what you need to know to design and build your home?  What do you need to know? And what do you do to find out?

Truth is, I’ve been doing some kind of interior design and architectural work for over 30 years and, sometimes, I just don’t know. But, I ask and that's the key. 

 My VIDEO on defining the style can help narrow your choices!

Contractors and architects may talk over you, use lingo you don’t get and assume you understand how to read architectural plans, even though you may have never seen a set of blueprints before. 

Jump right in, design and build a house. Everybody’s doing it!  But are they doing it RIGHT?

You pay contractors and architects for their services and part of that is your understanding of what you are getting.  If you find that you don’t feel like anyone is listening, answering or you’re not satisfied, run! 

Btw, my AC crapped out 1 day after the questionable mechanic fixed it!

Trusting the Experts.  

 Do you?  I know I always have a healthy dose of skepticism with a new contractor, new doctor, new anyone.

“Trust, but Verify.”  

Ronald Reagan wasn’t talking about house building or interiors, but this quote couldn’t be more appropriate.  

My clients tell me, 

“My contractor said we can’t do that” or 

My architect drew up the plans and put what we asked but something feels off…”  

Now, your contractor might not be the Russians but, it helps to remember who’s paying the bills, and ultimately, in charge.

When you understand what the process of design and building looks like, you can speak up for what you need and want and get more from your designs and future home.  

Get to know what you don’t know!

Now, I’m not saying you should be suspicious of the people you’ve hired.  You should be comfortable with your choices.  And if you need tips on what to ask when Hiring a Contractor, check out my FREE checklist I created for doing just that.

But, you need to know what exactly you’ve hired them for and what they will do for you.  

An architect generally designs a home based on the site, codes and your requirements.  They will file your plans with the local government and expedite your permits with local authorities so you are ready to build. 

A builder or contractor builds houses based on plans you give them and choices and materials specified on the plans.  

Now, nowhere in there does it say; 

• evaluates your family’s needs and wants, 
• gets inside what will truly works for you, 
• sets a reasonable budget for design based on your finances, 
• sets a schedule for the homeowner (YOU) to make decisions, 
• reminds you to order and purchase materials in a timely manner
• explains all the options available  (This one’s a biggie so reread it!)

It’s possible to find those diamonds in the rough that will hold your hand through the process, but remember, they are diamonds.  Very rare and very expensive.

So that means for most of us,  it falls on you to understand the process at each stage.  

Now I’m not saying you should learn to install the HVAC but… 

This is your home. 

No one else is ever going to care as much as you do. 

7 tips for getting started designing your future home:

Get involved!

1. Do your homework.  That means online resources (like me!), visiting showrooms, visiting homes.  Find out what’s out there, what you like and what it costs.
2. Learn to speak to the professionals in their language.  It’s not hard.  Lead time= how long it takes to get a product in your hand.  See?  It’s easy!
3. Learn how to read and understand blueprints. This is the single most important thing you can do.  Everything comes from the plan. Including mistakes, so know how to spot them.
4. Stay organized. There are numerous materials to be chosen, ordered, scheduled and installed.  Decisions will become a blur without documentation.  Set up a system before you’re knee deep in samples and receipts
5. Keep a calendar and set reminders to check progress weekly, daily, whatever is necessary to keep moving forward.  This may mean the world to you, but others might need a reminder of the importance of your project.   Don’t be afraid to be the squeaky, but always polite, wheel!  Flies with honey and all…
6. Share communications and changes.  I suggest doing it several ways.  CYA, plain and simple.  Many different subcontractors may be working on your project so they need to be included in any discussions and communications.  Always, always, always put it in writing.  Send an email, a text.  Even if you’ve just talked through a change or decision, write the email to confirm and send to all parties involved. 
7. Be available and ready to make decisions on site.  Things happen quickly when you are ready with answers.

Regardless of how highly you regard your architect, designer or contractors, this is your home. No one else is ever going to care as much as you do. 

Of course you should listen to their advice, this is their business, so the contractor should be able to explain to you the why/how in terms that make sense to YOU.  

Still, do your own homework so that you can make informed decisions and stand your ground for things that are important to you.  

I can’t tell you how many times a contractor has said no to me when 

I KNOW the answer can be YES.  

If you don't know what’s possible, you might miss out on that one thing that can make your house extra special. 

You are your best designer.  

You know better than anyone what you like, what you need and just maybe, what will make your home unique and functional for you and yours.  

A well designed home, specifically for your family’s special needs, quirks, and the way you want to live is infinitely better for every part of your life.  

You can make something as simple as getting out the door in the morning easier by planning for your family’s routines and designing the space for it. 

I don’t know what mornings are like for your family, but….imagine a morning with everything in its place.  Easily stored, separated and found in time to make the bus, arrive early for the meeting or have time for that cup of coffee, undisturbed..  

It sounds like a lot, right?  It is.  Designing and building a home is a job, and you’ve gotta be willing to put the work in to get it done right.  

I can help make it easier. Just sign up for my blog and stay tuned for a FREE training,

"Reading and Understanding Blueprints!"

The decisions you make will be felt by every member of your family, friends and guests, …..FOR YEARS TO COME!  

So do it well my friend!  

Best,

Liz