Are you planning to remodel or build a new custom house? Well, every home-construction project, big or small, has a team behind it, and the success of your project depends on how good the team is.

Before you build your house, you have to build your team

There are multiple players involved in a home project and each brings their own expertise and experience to benefit you. Some bring technical knowledge, some bring craftsmanship and skill, and others bring creative ideas.

Assembling your team may sound overwhelming, especially if you’ve never done this before. So, let’s talk about it.

Who are the main team members?

Well, there’s you. You are a central member of the team.

The Homeowner

Assuming that this is not a DIY project, someone has to come up with the idea(s) and someone has to execute the plan. Often, they’re not the same people. Simply put, the main team members you’ll need to hire are:

An Architect (or Building Designer or Interior Designer) and
A Builder (or remodeling contractor)

Option B is to hire a design-build company that does both design and construction.

Who is best pro for the job?

The scope of your project will dictate whether you’ll want to hire an architect or a designer. If it’s a small interior remodel with no changes to load bearing walls or exterior, then an interior designer can do the work. If it’s a remodel project involving structural work or changes to the exterior (walls, roof, foundation addition, etc.), or it’s a new house, then a building designer or architect is better suited for the job.

Honestly, the title or license is far less important than finding a professional who is right for you and your project. More on this later, but in essence, the main questions are:

Do they have experience with a project similar to yours – scope, cost, climate, city, etc.?
Have they worked with a client just like you before?

Who should you talk to first?

IMHO, in the early planning stages, it’s best to talk to the architect first.

Why?

Early on, an architect will be able to help you envision the transformation in a remodel or the full potential of a new home. For example, in my initial meeting, I’ll review your constraints, discuss design ideas and approximate costs. This will help you refine your goals, plan and budget.

I’ll then refer you to builders that are a good fit for you based on the scope of your project and your needs.

When you talk to a Builder about the design ideas that we discussed, they’ll be able to provide better feedback on costs and savings.

Teamwork is how we work

It’s important that the Architect and Builder have a working relationship and can work in unison to complete your vision. For example, during design, Builder can be invited to provide valuable information about costs and savings. During construction, Architect must be involved in order to provide insight into drawings and suggest design changes when issues arise.

Do not silo these two stages of your project.

They need to communicate with each other to ask questions and solve problems before mistakes occur. That creates a team effort and a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

Who else do I need?

The Architect and Builder will help you figure out who else you need to hire based on the needs of the project.

They’ll even be able to refer you to other service providers and experts critical to your project such as surveyors, geotech engineers, civil engineers, interior designers, landscape designers, etc.

For example, if I see the need for water drainage management on your lot that is beyond the scope of what I do, then I’ll recommend an expert. If the builder needs the services of a surveyor to stake the corners of the foundation, he’ll make that recommendation.

Other experts and service providers

Keep in mind also, that the architect and builder will bring their own consultants and sub-contractors. For example, I work with a structural engineer as my consultant.

Ultimately, the scope and complexity of your project will determine the expertise you need and the size of your team.

The more complicated and complex your project is, the bigger your team will be. In general, new construction custom home projects have the following team members.

All the professionals you may have to hire for your Custom Home Project

What’s next?

Once you know what role you need to hire for, hiring the right people for your project can be tricky.

Stay tuned for my blog posts about how to find the right architect and right contractor for you and your project.

You will be working with them over a period of 6 to 18 months, so it is crucial to be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with them to have an easy and enjoyable experience.

There are two truths in any project. A project that is well-managed, however lovely the experience, is unspectacular. A mismanaged project, on the other hand, is like a car wreck. Everybody talks about it. I was reminded of this recently when I used a new maid service. House cleaning is a simple exercise in project management. Like any project though, it's about planning, managing the tasks, the time, the expectations, the big picture and the little details, and instilling confidence in your client that they are in good hands.

Here's the scoop...

A few months ago I decided to try out a new maid. I gave Paula the details of my house, she walked through the rooms with me, quoted a price, said how long it would take her, I agreed, and we set a date.

I've used a professional maid service before - 2 people arrive, equipped with their own cleaning tools and supplies, tag team the tasks, and be out in 2 hours. So naturally, I don't keep a full stock of cleaning liquids or gadgets.

So when Paula arrived at 10am, hands-free, and asked me where my vacuum cleaner and mop was, I was unprepared. I dusted off whatever I could find, told her where everything was, and left her to it saying "I have a meeting to prepare for, let me know if you need anything else."

Two hours later, I came out of my office to get lunch, to see that the kitchen was a bit upside down. Paula was in the middle of it. I made small talk as I fixed myself a sandwich and offered to make her one.

"How's it going?" I asked. "Good" she said, huffing and panting. She looked like she could use a cold drink. At this point, I'm looking around to see what her plan was. I asked if she'd been upstairs, and she said "No, I started in the kitchen". OKAY!! "You've been cleaning the kitchen for 2 hours?" NO....of course I didn't say that!! But I was getting worried. How in the world was she going to clean the rest of the house in another 2 hours? I bit my tongue and just said "Well, I'm going to be on a phone call for an hour, so could you do my office last?".

My call went longer than an hour and I was hoping that I wasn't holding Paula up! But I needn't have worried because she had just made it up the stairs to the first bedroom. The downstairs was still in disarray.

Around 4pm, I decided to take a break from work, and check on Paula. I made some Indian tea and as we sat there drinking our chai, talking about her family, I asked her very frankly why it was taking her so long. And she said the house was bigger than she expected and she bit off more than she could chew. Clearly, she was in over her head.

I didn't retort with "but you walked the house" because I felt SO bad for her. Paula worked 8 hours that day! FYI, she never made it to my office. 8 hours of hard manual labor! Not to be a stickler, but the results were less than sparkling. Still, I paid her 50% more that she quoted. Needless to say, I have not asked her clean my house again!

Project (Mis)management

I've never really thought about the efficiency and planning that goes into a 4 hour cleaning job. Sweet as Paula was and hard as she tried, it was clear that she did not have the experience or a method to handle this cleaning project. When she quoted me a price and how long it would take her, it was a stab in the dark. It was in line with market rate, but she underestimated the project and overestimated her abilities. She did not have milestones or a plan of attack. She took twice as long as a pro would have and it eventually cost me more.

Talk about bad project management!!

I cringe as I tell you this story, because a) I'm reliving that uncomfortable afternoon and b) it's the kind of tale my mom repeats.

But I promise you I have a point.

My point is...

Anyone can clean a house. It's a low skill job. The real skill lies in managing the job of cleaning a whole house. Someone who does it everyday has systems in place, the tools to do the best job possible in the shortest amount of time, know the difference between what works and what doesn't, and the experience to be able to plan the attack and hit the mark.

It's the difference between an amateur and a professional.

Because really, good project management is critical for better business management.

We're all adults. We know this! But every so often, we need a reminder.

How does this apply to residential architecture and construction?

I've talked to some who are of the opinion that anyone can design a house, how hard can it be?! Or that anyone can build a house. Truth be told, it's not rocket science. However, DIY (Do It Yourself) is a 3 letter curse word.

When you talk to a professional (architect or builder), remember that you're not just paying for their skills, but a well managed delivery of their skills.

Design Services vs Project Management Services

Design is my technical skill. And designing a house is most certainly not a low skill job.

Project management is my functional skill. It's also my superpower.

Although the two are intricately connected together in my professional services, I like to talk about them distinctively, because both are important components for a successful project. And each takes time.

Without getting into an argument about the (subtle!) differences between hiring a maid and hiring an architect or builder, let me ride my point home.

Without good project management, a sparkling clean house is a non starter.

Cheers,

Sharon.

How to assemble a great team for your home project