As a continuation of our topic in the February edition of our newsletter we discussed how the weakened economy has created a buyer’s market in the custom homebuilding industry. We explained the two ways buyers can proceed with their project. 1) Design/Build or 2) Design-Bid-Build concepts.
The Design/Build approach involves an owner, builder, architect, and interior designer all on the same team from the beginning of the project. This methodology involves the team working together with a supporting cast of surveyors, engineering companies, and suppliers. In this approach the Design/Build team works as one in a synergistic fashion to seamlessly take you from the initial concept into the construction of your new home. The overall goal being: the exact home for the client, built on time and on budget. One of the key benefits of the Design/Build process is to save time, and money by ensuring the homeowner gets the project designed to their exact specifications and has the benefit of knowing projected construction costs at every phase of the design process.
In contrast, the Design-Bid-Build approach removes the builder and his supporting team from the initial processes of planning and design, and requires the homeowner and architect to spend all of their efforts specifically on the house plans. Once the plans are complete, the client then selects several builders and asks them to provide a bid to construct the home. This approach can lead to great frustration, lost time & money in trying to establish an accurate comparison of the different bids, if it is not properly implemented.
If you favor this approach, it is important to consider that various builders will interpret plans differently and will utilize different materials and installation methods, unless you provide them with a detailed set of construction documents and specifications. As we like to say at Diamante Luxury Homes, “the plans are the pictures and the specs are the instructions.” Shouldn’t every builder you select be given the same instructions? To avoid total confusion and endless clarification you must establish a level playing field if you choose to go with the Design-Bid-Build Approach.
We have seen many homeowners literally drive themselves to a point of total frustration trying to……Continue reading the full article
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