The Blog

These days if you answer your land line after 6pm, open your mailbox, turn on the news or your computer – you’ll be inundated with campaign messages.  No one I know (or who will admit to it) chooses who to vote for based on the surface of these competing messages. On the other hand, everyone I know selects their candidate based on side-by-side interviews or debates where they get a better sense of what the candidate stands for and whether they earned the public trust.

The same applies to candidates for your home design and construction project. The information, web searches, and referrals you’ve collected will allow you to determine the candidates who seem qualified to work on your project. Once this initial research is complete, it’s time to start talking to your candidates. Look for apples to apples comparisons. Identify any special expertise. Examine their portfolio for similar work in scope or design. Get a feel for who you trust.

The Interview.

The interviews allow you to discern who is best fit for your project. Introduce yourself and state your general goals. Ask detailed questions that require specific answers — you may find it helpful to write down your questions in advance. How each candidate responds will give you insight into their demeanor and personality and help you determine if they are a good fit for you and your team.

Gauge each professional’s interest level in your project. Is your project a good fit for the type of work they do, in terms of complexity and size? Do they have the bandwidth to take on your project or would their talents and attention be stretched if adding your project to their current workload? Ask about the size of their staff and how many projects they have running concurrently — divide the number of projects by the number of staff members, which will give you an idea of how much attention your project will receive.

Another important topic to cover in the interview is fees. You want to know how fees are determined, what is included, and what things are considered extra. This will give you an idea regarding the cost of your project and if you can expect additional charges as the project progresses.

Here’s an important warning on fees: A fee quote does not come with a standardized list of services. It is very unlikely that you can compare fee to fee just on percentage or flat amount. Understand exactly what services you get for the fee. All professionals have to make a living to stay in business. So a lower fee often means a limited scope of services and a higher fee may include additional services that are not covered by the lower fee. Ask.

Site Visit.

After you’ve interviewed your candidates, take some time to evaluate their work. Go see homes currently under construction. This will give you insight regarding the architect’s design or contractor’s construction abilities. Inspect the construction site for cleanliness and organization. The construction site is the domain of the contractor. A messy site often indicates inadequate supervision and lack of attention, which are tell-tale signs of poor quality assurance and possibly poor craftsmanship. On the other hand, an orderly site is a good sign that the crew is properly supervised and you’ll likely find beautiful craftsmanship inside.

You may also wish to set up tours with owners of completed projects. If possible, even schedule a time with the owner only, without the architect or contractor present. Talk to the owner about their experience, overall satisfaction with the professionals involved, and any problems that occurred as the project progressed as well as how they were resolved. Every project will have “issues” or “conflicts”; it’s the nature of life and construction. So listen for good problem solving and professional conflict resolution skills. It’s always a good sign when the former client recommends the professional or is inclined to use them again for any future projects. Custom residential design and construction is an industry driven by reputation, so assessing client satisfaction is a great way to reconcile a marketing message with reality.

High Cost of Low Trust.

When it’s time to make a decision, what does your gut say about each candidate? Do you feel comfortable working with them and do you trust their professionalism?

If the answer is no for any candidate, eliminate them from your list and move on. The high cost of low trust is real and recognized by the likes of The Harvard Business School and Stephen Covey.

Low trust in a business relationship is very expensive, both financially and emotionally. Where trust is lacking or a breach of trust exists between members of a team, project time, cost and anxiety increase. You may experience lack of transparency in communication, hidden agendas, increased paperwork and risk management, redundancy and increased oversight, just to name a few. On a jobsite, an atmosphere of mistrust is toxic and increases project costs and emotional stress.

Alternatively, when a baseline trust exists amongst the team, you’ll experience open and transparent communication. Projects run smoother, issues are addressed appropriately and are resolved in a timely manner. Collaboration is improved, providing you with better results and a more enjoyable building experience.

To learn more about the process of designing and building a home, check out my Amazon #1 Best Seller, The Forever Home: How to work with an architect to design the home of your dreams. You can download a sample chapter from the book at DesignYourForeverHome.com. If you are interested in working with me to design a new home or renovate an older home, give my office a call at 225-924-7450 or head over to KevinHarrisArchitect.com and request a design consultation.