communication

A construction project can be very stressful for your personal relationships, so be sure that all lines of communication are clear and open prior to getting started with the process.  Many stressors may be triggered during the design and construction process – miscommunications between you and your partner or other members of the design and construction team, financial stresses from unexpected budgets overruns, or the shear amount of time it takes from your day to day schedule. To help prepare for these stresses, you and your partner should discuss a budget limit prior to the start of design.  This budget limit should be shared with your architect and builder, who, as a team, can help you keep on target with your goals.  When your design vision exceeds your budget, this can lead to tough and, many times, disappointing decisions that need to be made in order to get the project to fit within the budget.  You and your partner may need to sit down together to discuss your highest priorities for the project to decide which items are ‘must-haves’ and which items are ‘nice-to-haves’.  Have a strategy for how you will work together with this type of conversation in order to reduce the number of disagreements. Know that your schedule will be stretched in every unexpected way possible.  During the design process, there will be numerous meetings to attend and much shopping to be done to prepare for the start of construction.  If your time is tight, rely on your architect to assist with selecting materials and finishes.  Be prepared to know what you like and to be flexible with what your partner likes, as disagreements may occur between you and your partner when it comes to style.  The design process is fluid and flexible, but all parties involved need to communicate and work together.  During construction, numerous meetings and questions will start to disrupt your day to day schedule.  Before the start of construction, it is best to discuss with your partner and architect as to who will be the main point of contact.  Will you or your partner be the person who the contractor will be calling and emailing with endless questions?  Or would you prefer to have your architect field questions and only contact you when an important question comes up?  With a solid plan for how you will work together, you and your partner should be able to smoothly sail through the trails of a construction project.