How Has the Pandemic Affected Projects?

It’s made prices go up and everything takes longer!  That’s the short answer.  But prioritizing, planning, and being prepared before your project even starts can help.

When demand for workers in the trades goes up, the cost of labor goes up.  With homeowners spending significantly more time in their homes, many people are looking to repair, fix or upgrade their environment which has suddenly become their families’ work, school, cooking and relaxing space, among many other things.  General Contractors are busy!

Material prices have also increased and sometimes a simple component of a product has gone up which is affecting the supply and demand of an entire group of products.  Everything form the chemical needed to make the foam in couch cushions to the computer chip you didn’t even know was required for your appliance.  If a product has the word “smart” in its name, it will either be more expensive or harder to come by.

So, what can you do about all this if you are a looking to have work done on your home?  PLAN AHEAD!  Have conversations with family and make lists about which projects are the most important and prioritize them.  Know which projects are connected and best done at the same time and which ones can wait or be done separately.

This is where 1AD Studio can help! With a Remodel Consulation we get information about your project from a quick questionnaire you fill out beforehand, we do research on your existing structure so we know a lot about your home before arriving.  Then, at the Consultation, you spill your guts about what you want to do and in what areas you want to do it in and why.

All this information helps to develop the programming for your space, prioritize your projects and discover the scope of work for your project.  I have been encouraging clients to use our design services to come up with a master plan and get it all down on paper.  You will then see what work needs to be done and in what order to complete the project you have dreamed about, along with some cost information you maybe hadn’t considered.

These design drawings: Floor Plans, Elevations, Lighting Plans, and Specifications, help you get bids from contractors, whether a GC or individual trade or maybe for the work you are going to do yourself.  You will have materials, dimensions, square footage, and lots of other information that ensures everything will fit.  If you want to DIY, or even just do a portion of it yourself,  you can be sure you are started off on the right foot!

Pack some patiences as many items are backordered, have a backup selection in case the tile you ordered goes out of stock, and know that everyone wants to sell you those cabinets they just can’t get their hands on them very quickly.

Spend some money on designing and planning so you can maximize your budget for the cost of construction!  And once you secure funding and find a GC, you are ready to go without hesitation and stress. Whew! it’s a wild ride in 2021 but my clients say it’s been worth it to get the spaces they desire.