Starting Point

As a Remodeling Magazine Big50 Alum, I take a little license in sharing some of my own insight on Houzz.com's recent post, "13 Essential Questions Your Client Should Be Asking," in the recent Remodeling Magazine online edition. Remodeling projects have tons of facets that may, or may not even surface during the typical residential project. Many projects are consummated on a hand shake or a verbal communication, others are structured projects with very detailed plans, specifications, and written contracts, while yet others are rife with conflict, stress, and disorder. For Houzz.com to feel that their 13 Essential Questions Your Client Should Be Asking" to be worthy of publishing, I would bet a whole lot of expertise has deduced the below questions, and their editor's felt the subject pertinent enough to our industry to suggest that we share it with our clients:

Client orientation at needco Cabinet's homewood, Al SHOWROOM

"13 Questions Your Client Should Be Asking"

1. What rooms do you want to renovate?

2. How much can you realistically afford to spend?

3. How will you use the room you're renovating?

4. What's your design style?

5. What are your accessibility considerations?

6. How important is sustainable design to you?

7. What's your color preference?

8. What's your flooring preference?

9. What are your storage requirements?

10. What type of materials do you love?

11. What type of stone is right for you?

12. What's your cabinet door style?

13. What are your appliance preferences?

In conjunction with asking the above 13 Questions, I strongly recommend holding a couple of informal meetings between professional remodelers and their clients to feel one another out, develop a good scope of work, and then break away for pricing. I have written several other blogs on "best practices" for contracting and communication and continue to add to my life lessons as no one project is alike. Special thanks to remodeling.com and houzz.com for contributing helpful topics to our industry.