We sat down with Chamblee designers Robert Platt and his daughter, Aaron Michelle Platt-Baker, of Habitations LLC, to talk about the importance of hiring a designer for your construction and renovation projects.
Robert explains that as someone decides they want to build a new home or renovate their existing home, most start the process by looking for a builder. They may call and even meet with several builders. Robert illustrates what can happen with a hypothetical scenario.
He says the client meets with a potential builder and during that conversation explains what they want to accomplish with the project. Then the client meets with a second potential builder and during that conversation the client may add to the list of changes and updates. By the time the client speaks with a third potential builder, they may add further changes. “And suddenly expectations are set based on totally erroneous criteria,” Robert says.
When you’re ready to build or renovate, Robert and Aaron Michelle stress that it’s important to seek a designer first, and here’s why. “The designer is the client’s advocate,” Robert says. “We sit down [with the clients] and say, what do you want to accomplish.” It’s from this conversation that the designer has a better understanding of the client’s expectations and what the project will entail.
Robert says it helps for the client to be a willing participant in the process. “You’re going to have to do homework,” he says. “You’re going to have to talk with us. The client has a picture in their head of what they want and how things should look. We’re pretty good at extracting that information and coming back with something visual.”
That something visual is the first draft of plans, a set of drawings for the project, based on the conversation. Once the client sees those plans on paper, it’s the starting point of what the client wants and needs to what the final project will look like once it’s complete.
Robert says the drawings they create now are specific and complex because of codes set to protect the homeowner. “Code Is not a dirty word,” he says. “When we do drawings, we are ensuring that the builder knows that these are the minimum standards that must be achieved by law for safety.” And the specificity of the drawings helps manage the client’s expectations and ensure the client’s vision is achieved.
Once the designs are drawn, then they can be sent out to potential builders, so everyone is looking at the exact same thing. The designs are then used by the builder as a blueprint for the project.
Aaron Michelle explains that many builders will require drawings from a qualified designer before taking on a project. And having a set of plans will help to control time and cost in the long run because you’ve worked through the project on paper. “You’re not losing money by building something and then tearing it down or changing your mind,” Aaron Michelle says. “And everybody knows the level of quality that the homeowner wants to achieve.”
With decades of experience in the industry, Robert says he's seen a lot of changes, and he says it’s important for people to understand that each project takes a considerable amount of time. The reasons? “The bandwidth of the industry is very narrow,” he says. “Also the complexity of the drawings.” He explains that the plans required for a design project in the 1980s were pretty basic requiring about seven sheets. Now the average set of design plans include 18 to 26 sheets. Then there’s permitting, inspections, the actual construction, and more. So it helps to realize upfront that the project will take time. Robert and Aaron Michelle suggest using the longer timeframe to your advantage with planning, preparing, and saving.
If you’re not quite ready to execute, you may still consider getting started with the process and take things slowly. Aaron Michelle says you can have the designs drawn and figure the cost for the project. Then you can set a goal for saving money, repairing credit, building a bit more equity, etc., before the construction takes place. “The thing is, now we know what the price tag is going to be, and we have a roadmap to get there. It’s worth waiting to get everything you want,” she said. “We’re trying to get across to clients that being patient and waiting can serve you better in the long run.”
Habitations is located at 1954 Airport Road in Chamblee. For more information about Habitations, visit habitationsllc.com.