A home renovation is a unique process, and in many cases it is more complicated than a new build. The scope and estimate depend greatly on the previous work completed on a house. And in full transparency, a home improvement project can be daunting.
You have probably heard horror stories from people who have renovated their homes. We also know a few home renovation contractors who also dread renovations! That’s because a home renovation process is inherently complex due to the fact no one can see through walls. The leading cause of stress in many home additions or home improvement projects is a lack of real information. Many home renovation contractors provide a scope and estimate based on a best case scenario. Then, once the walls are opened up, reality sets in and everybody realizes that the design build is actually a lot more involved than previously expected. Improper framing, mold, faulty firestopping, faulty plumbing, dangerous electrical work, and inadequate insulation are the leading causes of delays and budget overages.
We’ll let you in on a trade secret
Almost all general contractors know that these can come up, but typically choose not to disclose it to the homeowners in a transparent way. Most contractors fear that they will lose the home improvement project by providing realistic expectations (lest someone provides a lower estimate). They would rather deal with a dissatisfied customer and resource shortages than to have a real conversation about the inherent challenges they might face. That’s where Niso Homes is different. We feel it’s our responsibility to share our experience and let you know what potential issues to expect with your particular project. We have built an educational period into our process that ensures everybody is on the same page. This allows us to provide you with the “best case scenario” estimate, as well as the “realistic” estimate that includes what others shy away from. This drastically reduces unexpected surprises and helps maintain positive client-contractor relations. Because if you’re anything like us, there’s nothing more unpleasant than someone back-pedaling on a promise! Our philosophy is that you deserve to know the challenges we will inevitably encounter and must overcome BEFORE we come across them. Since this is a difficult conversation to have, many home renovation contractors and interior designers shy away from it. However, we believe it is a matter of respect to be straight with you. Let’s face it, you know of a lot of cases where renovations have gone wrong, and are rightfully concerned that your own project ends up in good hands.
Honesty. Transparency. That’s the NISO difference.
Homeowner education is the key
We believe a successful renovation or custom home project is 100% correlated with an educational process that sets clear expectations on both sides. Fearless transparency leads to you knowing what we can and cannot do, as well as what you can and cannot expect. We correlate the scope and budget in such a way that is easily understandable, so you can hold us accountable for our promises. The good news is that a proper educational session will address most concerns and allows us to set in place realistic estimates to cover any problems. The best part of that is in the event that we do not encounter such issues, then you do not pay the contingencies—you just pay the actual costs incurred. This way, we can avoid the common concerns that hold back many home improvement projects, and can present you with your very own dream home.
Our trades talk to each other
At Niso Homes, our trades take care to ensure their work doesn’t interfere with that of the next trade. Like a plumber who doesn’t run his pipes where the ceiling is supposed to go. Or an electrician that thinks ahead about the layout and load calculations per breaker. No one is only looking out for their own interest as this inevitably leads to call-backs for deficient work. They communicate and plan ahead. Everyone has a vested interest in doing the job right the first time. That’s another Niso difference.