Curious to learn more?
Stay tuned as we share more in-depth posts about the topics that matter most to us.
Hey ho concrete! When we bought our house nearly five years ago, we were “blessed” with a ridiculous amount of concrete. Some of it was original 1910 but most was from what I imagine as a 1960’s concrete-pouring acid trip. (Apparently, concrete is also an excellent way to kill weeds.) We started the arduous process four years ago when we tore out our concrete […]
First of all, three-day weekends are amazing. (In fact, I think it’s high time we made them mandatory.) With an extra 24 hours to burn, we made some serious progress on our to do list, lounged in the sun, listened to some new records and ate really well. To jump-start the festivities, Kyle and I met at Velocity Art […]
A common thread during our remodel process has been the unglamorous and mundane task of fixing things. Unfortunately, our yard is no exception to this trend. While we’ve made substantial progress over the last several years, there are still some significant projects to undertake. The good news – we’ve had almost five years to identify […]
After wrapping up the interior projects from last year, we’re focusing on the outside again. In addition to a new deck for the backyard, we’d also like to spruce up the front. Although sometimes it feels like we’ve completely neglected our yard during the last few years, these pictures from closing day in 2006 are a good reality check: […]
Last weekend we checked out the Remodelista Local Market event in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle. Located at henrybuilt’s SoDo shop, there were about 15-20 vendors there, including both local and regional goods. Some of the highlights included these awesome chopping blocks made from reclaimed lath from old houses in Seattle. I also fell in love with a super soft throw […]
An architect is a qualified professional that not only designs your home or remodel but acts as your advocate throughout the entire process. A good architect will listen, they’ll be honest about how much things cost and how long things take and they’ll use their years of expertise to navigate an onerous permitting process, help vet potential contractors and be there for you during construction. If you don’t have an architect, that work is either done by you or the builder and compromises and sacrifices will inevitably happen.
This depends largely on the size and scope of the project and where you’re located. In some jurisdictions it’s easy and straightforward to get a permit, in others it can take 6 months to a year or longer. We usually advise clients to budget 3 -6 months for design for smaller projects and 12 months for larger projects. Permitting timelines can extend those estimates. Construction can take 4-6 months for small remodels or 16-18 months for custom homes.
Absolutely! We love to see what clients like (or don’t like!) and we’re used to gleaning the important info from all sorts of media – photos, sketches, diagrams – we’ve seen it all!
Maybe – this really depends on the housing market and how much time you have before you make an offer. It also depends on the property itself. If you’re looking at a house with a steep slope, we may advise that a geotechnical and structural engineer make their own evaluation. This can add more time based on people’s ability. We can usually make some basic recommendations based on our knowledge of the local codes, but it’s not a replacement for a more thorough feasibility study. If possible, we usually recommend that people make an offer contingent on a more thorough analysis. What we don’t want to do is give you a rosier outlook only to find that there were some unexpected issues with the property.
Depending on the scope of the project, phasing can be a practical approach. However, we usually advise that homeowners do everything in one phase if possible – this not only takes less time but simplifies the permitting process and is a more appealing process to contractors. When you phase a project, you have repeat mobilization costs that create a more expensive project in the end than doing it all at once. We’re happy to talk through phasing options though as each project is unique and sometimes it does make sense.
Yes! For us, interior design is an integral part of our process. We enjoy working with homeowners to think about their homes holistically and have extensive experience in all aspects of the design process.
In our experience, successful projects have homeowners that are engaged but trust us and the process. They ask questions and are clear communicators. They make timely decisions and speak up if something doesn’t feel right. They’re transparent about budget and schedule constraints so there aren’t missed expectations.
Say hello. Tell us about your project.