Set the Stage
Designing and Remodeling for Resale
By Vincent O'Connell
Just as it will be common in the 21st Century for individuals to have several careers in their working lives, consumers will likely own several homes in that same period. In the current market, homes may be purchased for a new job, a better school system, proximity to relatives or purely as a financial investment. Consumers who are venturing into a remodeling project today want not only designs that will add aesthetic value, but also increase equity in their homes.
Design and construction generally meet the needs of the traditional homeowners. Now with the current resale mentality of buyers, remodels and designs must trend towards a broader and more sophisticated audience. The selection of materials, colors and textures need to reflect a safer, more neutral palette. A monochromatic scheme does not necessarily need to translate as a boring or dull design scenario. When clients are considering custom cabinetry for audio and visual equipment, for example, suggest design possibilities that can be flexible, as well as somewhat generic in sizing for the cabinet interiors. A prospective buyer knowing their own personal audio and visual systems will fit into existing custom cabinetry will be a real plus at the time of sale. It can also enable a client to upgrade and modify their systems with the ever-changing technology. By creating timeless and functional designs with built-ins, a client has more flexibility in changing their design theme if need be.
Kitchens and bathrooms, along with master bedrooms, are rooms that typically engage emotional reactions for buyers. These rooms are still the spaces that can impress or deter a prospective buyer into the decision-making process. One should caution clients, however, of over designing these rooms in relation- ship to the current value of the home. The idea is to upgrade a property by encouraging quality products, but remodeling in step with the current neighborhood styles and scale of comparable homes.
It can be beneficial and an important step to work with clients through the interpretation of a realistic budget for their specific remodeling goals. At this preliminary design stage, an itemized account of the suggested upgrades can be discussed and edited. When clients realize significant savings in one area of the project, they may be inspired to take on that extra bathroom, or go ahead with the new windows that they otherwise would not have thought financially possible. A remodel that has only addressed the main bathroom and has left the others untouched, statistically leaves a prospective buyer wary of what other construction issues are unresolved or hidden.
Electrical and lighting upgrades typically yield high returns on home improvement investments. Homes with insufficient and antiquated lighting systems can show smaller and also create negative, uninviting pockets of darkness. Recessed lighting, properly spaced and designed, can help create a range of moods throughout the home. Setting up a lighting plan, selecting lamps and trim styles and other important details are key in bringing out the home's architecture and unique interior design elements. In creating specialty lighting, install miniature recessed lights in bay window soffits and niches to highlight areas of interest. Decorative sconces positioned carefully in bathrooms, hallways and entryways can be an elegant additional layer of light to complete the lighting plan. Another important area of the home that should be remembered is the front entrance.
Creating a welcoming, well-designed entrance is key. After seeing the home from the street, a buyer will notice the front door and porch. Doors now are available in a multitude of designs and finishes; wood, metal and glass make for dramatic parings. For an elegant finished product, hardware for doors and cabinets are similar to high-end jewelry, with only your client's imagination as a limit to the potential.
So as we set new rules of thumb for the current century, guiding and adapting to the wants, needs and dreams of consumers, we create yet another chapter in the continually changing history of home design.
April 2006 Builder Architect Edition Issue