What Does a Homeowner’s Consultant Do?
The renovation consultant you need and expect is a combination project manager, industry expert, and life coach. They will oversee your project as a trusted single point of contact, your “throat to choke” to ensure things get done on time, on budget, and to the highest quality standards — and make you feel less stressed and assured throughout the process.
Remember that your consultant isn’t a contractor or an architect, and will partner with you on a project basis. So best to bring them in as early and often as possible: They should be central to the planning process, helping you to optimize the entire initiative from the top, down. Their duties include management, contracts, resourcing, inspections, and vendor relationships.
The best consultants are also well-versed in both the design and construction process (design-build remodeling), the industry’s proven process for ensuring seamless connectivity across the entire workstream. Thanks to their unbiased advice and specialized expertise, a solid consultant can also help select contractors, vendors, and the many professionals necessary to get the job done right the first time.
Bottom line, an effective and well-matched consultant will ensure things run smoothly, the final deliverables are of the highest quality, and your overall return on investment is as high as possible. But like the contractors they supervise, not all consultants will meet your exacting standards. Here are a few criteria to help you evaluate and vet an ideal consultant:
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Direct Experience
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Make sure they’ve successfully completed projects similar to yours. Just like you don’t want a brain surgeon to manage your diabetes, you’ll need a consultant with deep chops directly related to the work ahead. Don’t hesitate to ask in depth questions, check relevant references, and don’t hire them until you’re confident they have exactly what it takes to win.
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Industry Credibility
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Good consultants are usually life-long veterans of the construction and renovation industry. They’ve owned and operated or been vital components of successful design build firms with a proven track record of quality work doing jobs similar to yours. Finding a great consultant can be challenging, but you’ll know your guy or gal when you meet them. Don’t stop asking questions.
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Personality
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What you won’t find on their resume or within their gallery of accomplishments is the thoughtfulness, friendliness, and empathy necessary to listen to you, understand your needs, and make you feel assured every step of the way. Often downplayed but actually central important, your consultant needs to feel like your trusted confidant and business partner.
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