How to Prepare for Your In-Home Consultation
We believe that successful renovations start with great communication. That’s why your in-home consultation with us is an important first step in the remodel process. The more information our team has to start with, the more streamlined the planning and design phases will be.
Here is what to expect if you’ve scheduled or are planning to schedule an in-home consultation with Southcoast Kitchen Designs. This meeting is a free consultation to determine the scope of work and to obtain some preliminary design and product options. We will also measure the space and perform a LiDAR scan of the work area. Plan for approximately 60-90 minutes to complete the meeting. At this meeting please consider and prepare the following:
Appliance specifications/model numbers. The earlier in the process that we have these the easier it is to design the space.
A list of what challenges your current space has that you would like to address.
A list of “must haves” that would need to be incorporated into the renovated space. A secondary list of “would be nice” options that you would want if the budget allowed.
Put some thought into the areas you would want work done in. Often, work extends throughout the home, like flooring or painting.
Consider if you’d be open to moving appliance locations to help make the space more functional.
Decide if you’d be open to move windows/doors or widen windows to take advantage of natural light or views.
If requesting structural work, like removing a bearing wall, please be prepared to allow access to areas below and possibly above the wall.
Gather images of spaces that are attractive to you. Pinterest, Houzz and other sites are great resources.
Determine a budget that you would be comfortable with. This is an important step, please see our FAQ page regarding why.
Be prepared with as little distractions as possible, as there will be approximately 60 design/scope questions asked by our team!
At the conclusion of the meeting, we will offer a verbal budget we think will be needed for your project. This will be based on historic sales that have a similar scope and product selections. If the budget presented is in a range that is comfortable for you, we will ask for a $1,000 non-refundable retainer payment that will be applied to your contract. The only way the retainer is lost is if you decide not to use Southcoast Kitchen Designs for your project. Please see our FAQ page for more information about the retainer.
Once the retainer is collected, we will schedule your Layout Meeting, which usually takes place approximately 2 weeks after your retainer payment is received. At the Layout Meeting, our designer will present a layout and 3-D rendering of your space based on the information collected at your in-home consultation. You will also receive a detailed written estimate at this time. At the conclusion of each meeting, we will be scheduling the next meeting so please have your calendar handy!