Approach

Remodeling is not a “job”, but a cooperative relationship between you and your contractor to create a lasting and gratifying improvement to your home. Cutting a board is a “job.” But working with you to determine how those “boards” will look when assembled takes a relationship. With this in mind, my approach to this relationship can be summarized in three phrases:

1. Respect the site. The best additions look like they have always been a part of the house. The best kitchens are both a feast for the eyes and, equally important, a joy to work in. The best built-in cabinetry looks like the original architect designed it. The best landscapes have the “right plant in the right place.”  In short, all improvements occur in the context of the existing site – house, room, or garden corner - and look best when they harmonize rather than clash with what is already there.
2. Reflect the owner. This might seem terribly obvious but I have seen too many designers take over a client’s home and turn it into their own personal canvases - using the client’s checkbook. I have my own home – and garden – where I can be me, and one of me is quite enough. Whatever improvements you make to your home should reflect your personality, your needs, and your wishes, and your budget. I am there to help you achieve your vision – not usurp it with mine.
3. Reward the viewer. The best compliment either you or I could ever hope to receive after all the effort, is to have a relative, friend, or neighbor see the work for the first time and say:  “Oh! My God! It’s beautiful!”  As the ad says, “priceless.”

Compensation:

After talking through the job, I provide every customer with my best estimate of what the job will cost. While I can work on a fixed quote, virtually all my work is done on a time and material basis. My labor rate is a little lower that industry average and materials are charged at my cost – without the usual markup. If subcontractors are required, I will get their prices for you, supervise their work, and you pay them directly, again, with no markup and no worries about whether or not I have paid them out of your deposit.

Most contractors take a significant up-front deposit – and then you hope and wait for them to show up and start the job. My request is for a deposit to cover initial materials, with labor and materials paid for weekly as we go along. Remodeling is stressful enough; you don’t need to worry if someone will show up to do the work for which they have been “prepaid.”

If this approach makes sense to you, call or e-mail me and let’s get started on that relationship. I look forward to helping you achieve your vision.

Bill Sieck