11 Steps to Renovating or Rebuilding Your Home

The first step is to sit down together. You’ll get to know our team, we’ll get to know you and we’ll start talking about your dream home. We will:

• Discuss your expectations for your home and your homebuilder.
• Outline our process.
• Dig deep into what you desire in your home. This will include the size of the structure, room sizes, furnishings, your interior decorating tastes and so on.
• Talk about your budget.

Great remodeling design starts with a good evaluation of the existing home. For example:

Existing Site / Landscape – We’ll ensure your renovation, rebuild or addition takes full advantage of what the site and surroundings have to offer. We’ll discuss exterior elevations, landscape and views you would like to preserve or improve on.

Existing Home Design and Condition – We’ll evaluate the condition of your existing home and identify items in need of repair or improvement. We’ll also discuss with you the structural limitations of your current home and the possibilities that exist through remodeling or adding to your home.  

Concept Design Ideas – We’ll develop a design concept and walk you through the changes and improvements we believe will achieve your home improvement goals. We’ll discuss estimated costs to achieve the design concept and, if you decide to move forward, we’ll develop a detailed design agreement tailored to the need of your project. 

Prior to designing your custom home improvement project, we go to great lengths to ensure everything is exactly what you want and you know exactly how much it’s going to cost. During the process outlined in greater detail in Step 7, we’ll give you our best ideas, then help you make decisions based on what you want and your budget. 

We’ll ask you to save pictures of interiors and exteriors you like so we get a sense of your tastes and preferences and can integrate them into the design. It’s most helpful if you keep folders for each room – kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom, living room, dining room – including the types of windows you like, rooflines you prefer and so on.

We’ll conduct on-site meetings with all the tradesmen who will be working on your home to have them evaluate your existing home and develop bids that are accurate so your project stays on budget.

Our experienced CAD expert starts on the building plans, which will include everything, including:

• How the home is placed on the lot
• Orientation to the surroundings
• Exterior elevations of all four sides
• Exterior masonry and siding styles
• Existing interior floor plans
• Demo plans
• New interior floor plans
• Window walls
• Furniture positioned on floor plans
• Interior cabinetry elevations
• Fireplace styles and placement
• Detail and section plans

We include the smallest details so you can see exactly what everything in each room will look like. We also include all the structural plans our builders and sub-contractors need to construct your home to the high standards of Dietrich Homes.

At the same time, our design consultant works with you to begin product selections (paint colors, flooring, fixtures, cabinets, appliances, etc.). We’ll work with you to review all the visual aids we talked about in Step #2 to define your style and create a home that is exactly you. We’ll look at product samples in our office and accompany you to stores and showrooms to select all the products you need and want in your home. If you’d like, we’ll also visit your current home to see the items you’ll be moving to your new home to coordinate your design with them.

We’ll work with you to sort through all the alternatives until we have it just right. Then we’ll create a building book so you can see it all together.

The result of Step #6 is a comprehensive ring binder that includes everything related to your house – building plans, section views, landscaping, moisture control systems, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, appliances, hardware, furnace(s), outlets, audio/visual systems, tile, flooring, decks, stairs, exterior finishes and on and on. It also will identify brand names, item numbers, costs, warranties and contact information for vendors.

Every. Single. Thing.

We meet with you to go through the building plans and design book. We’ll make any changes you request and prepare the documents for soliciting bids.

We solicit bids for everything in the building book. When we get them back, we double check every single bid to ensure every vendor quoted exactly what we specified. Then we present the final numbers to you.

When you’re satisfied with everything in your building book and the quoted prices, including allowances, we’ll write a contract. We require your signature, a down payment and approved financing before commencing construction.

When we’re adding rooms or renovating existing space, we get to work on any necessary interior demolition and construction.  

For rebuilds, we handle demolition of the full structure, then move on to any necessary excavation, pour foundations and frame it up. We walk you through the structure at key points, such as after framing and doing a pre-electrical walk-through. You’re also welcome to visit your home in progress. Just call so we can set up a time that is safe for you to be on site.

We’ll do a final walk-through prior to closing to ensure we’ve met all your expectations. We’ll go over all your home’s systems so you know how to operate everything. At closing, we’ll finalize the sale and give you everything you need, including the keys to your dreams. Welcome home!

We could add a Step 12 – service after the sale – because our relationship with you continues long after you move in. If you ever need anything we can provide or help with, whether it’s three months or 15 years later, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’ll do everything in our power to help.