There are six elements to every home project to consider when it comes to moving forward with a project. Since we know that all projects are not equal in size or scope, the most important elements are probably different depending on what the project is. Here are the six elements for every home project to consider before getting started on your project.
- The Design: This is where you define what the project is going to look like once it is done. This could be a series of sketches, a set of formal blueprints, or even just detailed pictures to use as your guide. The bigger the project, the more important the design element is.
- Product Selection: This is where you choose specific products, with specific features, and specific brands. Homeowners typically research lots of different product and brand choices prior to making a preferred selection.
- Labor Skills to Install: Depending on the size and type of project, it is important to determine the labor skills required to install all the products contained in the project. This is usually either a Do-It-Yourself, or hire contractor to Do-It-For-Me.
- Budget: Identifying what the potential costs are for the design, the product selections, and the labor costs are very important. Trade-offs are often required between what products you want, and what products you can afford.
- Time: This also varies widely between different kinds of projects, but knowing what time of year to execute on a project and how long will it take to finish the project from start to finish is important.
- Quality: This is an assessment both before and after a project on whether the project works. This is a combination of the 5 other elements on how well they all came together. Does the finished project meet the original design or goals?
Not all projects in the home will have the same level of detail with these six elements to every home project. As an example, replacing the flooring in a bedroom takes on a different level than doing a complete kitchen remodel. But both projects still have all six elements associated with them. Stay tuned for future posts to give examples of how the six elements work with different kinds of projects.
I think an article that complements this one is an article that explains the lifecycle elements of a home development project. I think the “Design” element is a step in the project lifecycle as well.
I’m very glad to find your post. I think you’re providing a service to homeowners asking that proverbial question, “Where do we start”. I’m a Design and Construction professional and started my blog in an effort to help folks with more of the details involved with that very question. The six categories you’ve listed above are an excellent foundation for folks to begin thinking of their design in a more holistic way. A big downfall of home improvement TV and articles is that they take one specific topic to expound on. It’s then hard for people to “step back” and get the complete picture of how their projects fit in with the rest of their home, budget, lifestyle and future plans.
Thanks for the comments. We also feel the same way, that homeowners get overwhelmed with a project. Also, if a homeowner is not prepared, they find that budgets and time get out of control due to not understanding the project process.