Problem Solving Many clients think they just want you to build them an addition or update their kitchen. But most would probably be delighted if you could solve some of their longstanding problems as well.
“Sit down and figure out the lifestyle patterns of your clients or prospective clients,” Abrahamson says. “Go from room to room asking three to five simple questions,” such as, What really works in this kitchen? What doesn’t work? Do your kids do a lot of homework in here? How much entertaining do you do? Are there any health concerns we should be aware of?
Conner Remodeling & Design, Seattle, has adopted a client-centric approach including one particularly good question: “Other than the remodel we’ve discussed, what one change would make a huge improvement in how you enjoy your home?” The first client who was asked this question wished for a main-floor laundry room, to save her from having to go outside and down the basement steps. “The client didn’t think it was possible and would never have brought it up,” president Denny Conner says. “Our designer was able to figure out a way to integrate a hall closet laundry into the kitchen remodel. They were ecstatic.”
Some remodelers present clients with intensive questionnaires. Anschel takes a more intuitive approach. “The whole process should be to dig a little deeper, to really understand what’s going on in the homeowner’s mind,” he says. “Often clients think they’re spelling it out, but they’re actually contradicting themselves. Then it’s your job to question not just what they want, but why.”
Anschel concedes that this challenging line of questioning could cost you a job. But the right client will appreciate it, and the outcome will be better. About a quarter of his clients come to him after working with another designer whose drawings fell short of their ideals. “We talk, and within 15 or 20 minutes, they say, ‘You understand.’”
Play back what your clients say. Anschel is alert to words of desire — such as: simple, clean, flowing — as well as expressions of things that are frustrating, such as not having enough space for entertaining or storage. “It’s a must, going through a dialog like this,” he says. “Then you have to send it back to them in a one-sentence, 30-second statement. ‘You want this and this and this.’” And if you don’t nail it,” he says, dig deeper still.
Thinking Ahead Help clients anticipate future needs. If you’re ripping out the ceiling for recessed lights, do they want speakers installed, as well? Do they plan to get a flat-screen TV? If so, now is the time to run wires behind the wall above the hearth. Do they anticipate changes in their health or family size?
Expanding families are a major remodeling impetus. Abrahamson notes growing demand for multi-generational homes, including those led by family-centric Hispanics as well as baby boomers who want to be close to their grandkids, through either “special spaces” in their own homes (such as elaborate playhouses in their yards) or grandparent suites in their children’s homes. “There are life-stage forces that play a major role in re-prioritizing our values,” she said.
“Many of our clients are pregnant during design,” Anschel says. They’re concerned about remodeling dust, noise, and aggravation, he says, but less conscious of the home’s effect on their health or that of their children. So he gets them thinking about “environmental health” — that is, low-VOC paints, non-petroleum-based products, and other green materials that are safer for sensitive babies and children. “They may not care about saving a tree, but they are concerned about asthma,” he says.
Homeowners are also more willing to think long-term about the financial benefits of green remodeling. “There’s more interest across the spectrum, and a lot of it is pocketbook-driven,” Anschel says. The higher energy prices go, the greater the appeal of energy-efficient investments such as tankless hot water heaters and low-E windows.