A few finishing touches won’t cut it these days. A new consumer poll from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) revealed that 49 percent of homeowners consider outcome and design as the greatest determinant of project satisfaction.
“Today’s homeowners are smarter and more strategic when it comes to remodeling their homes,” said NARI National president-elect Michael Hydeck, MCR, CKBR, of Hydeck Design Build, Inc. “They want their design to cater perfectly to their lifestyles and how they intend to use the space.”
The unstable economy may have a slight relation to the recent findings. A more practical attitude toward spending in the last few years has amplified the homeowner’s involvement in each step of the remodeling process.
“To be successful as a remodeler today, you must have full transparency with your clients,” Hydeck said. “That usually means open communication lines and joint decision making in every aspect of the job—budget, design, material selection, timeline and management.”
This also reflects the long-term perspective most people have when it comes to their homes. “My clients remodel their home for the rest of their lives, they don’t think of remodeling as a short-term investment,” Hydeck said.
The breakdown of the poll results showed that 22 percent considered having their needs met as satisfactory and 20 percent noted accessibility and timeliness of the remodeler during the project as influential. Finishing on time and safety precautions and cleanliness of the remodel were much less significant with 4 and 6 percent respectively.
