There’s no two ways about it – communication is a key part of any building project and can make a huge difference in how enjoyable and easy the process is.
This is especially true of duplex projects, which require a specific approach and expert knowledge. We recently completed a project for a client of ours named Brian, who had purchased a block of land in Miami with a small cottage on it, with the intention of knocking it down and building a duplex. After engaging our services, we were able to bring his vision to life in just six months.
We’ve used Brian’s project as a case study to illustrate just how important communication is when building your dream home.
Better Experience
“From to the get go, we were never kept in the dark, anything that was happening we were included.”
At the end of the day, all a builder wants is a happy client. Maintaining open lines of communication allows us to ensure their expectations are exceeded at every turn. They develop an understanding of each stage of the project and feel involved, while we are able to better understand exactly what they are looking for, as well as explain why we’re doing what we’re doing.
A client and the builder moving through a project on the same page is always going to mean a positive experience.
Faster Completion
“The estimation was that it was going to be a six-month build, it was completed just a couple of weeks short of 6 months.”
With a project as large-scale as a duplex, any delays can be devastating. To ensure all timelines are met, it’s essential for the client, builder, architect and any other relevant parties to be communicating clearly, providing updates, concerns and asking/answering questions as needed. Transparency and honesty will ensure that potential challenges can be mitigated and dealt with without losing time. We managed to deliver Brian’s project early as we were in constant communication with him, our tradespeople and contractors the entire time.
Budget Certainty
“The architect and Michael worked together – we put what we were wanting down on paper and Michael made additions or subtractions according to what was going to be more financially beneficial to the project.”
There’s nothing worse than crossed wires when it comes to budgets. Engaging a builder early on the process means we can provide accurate costings, working with the architect to make sure your budget is best executed. The only way for this to happen successfully is through communication – we made sure to communicate with both the architect and Brian to ensure we were all working towards the same goal for this Miami project.
Satisfaction with Results
“Everything that Michael put on the table, that he said was going to happen, did happen. Now we’ve got the place that, on paper, looked awfully good and in reality, is awfully good and we’re delighted.”
Through regular updates and catch-ups, we were able to establish and maintain Brian’s expectations throughout the project. When we finally handed over the keys, he knew exactly what his new home would look like and was incredibly happy with the final result. There should never be any surprises when building your dream duplex!
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Should you be looking to build a duplex, get in touch with Michael and our team at Cunningham Constructions today. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.
