Renovation 101: The Consultation

You wouldn’t buy a house without looking at it first. You wouldn’t sign on to a business partnership without meeting your partner. And in that vein, you shouldn’t dive into a home remodel or renovation without a consultation with us.

At Debowsky Design Group, we set ourselves apart from other architecture and design firms by providing an honest, in-depth consultation before you get, ahem, in too deep with your big plans for your living or work space.

Our Founder, Stuart Debowsky is a nationally licensed architect, an environmental sustainability and energy efficiency accredited expert, and a specialist in building and zoning compliance.

Our Integrity Policy: A Free Consultation

Debowsky Design Group clients reap the benefits of his vast expertise and unwavering commitment to the truth, as Stuart offers a completely free, no-obligation consult on any new project that crosses his desk. Thinking of adding a fourth bedroom? Call him. He can tell you exactly how to make it multi-functional as an office, too, plus fit in a dreamy walk-in closet.

But he’ll also tell you the truth. Because adding that fourth bedroom won’t be as simple as adding another room, especially when it comes to codes and zoning. A fourth bedroom ostensibly means there will be more people living in your home, which translates to a bigger septic tank at $10,000, a higher diameter water line for around $5,000, and a litany of other seemingly invisible but pricey add-ons to ensure safety and city compliance. Like hard-wired smoke detectors in and outside every bedroom, including the new one, costing $300 per room. If your new addition adds more than 25% to your home, you’ll probably need to reroof the entire house, or fully renovate the electrical to meet current requirements.

Phew. The truth is…things can get a lil’ pricey.

When The Going Gets Tough

On average, Stuart personally meets over 80 clients over the course of the year, making the trek to their homes and potential new project sites, ready to discuss their dreams and really dive in on the possible options. Of those 80 consults, approximately 30 decide to go for it and break ground; the remaining 50 either postpone their projects, or drop them altogether.

“But it looked so easy on HGTV!” they say with a sigh. (Oh, HGTV. More on that right here: https://www.debowsky.com/what-hgtv-forgot-to-tell-you/

The truth is, renovations aren’t easy. Consider the financial stress and mental preparation for the war that’s about to hit your home for a few months. Water service intermittently and unexpectedly gets turned off, as does electrical, which sometimes translates to no shower and no air conditioning on a day you’ve got an important meeting scheduled. Also, there are a lot of design possibilities that are ultimately impossible, either due to budget, construction constraints, or coding restrictions.

Even so, ask Stuart Debowsky if honesty is the best policy, and he’ll passionately answer yes.

“My entire business is built on education and trust,” he explains. “When the going gets tough and hard decisions come up, our clients know they can trust us.”

For Stuart and the rest of our dedicated team, it’s their personal trademark to fully educate any interested client who comes their way, long before any work begins. As a general rule, we don’t operate by the element of surprise. The only shock Debowsky Design clients get happens at the very end of the project, when their remodel is even more stunning than they imagined.

If you’re interested in a personal consultation with Stuart, just call. He’ll be happy to walk-through your brilliant ideas with you, and offer his own…free of charge, of course.