I’m Kelly.
I strongly believe that most people aspire to live in homes that contribute to the richness and meaningfulness of their lives. In my role as architect & interior designer, my purpose is to help my clients uncover what kind of home they really want and to empower them to make it a reality.
I have a real gift for interpreting my client’s styles and desires. I excel at leading my clients through a unique step-by-step decision making process to help create focus and direction.
With over 30 years of hands-on experience in residential design, I am more passionate than ever about inspiring and helping home owners to create homes that enhance their daily lives.
And doing so, while helping them stay withing their budget because I believe that loving the journey of building a home is as important as loving to live in it.
You’re excited!
Ok, after years of dreaming about the perfect home & saving images of houses you love you’re finally ready to build a new home or do a major renovation.
You have money saved and you have financing in place but you’re a little nervous because you’ve heard that projects like yours often end up costing more than was anticipated. You don’t want this to happen to you.
Here are 5 tips for managing your building costs and finishing your project on time & on budget:
#1 Hire the right PRO’s.
Having a design team and builder who are in your court and will work with you to establish and stick to your budget is invaluable.
At LIVING RADIUS we understand that creating a home takes a huge investment of time, energy & money and our goal is to make the experience as fun and stress free as possible by communicating regularly & providing valuable feedback to both you & your builder
#2 Be forthcoming about your budget.
Your designer & your builder need to know what you are comfortable spending on your project. The budget for your project should include construction costs, soft costs for consultant’s fees & at least a 15% contingency fund to cover any unforeseen expenses. You’ll also want some money left over to buy furnishings for your beautiful new home. Even if you have unlimited funds you’ll want to make a wise investment.
It’s common to have no idea of your budget. At LIVING RADIUS we will always ask you a series of probing questions and help you to set a realistic budget & wish list for your project. With 100’s of projects under our belt we are well versed in the cost of renovating or building a new home and pride ourselves on respecting budgets.
#3 Plan Ahead.
Having a comprehensive design plan for your project before you break ground will help you to avoid costly mistakes. Poor design costs money in the long run. You want to end up with a home you can afford that has everything you need and that you love. It makes sense to spend a bit more time & money on a well-designed project so you end up with rooms you can lay out & finishes that look great!
At LIVING RADIUS we know that the size, complexity and type of materials & products used all contribute to the cost of renovating or building a home. With smart design the cost impact of complex structures, inefficient planning, & overuse of expensive materials can be minimized, and the money saved can be used in the areas
of most importance to you.
#4 Your architecture & interior design package matters.
The more information your builder has before they start the more smoothly your project will go. A complete construction package with clear drawings & a schedule of finishes & materials will help the builder to prepare a realistic breakdown of construction costs. If there are items which put you over budget you have the opportunity to revise your choices before you begin construction. This information will also help the builder to order products so that they arrive on schedule and keep the construction schedule on track. The longer the build takes the more you will incur expenses such as financing costs & the cost of renting a place to live.
With your input we at LIVING RADIUS will put together a comprehensive package of construction drawings and a detailed list of all of the materials, finishes & fixtures that will go into your home.
#5 Avoid “Scope Creep”.
Adding to construction requirements with items which were not included in the budgeting or the building plans is called “scope creep”. Making changes during construction usually results in delays & increased costs (not to mention a great deal of stress).
At LIVING RADIUS we understand how tempting it is to change your mind because you see something on HOUZZ or PINTEREST or at a friend’s home. We’ll help you to avoid costly “scope creep” by informing you of the potential cost of the things you see & love so you can decide what is essential to include in the design of your home before construction begins.
We’re Kelly & Brian.
With over 5 decades of combined experience in architecture and interior design, we’re more passionate than ever about inspiring and helping home owners create homes that enhance their daily lives.
At Living Radius, we’re best known for our architectural home designs in North and West Vancouver as well as Vancouver, the lower mainland and the beautiful Fraser Valley. We’ve also had the privilege to design homes and cabins all over Western Canada including Whistler, Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, the Kootenays, and Northern BC. We care deeply about having fun, and about inspiring and empowering our clients to create homes they are thrilled to live in.
