How to Ensure Your Builder Sticks to Your Budget

Are you dreading your renovation because of the budget? Or perhaps you're hesitant to invest your hard-earned income in the process? These shouldn't stop you from your home restoration! Let us put your mind at ease with some pearls of wisdom from our many years of combined experience.

A Budget Doesn't Have to Feel Limiting.

Everyone has a budget — simple as that. Some have more zeros on the end than others, but essentially everyone has a figure they're willing to invest to see their vision come to life. It's very common to speak of a budget as a limitation or something hanging over your head. This can create stress towards your project when in actual fact, it can be such an exciting and transformational time — if done right!

How do we handle client's budgets?

Firstly, with great respect and humility. No matter the size of the project, we believe client finances are hard-earned and deserve great respect. We do not overlook the level of trust that goes into this value exchange. We've been through this ourselves — we know first hand what it's like to fund a renovation and work to a set budget. It means allocating sensibly to big ticket expenses and having a contingency for unexpected things (hello, termite damage!).

Because we know how it feels to part with hard-earned money, we have great respect for our clients' budgets. Our approach starts with functionality and then emotion — what key changes are going to make your day-to-day lives easier and more enjoyable in this space?

For example: a mud room for shoes and school bags, more linen storage, a second bathroom, a kitchen with island seating for kids to do homework while you're cooking, or an outdoor entertaining space to fit all the family. These are functional changes which positively impact the quality of your daily life in the home.

Secondly, how do you want to feel in this space? Let's start there. Then, together as a team, we establish a scope of work and decide how your interior design style and vision is going to align with the budget. That's the power of designing and quoting your build at the same time — rather than finding out the design you have fallen in love with is way over your available budget.

While we are all about having good honest money talks upfront, that doesn't always mean every single thing in the wishlist can fit into the budget. Sometimes it might mean staging out a project and moving a bathroom renovation to "stage 2."

At Yarrow Build, we are half design (Sarah Yarrow Interiors) and half build. Together as a husband and wife team, we are removing our clients' fears associated with "blowing the budget" and having good honest conversations upfront to find a way where vision and budget can align.