A Great Team is the Key to Success

Wheather it is sports or business having a great team is the key to long term success. This is also true in remodeling or upgrading a home. If you are in the process of moving, remodeling, building, or upgrading your home there are keys to building a successful team.



First you must define what your role will be. Do you want to be the CEO or the General Manager? A CEO would most likely hire one person to be the General Manager or "coach" of his team. i.e.-hire a contractor who has all of the resources you will need. If your role is going to be the General Manager it will be up to you to form a "Team of Deliverables" that will exceed your expectations.

If you are like most people these days you will lean towards a GM role. It will save some money and allow you to have more input in the details of the project. As someone who just finished a remodel on a 1924 Bungalow(i was the GM), I found it invaluable to have the right players. An example is an interior designer. The upfront cost of having them design the kitchen and bathroom layout (about 1500) saved me from having to make changes throughout the project. Design Lines, an interior designer in Raleigh, NC, was great to work with. My wife has great taste and knew what look she wanted, but she needed someone to paint the picture. The did the CAD Drawings and elevations and the end result was perfect. The money I saved by being the GM also allwed me to upgrade my Audio and Video in the house. Of course I used Neuwave!



This brings up the next recommendation. Having your A/V System designed early in the process will also save you many headaches. Unless you truly understand low voltage wiring, there are a lot of mistakes that will cost you. For example, if you want to have IR control(infared) with a universal remote you will need Cat5e wire pulled to the correct locations. Also, do you want in ceiling or in wall speakers? The speaker wire needs to be pulled before the walls get painted. This is a very common problem that ends up costing the homeowner big. Drywall Repair, painting, plus double the labor to fish the wires. Also, planning your sytem early will allow you to know your budget better. A/V can add up, so have a consultation and set your expectations.




I think design is key with any project. To often people do not think a project all the way through; and that is why I think it becomes necessary to have the right players in the game at the right time.