Getting Started: Whether you need more space for a growing family or you're building the house of your dreams, careful planning will help ensure the success of your project. Using the steps below as a guideline, you can take control of the process while maximizing value at each project phase.

Building funds: Key to the success of your project is determining a budget to build your remodel or new home. Depending on the size of your project, the funds may be acquired through a construction loan, home equity line of credit, cash savings or a combination of the three. When working with a lender you'll want to discuss the market value of your home before and after the new construction. Note that as a free service, many realtors will provide you with value/sales of comparable homes in your neighborhood. This information will help you determine a budget to match your long and short-term goals.

Cash reserves: Every construction project has its own set of challenges, and by want or necessity, is subject to changes in the field. For this reason it is wise to include a 10% cash reserve beyond your known project costs. This will help protect you in the event there are unknown site conditions that boaden the scope of work. It also serves as a nice cushion to fall upon should you decide to pursue additional upgrades.

Hiring a designer/contractor: After establishing your budget, you'll need to interview designers/architects to begin the design phase of your project. For a new home or large remodel, look for a designer with proven expertise as well as familiarity with local building codes and building departments. You should ask for examples of their projects to ensure their work reflects your style and building vision. On smaller or interior remodels, you may chose to work with an interior designer that can provide space-planning services. Interior designers will also provide valuable insights into interior finish selection and overall design aesthetics.

This is also a good time to begin interviewing contractors who can provide feedback during the design phase. Their input can determine if your proposed design is feasible within the budget you've decided upon. You want to avoid the disappointment of getting your heart set on the perfect design only to submit your plans to your contractor and learn that your proposed design exceeds your budget.

Behrens-Curry can help you find the best resources necessary to make your dream home come true.Use Behrens-Curry to find:

- An integrated design/build solution to keep your budget on track

- Recommended architects and interior designers

- Recommended sub-contractors and suppliers

Building Costs: The first question a homeowner typically asks when considering a home improvement project is “how much will this cost?” Typical ranges for new construction in the Bay Area vary anywhere from $190.00 to $350.00 a square foot. Of course, this is based on a number of key criteria including:

- Site access

- Style of home

- Location, materials

- Local building requirements

- Interior finishes

And that's just to name a few. With a remodel it's more challenging to gauge a per square foot cost without factoring in the specifics of the project. For example, you may be adding on a second story that calls for additional work in other parts of the house. Necessary work may include reinforced foundations, additional sheer walls, updated electrical panels, and a new furnace or water heater. These are all issues that can factor into your final costs. Conversely, adding a basic bedroom or office will cost much less than a kitchen, which typically has more needs to address such as plumbing, electrical issues, and new fixtures and cabinets. To best manage your budget, engage your contractor during the design phase. Then, when design approval and structural documents have been completed, secure a final bid.

Evaluating bids -- Fixed and variable costs: A critical part of managing your project costs is understanding which components of the bid are fixed prices and which ones are variable costs. Each contractor will bid your project differently, so it's very important to make sure you are comparing “apples to apples”. For undefined items such as, floor coverings, countertops, cabinets materials most contractors will provide an allowance typically based on a per square foot or per lineal foot estimate. Allowances are variable costs that are adjusted based on the actual materials you select for the given job component. While one contractor may provide a proposal that is 15% less than another contractor, he may have also included allowances that don't reflect the quality of materials you want in your home. Interior finishes can represent 15-25% of your total costs so this ultimately has a significant impact on your total costs. The best way to keep your bids on a level playing field is to have your architect or designer provide per square foot cost estimates for undefined items so that each bid is consistent.

Interior Finishes: As discussed above, allowance items are part of a contractors bid to estimate cost of undefined items in your construction documents.Examples of allowance items include:

- Countertops

- Floor coverings

- Tile

- Trim details and materials

- Cabinets

- Doors

A great way to jumpstart your project is to research and select your interior finishes prior to breaking ground. You can identify and prioritize items that are “nice to have” and a “must have”. By providing this information to your contractor during the design phase, you'll be able to better determine the final scope of work based on how these options align with your budget. By providing all or part of this information prior to the final proposal, you'll have a more accurate estimate, which will ultimately help you better manage your total project costs.