How to Prepare for your Design Center Appointment

We recently sat down with our Design Center Manager, Ginger Wallace to ask her some common questions homebuyers may have before their design center appointment.

 Who is there to assist me during your design center appointment?

Ginger: Tammy or I will be conducting their design appointment. We send a confirmation email the week of the appointment with a map/directions. In this letter we attach our lighting selections, plumbing selections, Kwikset selections, and cabinet hardware selections to look over prior to the appointment.  

How long does the design center appointment last? 

Ginger: For planning purposes, you will be with your designer from 10 am – 5  pm with a short break for lunch. During this time, we will select your  cabinets, countertops, flooring, paint, plumbing fixtures, and lighting.

What interior and exterior elements will you select during your design appointment?  

Ginger: We select interior finishes only with the homeowners. Only exception would be lighting for exterior carriage lights, front porch ceiling  mount, and lanai fan. 

How should I best prepare for my design center appointment?  

Ginger: Pictures of flooring, kitchens, and baths that capture the style you like. We will take if from there! Our selections change nonstop, and we do our very best to stay current and on trend. Our models are a good example of staying current so we welcome homebuyers to visit our models. 

Do you recommend touring a Riverside Home model? 

Ginger: Absolutely!! I do all of our models so whether I do the appointment or Tammy does  the appointment, we can show them exactly what we did per model as long  as a selection doesn’t get discontinued. Most people need a visual to  refer to so I definitely recommend visiting as many models as possible.   

Should I have a particular budget in mind? 

Ginger: 10%  above base price of the house is a realistic guess at the minimum you would spend in upgrades. Cabinets and flooring are can take up  budget items, so you can spend 10% really quickly if you tile your entire house or do the highest level cabinets. Once we get pricing in the computer with your selections, we are able to sit down and help guide you on where the money is best spent. It really depends on your budget but we are really good at making sure you get the look they want along with helping them feel  comfortable with the final total.  

What comes next after the first design appointment?  

When you sign the design paperwork, we then upload it to Builder Trend.  Builder Trend is the BIBLE of your house. Homeowners must approve it again on Builder Trend. This ALERTS their superintendent and all the sub-contractors the design file is done. This means they start the process of planning and ordering ALL materials for your home. Your  superintendent building your house will later reach out to do a preconstruction meeting. This can be done in person or over the phone. Typically, the superintendent needs our design paperwork so they can  see all structural and design options going in the home so they are clear what they are building.