If you build with us at ICI Homes, you’ll earn not one, but TWO trips to our ICI Homes Design Center.
“Cowabunga!” you might say. “Let me at it!”
Or, “Oh no…do I have to?”
If you’re a creative type, you might feel like you’ve hit the jackpot. If you can’t imagine why anyone would read home and garden magazines, you might view two obligatory trips to the design center as penance.
We’re here to explain why it’s important that you do this for us, plus give you a sneak peek at what you’ll do during both visits. They’re harmless. We promise!
The design preview
Your first trip to the design center is a preventative thing. It’s good for you down the road. Kind of like eating spinach.
The design preview takes place after a buyer has chosen a floor plan and settled on any changes with one of our architects or designers (customization is an ICI Homes strength). At this point, everyone has a decent guesstimate of the final contract price, but needs one more piece — the cost of all the interior design elements.
This 30-to-45-minute visit to the design center gives the home buyer(s) a chance to “preview” all the choices available for interior finishes and materials. You must choose these, and their costs factor into the final price of your contract.
“It’s to get an idea of what they like, so we can get a gauge of what kind of cabinets they might want to go to,” says design center consultant Janna Pettegrew, citing one example. “What level of tile. It’s really to get an estimate of price after their design selections.”
These estimates — for cabinets, flooring, hardware and paint, to name a few — are compiled by your design center consultant and shared, a day or so later, with you and your sales agent(s), so that your contract can be finalized.
Then, it’s on to Round 2.
Post-contract design selection
The clock is ticking toward your new home’s construction calendar. Permits are secured, final drawings are executed and other nitty-gritty business stuff gets done in the background.
You have one more big obligation — to report back to the design center for a day-long appointment to finalize your design selections. This time you and your design consultant will painstakingly go through every element and material to make sure the interior of your home is aesthetically pleasing and functional.
Why is this important? Materials can’t be ordered until we know what you want. And we want you to make those choices. Pros like Pettegrew are knowledgeable and helpful guides, but it’s your new home. Please be invested in the process!
Your design preview introduced you to the items you’ll need to choose, change or approve. Maybe you’ve decided you’d like another color paint in the kitchen. Or, that exotic stone tile for master bathroom is a bit expensive. You know you can find something you like equally well, at a more comfortable price point.
Now’s your chance!
“They need to take ownership of their homes and be proud to show it to friends and family,” Pettegrew says.
