Best Product Design Award

It definitely feels like Charlotte’s real estate market and, in fact, the housing market across the nation, is in a bit of a standstill right now. With interest rates high and affordability an issue for many buyers, people are hesitant to make a move. Sellers are reluctant to list their homes because they don’t want to give up their lower mortgage rates, while buyers are wary of paying a premium due to the higher rates. This current market is leading to some difficult decisions regarding home renovations and additions. Unfortunately, these choices often do not lead to a strong long-term return on investment. Given the challenges of finding a new home, many homeowners feel forced into renovating, and as a result, they’re not always making wise decisions. Often, they’re simply trying to do too much. This can create significant problems when they eventually try to sell. For example, a $200,000 kitchen renovation in a $600,000 neighborhood is unlikely to recoup its cost upon resale. Another trend we’re seeing too frequently is the addition of a full second story above a small ranch-style home. The inherent limitations of those 1950s ranch floor plans are difficult, and sometimes impossible, to overcome. Regardless of your specific housing challenge, we caution clients not to push their renovations too far. If the proposed solution doesn’t pass the “sniff test,” it likely won’t deliver a good ROI in the future. To help clients think through this dilemma and avoid being driven to poor decisions by the current housing market, we recommend working with a team of professionals. Here are some key steps to take: Hire a real estate agent to perform a comparative market analysis (CMA) of your existing home. This will provide an estimate of your home’s current value. While online tools exist, their accuracy is often questionable, especially when the stakes are this high. Hire an architect to sketch out one or two design solutions that address your desired improvements. Hire a builder to provide a cost estimate for the proposed renovations. Hire the real estate agent (again) to run a new comparative market analysis based on your renovation plans. Compare the estimated increase in your home’s value to the cost of the renovation to evaluate the wisdom of your project. Notice the word hire . In my opinion, all of these professionals should be compensated for their time, especially given the purpose of this exercise and the uncertainty of future work. Armed with a market analysis, a design plan, and a cost estimate, you’ll be equipped with the data needed to make an informed decision. While this process may cost a few thousand dollars, it could save you from losing $100,000 or more on a poorly planned and illogical renovation. In the past, such a thorough exercise may not have been necessary. The real estate market was fluid enough that homeowners weren’t often backed into corners. But today, with high construction costs and tighter market conditions, the risks are greater. So, in the words of our parents: Do your homework… do your homework…

Great question! With so many design ideas floating around on Pinterest and Instagram, clients can easily feel overwhelmed. Architects play a crucial role in helping them cut through the noise and refine their vision. Here's how: 1. Theme - Instead of focusing on individual images, architects can guide clients to articulate the mood, function, and overall feel they want. A home isn’t just a collection of cool ideas—it’s a cohesive story. 2. Patterns - Architects can analyze what clients are pinning or saving to find recurring patterns: Are they drawn to open-concept layouts? Natural materials? Dramatic lighting? Spotting trends helps define their true aesthetic. 3. Feasibility - Not everything online translates well in real life due to budget, climate, or structural limitations. Architects can bring practicality to dreamy concepts—offering alternative solutions that achieve similar effects within constraints. 4. Reduce - Instead of presenting an overload of options, architects can curate a shortlist of ideas, helping clients rank priorities—what’s essential, what’s flexible, and what’s purely decorative. 5. Organize - Once ideas are refined, architects can create custom collections that synthesize the client’s style into a cohesive design direction, making it easier to explore options and then make decisions.

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Its time for all of US to step it up…