Initial Meeting
Budget Preparation
Financing Origination
Pre-Construction
Construction – Phase I: Physical Structure
Construction – Phase II: Finishes
Landscaping
Completion
Artisan Custom Estates is a full-service project management firm focused on designing and building luxury residences in the North Atlanta area. The following summary outlines Artisan’s process beginning with the basic points we will cover in the Initial Meeting to the day you move into your new home. Please let us know if you have any questions about any aspect of our project process at: 404-630-1229 or info@artisancustomestates.com.
Initial Meeting
In the initial meeting, Artisan Custom Estates simply wants to begin understanding your vision for your home. We will also take potential clients through the general process of creating a custom estate home beginning at the architect’s design table and ending in the final decorating details and occupancy. Artisan wants to make this a very memorable and rewarding experience for you and your family. The better we understand your vision and the best way to communicate with you, the better the experience will be for everyone. Here are some general questions clients should consider in advance of the Initial Meeting.
- What is your budget?
- Where do you wish to build?
- Are there covenants or restrictions at that location?
- What are the basic requirements of the home?
- Do you entertain groups frequently?
- How much storage space do you need?
- Do you work from home?
- Do you expect to build other structures on the land/lot (such as a horse stables and/or barn, guest house, pool, etc)?
- How long do you plan on living in the home?
- Do you need any special accommodations?
- Will elderly guest or parents be staying with you who may have special requirements?
- How involved do you wish to be in your home building project?
- Who will be the primary contact person in your family?
- What is your time frame?
- From other homes you have been in, what specific physical characteristics are imperative or do you wish to avoid?
Download our Design Questionnaire to get started.
Budget Preparation
- Artisan Custom Estates, as the name implies, builds homes of a certain scale and quality level. Generally, Artisan client’s budgets range from $500,000 to several million for the physical structure (that is, not counting the lot/land and any financing or transactional fees).
- Generally, Artisan’s custom homes cost between $150-$200/sq ft due to the high level of quality and detail.
- The Artisan management team is highly quantative and seeks to accurately forecast and manage costs. If you have a sense of what and where you wish to build we can help you understand the costs within a reasonable range even prior to preparing the final architecture.
- In our view, budget variances are the greatest source of stress between a client and a project manager. Throughout the planning and project phases we seek to establish clear expectations and diligently manage to those expectations.
Financing Origination
Artisan maintains a number of close banking relationships and can assist clients in comparing various financing options and originating the optimal construction loan.
Pre-Construction
- Site Selection – Your site selection will drive many decisions that follow. If you are selecting a developed lot there are many great neighborhoods in the north Atlanta area and buyers are especially powerful since the lot inventory is at a record high. In many cases, a lot can be purchased for less than the raw land cost the developer initially. If you are selecting raw land, it is very important to have a project manager who has development experience (i.e. infrastructure installation). Artisan has substantive development expertise and is an ideal partner when building on undeveloped land. Of course, site selection will affect school zoning and may be governed by an architectural committee. Artisan is your advocate and advisor throughout this critical process.
- Architectural Planning – Artisan maintains a number of relationships with top Atlanta area architects. We can help you organize your ideas ahead of the architect meetings so that the meeting time is used most efficiently. Generally, architect fees will range from 8 to 15% of the cost of your home. A good architect may very well be able to help you save more money than they charge for their services. Artisan has many architectural plans that clients can base their designs on, or clients can start from scratch and create a truly original plan that ideally suits their family’s needs.
- Permitting – Once the architecture and site plan is complete Artisan can obtain client’s required permits.
Construction – Phase I: Physical Structure
Much of the cost of your custom home is actually imbedded at the architect’s table. The physical structure begins with the foundation and includes framing and mechanical rough-ins (electrical, HVAC, plumbing, etc.). Phase I of construction is a very exciting time. By this point, several months will have gone into planning and site selection and now, finally, you will be able to take a first walk around your new home. Construction can appear to slow down substantially after Phase I, since the daily changes are not nearly as dramatic as those in the framing and rough-in stages. Care should be taken to arrange things appropriately during this stage – it will save a lot of rework later.
Construction – Phase II: Finishes
Now that the basic structure of your home has been established, a multitude of finishes must be selected. These include, but are not limited to windows and doors, crown molding style and color, cabinets, flooring, wall textures and paint colors, lighting, appliances, countertops, tile, plumbing fixtures, etc. Artisan can assist you in making individual selections of everything, or we can work with you to establish a design theme and then make individual selections that conform to that theme. Exterior selections are largely made at the architect’s table.
Landscaping
Landscaping is an important part of bringing your home together with the lot/land. Since the landscaping occurs at the end of the project, it is important to have a well-defined budget for your landscape and have the discipline to not spend it elsewhere on your home.
Completion
Some might say that a home is never entirely complete but rather a dynamic work that remains continuously in process. However, the construction process concludes with a series of detailed punch lists and walk throughs. Artisan will be there to assist clients in each phase of planning and construction to create your ideal custom estate home.
