The Enfield project was one of those whole-home renovations that had all the elements: structural changes, design overhauls, and of course, the usual dance with permitting in Austin. We were making good progress when the city came back with a question for the structural engineer. I knew it was going to cost us time—about a month, in fact. In older homes, or those requiring structural work, these kinds of things can happen. The real test is in how the builder handles it.
Here’s what we did. As soon as the issue came up, we didn’t hide it or make excuses. We laid it out for the owners right away: what the delay was, why it was happening, and what it meant for the schedule. The husband had been reluctant about the whole thing from the start, cautiously eyeing the budget and weighing it against what we hoped to achieve. He wasn’t thrilled to hear about the delay.
When all was said and done, and the house finally felt like theirs, he turned around and said, “The delay was worth it.” Those were his words, not mine. That hit me, because I know how easy it is for delays to derail trust. A delay handled with honesty costs some time; a delay handled with silence costs peace of mind and a whole lot more.
A builder who tells you an inconvenient truth about the schedule is the same builder who will tell you the truth about everything else.
Tell us about the project you’re considering and we’ll have an honest conversation about it, no pressure and no obligation. You can reach us through the website or at (512) 948-9802.
