As the weather warms up, many homeowners will be looking to dust off the winter cobwebs and revitalize their homes ahead of summer entertaining season. This presents a valuable opportunity for design and building professionals to drum up work. In your next client communication, whether it’s via email, newsletter or face-to-face, why not suggest upgrades and improvements that are tailored to spring? It not only shows that you understand what they want from their homes now, but it also can lead to new opportunities.
jennifer rhode design
1. Outdoor Entertaining Area
If you’re a builder, remodeler, architect or designer, encourage your clients to get more from their homes by enhancing their outdoor living space.
Adding a covered deck or patio fitted with an outdoor kitchen, lighting, a fireplace and comfortable seating not only creates an inviting area to entertain in the warmer months and beyond, but it gives your customers considerably more living space, relieving pressure on their indoor living areas.
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R|House Design Build
2. Porch Screening
If you’re a builder or remodeling expert in an area where summers typically mean swarms of bugs or a high pollen count, highlight the benefits to your clients of upgrading their patio or porch with screening. Fixed or retractable screening will provide a comfortable retreat from insects and protection from allergies without sacrificing fresh air and views.
Brooke Kern Interior Design, LLC
If a client is building an alfresco area from scratch, such as a new deck, suggest elevating it to minimize contact with the moist ground, where insects thrive. This will also enhance airflow and drainage, reducing the chance of bug infestations.
Other upgrades your clients may wish to consider include ceiling fans, to help keep their outdoor spaces cool and deter flying insects, and insect-repellent light fixtures, another layer of protection against flying pests.
Christiano Homes, Inc.
3. Kitchen Renovation
Summer entertaining season is right around the corner — a time when your clients’ homes are typically filled with friends and family and the kitchen gets a workout.
If you’re a kitchen designer or interior designer, now’s the moment to get your clients thinking about modernizing their cooking space with new cabinetry, countertops, lighting or appliances. Or, if they’re struggling with a dysfunctional or impractical kitchen, they might consider a whole new layout or adding a butler’s pantry or customized storage.
You can help clients visualize potential improvements with Houzz Pro Mood Boards and 3D Floor Plans. You can also share photos, files, estimates, proposals and more with clients using Houzz Pro.
Eden LA Furniture and Interiors
4. Energy-Efficient Windows
Today’s homeowners are increasingly concerned with lowering the cost of running their homes, and that includes reducing their reliance on air conditioning and heating, among the biggest energy guzzlers.
For a builder or remodeling professional, it’s worth reminding customers that unwanted heat gain through poorly performing and drafty windows can mean their HVAC system is working harder than it has to, which means higher bills and reduced energy efficiency. The solution? Replacing old windows with new energy-efficient styles to improve insulation and slash utility costs.
Jubilee Interiors
5. Bathroom Remodel
As life becomes more demanding, homeowners are increasingly seeking ways to unwind and recharge. As an architect, builder or bathroom designer, help your clients create a spa-like retreat in their home with a bathroom remodel. Suggest features like walk-in showers, soaking tubs and heated floors for a luxurious and indulgent experience they can enjoy without setting foot outside the front door.
Where to Find Your Next Client
Design Visions of Austin
6. Landscaping Enhancements
Are your customers eager to boost their home’s curb appeal? If you’re a landscaper, point out that now is a great time to spruce up the garden — the warmer temperatures and longer days of spring create ideal growing conditions for many types of plants.
For those wanting a low-maintenance garden that won’t require hours of upkeep every weekend, recommend planting native species, flower beds or container gardens.
Landscape Design West, LLC
7. Outdoor Lighting
A well-planned outdoor lighting scheme is an investment worth making — not only does it create a magical atmosphere at night, but it allows your clients and their guests to enjoy their alfresco areas after dark.
As a lighting or landscaping expert, you might suggest strategic lighting upgrades, such as front path and step lighting that makes it easier for guests to navigate their way safely to the front door; landscape spotlights to highlight special features in the garden, such as a beautiful tree or sculpture; wall or ceiling lighting to illuminate an outdoor dining area; and front porch lights to create a welcoming entrance.
Kathleen Jacobson, The Couture Closet
8. Closet Organization Systems
If you’re in the business of decluttering homes or designing custom storage solutions, why not help clients maximize their storage space and streamline their daily routines by proposing custom closet organization systems.
Upgrades such as built-in shelving, adjustable racks, pullout hampers, shoe storage and customized lighting will help your customers get more from their wardrobe space, ensuring that everything is easy to organize and readily accessible and making their dressing area more enjoyable to be in.
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Lauren Evans Interiors, LLC
9. Smart Home Tech
Are you an electrician or builder who specializes in smart-home installation? If so, introduce your clientele to the many benefits of automation. Explain how features such as automated lighting, irrigation and home security, smart appliances and programmable thermostats can make life easier and more convenient — and their homes more comfortable and energy-efficient — without the need to lift a finger.
Bria Hammel Interiors
10. Outdoor Maintenance
Gardens and other outdoor areas tend to be neglected over winter, creating potential opportunities for contractors and landscapers. With summer on its way, your clients might be interested in outsourcing some of those must-do chores around the house and yard.
Services you might want to offer ahead of entertaining season include window washing, gutter clearing, yard cleanup, mulching, deck re-oiling, outdoor furniture repair and preventative pest control.
Vicki Simon Interior Design
Tell us: What services do you promote to clients in the spring? Tell us about them in the Comments.
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