The homeowner's most important first step in the planning phase is to define your house theme or project mission statement. Without this step the homeowner's project will wander aimlessly causing time delays and expensive rework in the construction phase. For the homeowner the planning and preliminary design are combined into one. This chapter will take the homeowner through the steps of the planning and preliminary design. The 3-ring binder is the backbone of organizing this phase and this chapter contains over 3 pages of line items to select for your planning binder. The 2nd most important thing you will learn is to make your major changes in this phase while your plans are just lines on paper not during the construction phase where each change you make will cost some serious money as well as scheduling impacts. Learn Pat Fay's position on purchasing pre-designed plans. All homeowners need to go through the planning and preliminary design phase themselves because if they do not they will pay for it during the construction phase.
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