Building a Farmer’s Porch – Part 1

CHRS’ Design/Build Process in Action

Custom Homes Renovation Solutions (CHRS LLC) recently completed a custom farmer’s porch for a very satisfied customer in Harwich, MA.  As I explain how this project came about, and then came together, readers familiar with the CHRS “Process” will see the real life benefits of it in action in this example.

Step 1 of the Process – Getting to Know Each Other

I had constructed a similar project for a past client of mine, who was so pleased with my work, she referred me to her colleague, Kathleen. Kathleen respected the input from the referral, and had, in fact, actually seen the farmer’s porch I’d constructed for her friend already.

However, the job was not simply granted to me. Kathleen did her homework, interviewing four other contractors, in addition to myself.

I had two meetings with Kathleen prior to being accepted for the Project. In those meetings, I surveyed the site and began to formulate an idea in my mind. More importantly however, I was listening to Kathleen. I wanted to hear what she was hoping for, and have her describe what her desired purpose and outcome of the porch would be.

Anyone can slap a porch onto a home, but by gathering her ideas, I was able to understand her needs. Kathleen wanted this project to be an extension of her living room, a natural gathering place for family and friends. She envisioned relaxing on her porch with cocktails on a summer evening, after a long week at work, or a day at the beach.

It was only after two careful meetings that we discovered we could work together, for the following reasons: I was focused on what she wanted, instead of imposing any preconceived ideas on her, and also because we communicated with each other easily, with respect and in a timely manner. We had developed a trust in our partnership and agreed to work together.

Next, we began to discuss options. For instance, Kathleen originally contemplated a design for the porch to go along the entire front of the home, but the more we discussed her desired outcome, we realized that her goals could be accomplished by adding on to just a portion of the front section.

Some of the other contractors she’d interviewed had wanted to jump right into the project without detailed plans and discussions. They might have built the porch across the entire house based on an initial conversation with her. By listening to what Kathleen was looking to accomplish, we determined she didn’t need a porch of that size and were able to save her money on materials, as well as time on the Production.