We’ve heard it time and time again the past four weeks…. “We’re ready to leave New York / Boston / Chicago and make coastal New England our home.” Of course you are!

We’re so fortunate to live, work and raise our families here in Rhode Island. Good schools and universities, a thriving cultural and arts scene, historic architecture and of course —  access to the ocean and all the activities it holds makes living here the right choice, right now. (Not to mention our strong state leadership who has so carefully seen us through COVID with clear thinking, compassion and a steady hand every day. Thank you, Gina.)

Our friends at Lila Delman see the trend too.

“Real estate in coastal Rhode Island continues to be a sound investment for those looking to diversify their portfolios in the wake of Covid-19. The value of the properties with water amenities in Rhode Island, compared to those of other Northeast vacation communities, is truly undeniable.” 

Lori Joyal | Lila Delman, Watch Hill Office Sales Manager

 

Where do we fit in? For years we’ve worked with new home buyers considering a house but unsure if it will work for them. They call with questions like:

“The kitchen is not only dated, it’s too small. What are the possibilities?”

“How do I re-purpose the first floor to accommodate large gatherings?” 

“We need more guest rooms with private baths. Is it possible to add baths to this floor plan?”

“My grown children and grandchildren will spend time here. How do we create some private spaces for them?”

“I want the inside of the house to flow better to the outside, where we’ll spend more time. How do we do that?”

“I’m not sure historic shingle style is for me. Will my contemporary art collection work here?”

New home buyers are looking for confidence to make a go/no-go buy decision.  Quickly.  And we regularly put our Concept Plan to work – before they even make an offer – to deliver the vision and instill the confidence needed to move forward.

In fact, we worked with clients recently prior to their purchase of their Newport home through Lila Delman to answer these same questions. Within four weeks we got to know our client family, their lifestyle goals, the house, its opportunities/limitations and quickly developed plan options they could use now and in the future, to make the house work for them.

Fun client anecdote…

I’ll never forget a Saturday afternoon early this Spring, prior to offer-making, when my clients arrived at the office and opened our work session with the statement, “Patti, we’re ready to step away from this house. We just don’t see how it could work for us.” I said ok, I hear you but let’s review the possibilities on plan just to be sure you have the benefit of another set of eyes/ideas. Three hours later they left feeling confident and ready to proceed. The next day they made an offer on the house. Fast forward to today: Phase I of their renovation is nearly complete in collaboration with Horan Building, which was what we planned during those first few weeks of knowing them. Next week they move in, just in time to enjoy summer in Newport.

Does this storybook tale happen every time? No, but it honestly happens most of the time.  (This is one of our sweet strengths as a design firm, I can assure you). We find it so fulfilling for our clients, and to us, to see how the power of design can reveal different possibilities and literally change the course of action and a family’s future.

Check out another example of our Concept Plan below, prepared for clients as they make their coastal summer home more comfortable for their growing family.

Interested in learning more?  Reach out anytime and put our Concept Plan to work for you.  Especially if you’re considering a move to coastal New England. We love where we live and we love helping others make this their new home too.

Only the best,