Before a new home project gets underway, it’s important to identify the project goals, (which often flow from the homeowners' values.) Determining the budget is also crucial. The goals and the budget form the foundation from which all future project decisions flow.

our goals
Our goal is to build a small, modest and beautiful home/office using proven, environmentally sound methods and materials (and perhaps a few experimental ones!) that maintain a healthy and comfortable living environment year round with minimum impact on our natural resources. We plan to use our home to demonstrate our Little Sunlight Home concept.

project budget:
Along with your project goals, determining a reasonable and workable budget is another important predesign step. Construction costs vary considerably depending on the size of the home, where and when it will be built, by whom, and what materials will be used.

Because of the variable nature of custom home projects, the best we can do is estimate as closely as we can. Our Cost Estimate Worksheet helps calculate the cost of items that don't appear in standard cost-per-square-foot numbers. Working through this worksheet with us will give you a much more realistic estimate of the cost of the specific type of home you are wanting. If the home turns out to cost more than your building budget allows, we will discuss ways to scale back to fit your budget.

our budget:
Since we are downsizing, our budget isn't as much of an issue as it would be if we were building a larger home. We want to keep expenses down, but we also know that many of the materials we will be using will cost more than their less ecological counterparts. Our state doesn't have the tax credits other states have for energy saving products. Our plan is to conserve wherever possible without compromising quality or our environmental goals.

values:
Every new Sunlight client completes worksheets which tell us more about the things that are important to them and what they would like in their new home. Our Values Worksheet is completed individually, then as a couple (when applicable) and identifies personal values that will translate into design elements of the new home. Usually couples have many similar values, but also have some individual values which aren't shared. It's helpful for us to know these things before we begin designing their home.

our values:
Together, we put a high value on things that are honest and authentic. We prefer quality and functionality over fancy and showy. We both enjoy being creative and having fun and would like our home to make it easy to do both. We are not particularly private or overly security conscious. Where we differ is that Jon places a little higher value on visual aesthetic over comfort and functionality and I am the opposite.This forces us to work a little harder to find the happy medium.