I got a call from a homeowner in Glenmore. She had a master bedroom with a walk-through closet that led into a poorly laid-out en-suite.
She asked if I could come take a look.
Like every project, we started with a 15-minute discovery call. The project sounded like something we’d be a good fit for, so we booked a site visit.
Just Another Contractor?
When I arrived, we had a quick chat at the door. She mentioned something I hear often:
“You’re the third contractor I’ve had come out.”
That’s totally normal and something we suggest clients do. Most clients want to shop around a bit — see how different people work, get a feel for fit.
She brought me upstairs, and we walked through the en-suite. We talked through some layout options. What could change. What needed to stay. What she actually used in the space — and how she hoped to use it going forward.
We talked about:
- How much closet space she really needed
- Whether we could shrink the closet to grow the bathroom
- Vanity size, lighting, and fixture placement
- How she uses the space, what works and what doesn’t
- How she wanted to use the space in the future.
It was good to get to know the client and get a clear understanding of their hopes, goal and desires.
Checking for surprises.
Once we had a rough plan in mind, I asked to see the space under the bathroom.
The new layout would need plumbing changes, and I wanted to know what we were dealing with. She brought me downstairs to an unfinished laundry room — perfect access for what we needed to assess.
We kept talking. That’s when she said something that stuck with me:
“You’re the first contractor who actually asked me what I want.”
What the Others Did
She told me the other two contractors just walked in, looked at the space, and gave her a number. No questions. No listening. No curiosity about how she used the space or what mattered to her.
Just:
“This is what we’ll do. Here’s what it costs. Take it or leave it.”
No collaboration. No connection.
This Is Her Home, Not Ours
That moment hit me.
We’re not here to push our preferences onto clients. We’re here to help them figure out what they want, and guide them through it.
It’s not our bathroom. It’s not our closet.
It’s their home. Their life. Their space.
Our job is to help them make their vision a reality — not ours.
That’s what separates a project that just gets “done”… from one that feels right when it’s finished.
