Designing to a budget? Spend your money where it counts.
How to make the maximum impact with your BTR amenity budget
Designing to a budget? Spend your money where it counts.
Property development is expensive business. 3-4 years down the line, after a substantial amount of money has been spent on purchasing the land, architecture fees and getting planning permission (or two) it’s difficult to justify an open-ended bill for fitting out the interior.
However, interiors are a vital ingredient in creating a market-leading BTR project and no matter your budget, spending it where it makes the most impact is the most crucial part of the puzzle.
Here are my top 3 areas where spending extra budget makes a huge difference:
1. Reception kerb appeal
You entrance is your first impression, be it for your resident or those who could potentially become one. Quite often, the reception within new developments is double or even triple height meaning you can make a statement. Whether you choose to make a bold architectural statement or create a welcoming ambience with great lighting, this is definitely a number one area to spend on.
2. Circulation Areas
Your entrance is looking great- don’t stop there. One of the biggest mistakes almost every developer makes is spending time creating a great apartment product and designing a stunning reception space, but forgetting the space in between.
Corridors are the underdog of every building I have ever worked on- apart from hotels. The hospitality industry has long-ago understood that circulation spaces are vital to the resident’s journey through the building and investing into durable, high-quality materials in this part of the building is always high on their agenda.
3. Smaller, but better
When working to a budget, resist the urge of trying to pack everything in. Focus on 3-4 key zones and design them to the best standard possible. Invest in commercial-grade furnishings which will outlast options available from retail manufacturers by a mile. Superior level of quality is achieved at a higher price point but this furniture will work hard to create the right ambience and look fresh in years to come. We want our public spaces to be lively and busy but for this we need to make sure the furnishings can withstand the use and still look fresh in years to come.
This is a not a one-fits-all recipe, but following this methodology of identifying your priorities and ‘big moves’ early on in the project can help to avoid the costly VE conversations later down the line.
