“It Ain’t the House You Grew Up In”
For the foreseeable future I’d like to help those of you interested to understand the complexities of a modern dwelling and how best to manage them. This first installment is a little long but please bear with me, as more than likely, most of you don’t know me. My name is Robert Platt (Rob), and I have been a construction professional for 37 years. “Professional” in that my intention has always been to earn money at it. Sometimes, not so much. We’ll discuss that later. As far as construction goes. I’ve walked a fence. One half of my life’s endeavors have led to working with my hands and the practical application of the physical craft and the other, the mind craft, design. It’s hard to say which I enjoy the most. Design requires a lot less sweat and almost never involves heavy crap making your day suck. Moreover, we almost always design at 72 degrees….except today. I wrote this first blog (really my first thoughts on the podcast) in the dead of winter while our building was undergoing serious repairs. The heat was out in my office and it was 62 freakin’ degrees in here! I decided to write to keep blood flowing to my hands in the event I needed to leave a note before I died. That day, being a designer sucks. Who knew!?
So, what we’re going to discuss here, and in our podcast, is the complexities of homeownership and how to navigate them. Like our series title states, “It Ain’t the House You Grew Up In”. That reality is grossly understated. Homeownership in the current millennium is a complex and often overwhelming collection of rules, regulations and technologies. It’s only getting more so as each day passes. If you own a home, or aspire to own a home, you will run headlong into this morass of regulatory and technological wonder. There is a popular retailer that says, “You can do it, we can help”. Good luck on that crap. This isn’t about buying products. This is about making good informed decisions. This is about understanding that you need a guide that knows the path from experience, good and bad. This is about recognizing that an independent Residential Designer should be your first resource in acquiring an advocate that has your best interest in mind. Ultimately, this is about earning your trust and confidence as I show you how and why. If you’re looking to build, buy or modify a home, please stay tuned, we have a lot to share that you need to know.
