---

This seems basic I know, kind of design 101, but getting a client to reveal their budgetary needs for their kitchen or bath remodel is something many designers struggle with. When I am reviewing projects that designers are working on and I ask “What is your client’s budget?”, the response I sometimes receive is that their client would not tell them this information.

Would you go car shopping without a budget in mind? Unless you truly have hundreds of thousands of dollars at your disposal, my guess is that you wouldn’t. Even if you did have gobs of money that you could spend if you wanted, you would most likely have a maximum that you would be willing to spend.

While shopping for a new home, one of the first questions from your new realtor is going to be about your budget. Heck, most realtors won’t even begin a home search with you if you are not prequalified for a mortgage. So why is that? Well, it wouldn’t make sense for a realtor to show you homes in the $400,000 – $500,000 range if you can only afford, or are preapproved for something around $250,000.

The same is true for a kitchen remodel. Unless your client has done a major home renovation project recently, and when I say recently, I mean in the past 3 years or so, they most likely have no idea how much remodeling a kitchen will cost. The hard part is that they will tell you so. When asked what their budget is, they may say, “I’m not sure since I don’t know how much a kitchen remodel costs.”

Whether they know how much it might cost, or they don’t, I think this is really kind of irrelevant. The real question is how much can they afford, or are they willing to spend?

If your client is hesitant to give you their budget upfront, you may need to explain to them that the reason you ask is not so you can spend every cent they have on their remodel, but so you can make the appropriate choices in the design to keep them close to that figure. Also, it would be a waste of their time and yours if you design a $60,000 kitchen remodel if they only have $35,000 to spend. Many clients will relax with that knowledge and reveal what they had in mind for a budget.

When you get your client’s budget, this will also allow you to coach your client on whether they can accomplish their desired project for that amount. The important part is that you understand what your client would like to accomplish prior to asking the budget question. Once you know your client’s budget range, you then are able to respond in a way that will set your client up for when you present the pricing of their project.

Become their trusted advisor.

By practicing this, they will hopefully not be completely shocked when you present a package price that is a little over their planned budget. You have already set them up for that.

If you get your client’s budgetary needs upfront, and educate them on what can or cannot be accomplished with their planned budget, your client will respect you more like the professional you are, and you will have a much easier time closing the sale when the time comes.

Thanks for reading, subscribing, and sharing. As always, your comments and thoughts are welcome!