It’s easy to see why some Idaho home builders might view Hubble Homes’ 5,100 SF facility in suburban Boise as an unfair advantage.
The family-owned and operated home builder ranks No. 89 in the BUILDER 2022 Top 100. The Treasure Valley company augments their semi-custom home building approach with a design center that “… makes sure our customers have the best home buying experience possible.”
The speaker is LaDawn Nodzu, the Hubble Homes design center manager. She and her team of four showroom designers serve as trusted advisors throughout the home buyer’s journey.
“We love what we do because we’re here to please the buyer. My staff is not paid on commission. They’re salaried. Buyers understand that and appreciate it. It helps remove stress for everyone,” she explains.
Nodzu should know. Her hyphenated background as realtor-retailer-home designer brings a diverse, high-value perspective to design center excellence. What advice does she have for home builders operating a design center or considering one? The showroom authority offers five tips and insights:
- Follow the Yellow Brick Road. “Everything in the center is setup in vignettes. Vignettes for the kitchen, bathroom, fireplace, lighting, cabinets, flooring, the works. Each setting is connected by a stone floor that I call our yellow brick road. Buyers who walk it won’t miss anything. It adds a touch of flair and buyer interest,” Nodzu says.
- Empathy. Empathy. Empathy. Picking out home furnishings on a budget is fraught with anxiety … and often much more. “I’ve worked with angry couples, some in tears. I didn’t understand why they had us take psychology in college. A couple weeks in the field shows you why,” Nodzu observes. Creating a relaxed, professional environment with strategies like a no-commission staff helps put buyers at ease.
- Team up with Top Vendors. “We build a high-quality home. We even condition the air in the crawl space, for example. That quality-first spirit extends to our vendors, like Daltile, Mastercraft, and ILG (Interior Logic Group). I come from retail. I’m very big on inventory, pricing and usage reports. A company like ILG keeps me up to date with sales analytics,” she reports.
- Adapt to Trends. Nodzu says one possible outgrowth of the pandemic is a turn to a minimalist homestyle: Less clutter, more white-on-white with warm wood accents. That trend creates special challenges. “A white cabinet with white tile is tricky,” Nodzu advises. “The wrong shade of white can look yellow or dirty. The right showroom or online presentation is huge.”
- Up Your Online Game. With so many out-of-staters lured by Idaho’s charms, a top online impression is vital. Nodzu and the Hubble team are considering upgrading the buyer experience with revolutionary design software from ILG called designmyhome. “The platform’s visual clarity is striking. The 3D presentation is immersive. It could really make our job easier,” she suggests.
Hubble Homes understands the power of the design center. With incremental income often projected at 10% of the home’s price, the value the design center represents to margin-minded home builders has never been greater.
Learn more how to improve margins and the buying experience of your brand with ILG home builder services.
