Booking a first design meeting is the step most Twin Cities homeowners put off the longest, usually because they are not sure what to bring, what gets decided, or whether they will walk out with a number they cannot live with. A well-run first meeting should do the opposite: give you a clear sense of the process ahead, let you ask the questions you have been sitting on, and tell you honestly whether a design-build firm is the right fit for your project.
Here is what actually happens at a first design meeting, what to bring, and what you should expect to leave with.
What is the purpose of a first design meeting?
A first design meeting is a working conversation, not a sales pitch. Its job is to surface what you actually need from your home, what you want if budget allows, and what you would love if nothing were off the table. At New Spaces, this is the start of the Needs, Wants and Wishes® process, and it happens before any drawing is sketched or any material is chosen.
The meeting typically covers how you use your current space day to day, what is not working, how long you plan to stay in the home, and how a project would need to work around your schedule, your pets, or a home office. A good design-build team is listening for constraints as much as wish-list items, because those constraints are what shape a realistic plan.
Who should be in the room
Every decision-maker on the project should attend, not just one spouse or partner. Twin Cities homeowners who come back later and say “my spouse wants something different” almost always skipped this step. If you are planning a kitchen remodel or a whole-home project with another household member, both of you should be at the first meeting, in person or on the same call.
Our team has run this first-meeting conversation with thousands of Twin Cities homeowners, and the ones who leave with a realistic plan are almost always the ones who brought both decision-makers and a specific list of frustrations with their current home, not a vague wish to “update things.”
What to bring to your first meeting
You do not need finished plans or a Pinterest board with hundreds of pins, though photos of homes or rooms you like are genuinely useful. Bring:
- A rough idea of which rooms or areas are involved (kitchen, main level, a primary suite addition, a whole-home remodel)
- Photos or a walk-through video of the current space, especially anything awkward about the layout
- Any known constraints: an HOA, a historic district, a tight lot, or a home you plan to stay in for 20-plus years versus one you may sell in five
- A general sense of priority between function, style, and resale value
If you own a historic home in a Minneapolis or St. Paul neighborhood like Mac-Groveland or Southwest Minneapolis, say so up front. Preserving original trim, window proportions, or a home’s street-facing character changes what a design team recommends, and it is far easier to plan for from day one than to retrofit later.
What gets discussed at the meeting
A first meeting with New Spaces usually moves through four things:
- Your current home and how it functions today. What rooms get used, what gets avoided, and why.
- Needs, Wants and Wishes®. Needs are the non-negotiables (more counter space, a main-floor bedroom, a second bathroom). Wants are strong preferences that could flex with budget (a larger island, a walk-in pantry). Wishes are the stretch goals that get revisited once the scope and a firm budget are set.
- Scope and timeline expectations. Whether the project is a single room, a main level remodel, or a full home addition, and roughly how that scope maps to project length.
- How the design-build process works, including what happens after this meeting: design development, selections, a firm budget, and construction.
Comparison: first meeting with a design-build firm vs. a general contractor bid
| Design-Build First Meeting | General Contractor Estimate Visit | |
|---|---|---|
| Who attends | Designer and project lead together | Estimator or foreman only |
| What is discussed | Needs, wants, wishes, layout options, long-term fit | Scope as already defined by you or an architect |
| Design involvement | Starts immediately | Not included; you arrange separately |
| Budget approach | Needs, Wants and Wishes® guide a firm, fixed scope before construction | Rough estimate, subject to change once design is finalized |
| What you leave with | A clear next step and realistic expectations | A bid for a scope that may still change |
Will you get a price at the first meeting?
No, and a design-build team that hands you a firm number in the first 30 minutes has not actually looked at your project. What you should get instead is an honest read on whether your goals, your home, and your general expectations line up with what New Spaces does well. A firm budget comes later, once the scope is defined through design, so that the number you eventually commit to accounts for your actual project rather than a guess made before anyone saw the house.
This is also why New Spaces frames its commitment as a firm budget that doesn’t grow, not a same-day estimate. A number given before design work starts is not one a reputable design-build firm can stand behind.
How to tell if it is the right fit
A first meeting should answer a few questions for you, not just the other way around:
- Did the team ask more questions than they answered?
- Did they talk about your home specifically, or give you a generic pitch?
- Did they explain how decisions get made and who makes them?
- Did they tell you anything you did not already know about your own project?
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry represents professional remodelers in the trade and recommends treating this stage as a two-way interview, and it is worth preparing a short list of your own questions before you sit down, from how change orders are handled to how many design options you will see before anything is finalized.
What happens after the first meeting
If it is a fit, the next step is typically a design agreement that moves into measuring the space, developing layout options, and working toward selections and a firm budget. Homeowners planning a kitchen remodel, a main level remodel, or a full whole-home remodel in the Twin Cities metro can expect this phase to take several weeks, depending on scope.
If it is not a fit, for budget, timeline, or scope reasons, a straightforward design-build team should tell you that plainly rather than stringing the conversation along. That honesty at the first meeting is worth more than a flattering sales pitch, because it saves everyone months.
Ready for your first meeting?
If you are planning a kitchen remodel or a larger project anywhere in the Twin Cities metro, from Edina and Minnetonka to Burnsville and Woodbury, the design process and remodeling process pages walk through what to expect at each stage, and the project gallery shows completed kitchens, main level remodels and additions from past clients. You can schedule a first meeting with New Spaces or call (952) 898-5300 whenever you are ready to talk through your project.
FAQ
How long does a first design meeting take? Most first meetings run 60 to 90 minutes, long enough to cover your current home, your priorities, and how the process works, without rushing a decision you are not ready to make.
Do I need to know exactly what I want before the first meeting? No. Part of the meeting’s purpose is helping you sort needs from wants from wishes. Coming in with a general direction is enough.
Is the first meeting free? New Spaces does not charge for the initial conversation. Design agreements and fees begin once you move into the design phase.
What if my spouse or partner cannot attend? It is worth rescheduling so both decision-makers are present. Decisions made without full buy-in are the most common source of regret later in a project.
Can I bring an architect’s plans I already have? Yes. Existing plans, even rough ones, give the design team a starting point and can speed up the next phase.