LaShawn Guides the Selection Process

It’s true, when building a custom home, you pick out everything that goes inside and on the outside. The selection process may make some people feel a bit overwhelmed by all of the choices, but with LaShawn leading the way, it becomes an enjoyable and exciting process.

We sat down with LaShawn to ask her a few questions about her role as selections coordinator and to provide some insight into a fun part of building a custom home.

The Selection Process at Sineath Construction

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your role at Sineath Construction
My name is LaShawn Thomason, and I am the selections coordinator at Sineath Construction. My role is to coordinate the selections clients make with our vendors and liaise with the construction team to schedule and gauge lead times for placing orders. The goal is to be several steps ahead to avoid any construction delays.

What is the selections process all about? When does it start? How long does it take?
First, it’s important to know that by selections we mean what you pick out for your home, such as the flooring you select or roof shingle or countertop. The selection process begins pretty early in the project. With today’s lead times, we see things like appliances and cabinets taking as long as 12 months to arrive after ordering them. To make it easier for clients, we provide a selection guide in order of urgency. We start with the long lead time items and work our way down the list as the project progresses.

What are the client’s responsibilities in the selections process?
Clients really only have two responsibilities during the selection process. It is the client’s job to do the fun part and that’s to shop! It’s also their responsibility to shop according to the schedule, too.

How do you keep track of it all? Any tools you or the clients use to help prevent mistakes and ensure transparency?
As the selections are being made, I must accurately coordinate with the vendor and relay information to the field manager in a timely manner. As we collect estimates and specs, I post them in our management software platform called CoConstruct for the clients, field managers, and installers to see. CoConstruct is a tool we use to keep all documents and communication recorded for easy to find decisions and plans of action. Everything from quote approvals, spec sheets, photos, budget tracking, selection tracking, scheduling, and more. It’s easy and a great organizational tool from start to finish of each project.

Anything else you’d like to add about the selection process?
Here at Sineath Construction, we understand how vital the selection process is. When the home is complete, everything you see is what the client selected to make their home solely theirs and unique to them. Our favorite part of the process is that final walk through and seeing complete joy on our clients’ faces. Building can be an incredibly stressful time, whether the project is a remodel or new build. As selections coordinator, I do my best to assure every client that their home is in good hands by ensuring our team builds their dream home.

You can read more about the Sineath process by reading our Guide to Working with Sineath.

If you’re thinking about building a home in the Asheville area, contact us to discuss your project!