Rios came up with this innovative idea to help people with their renovation projects. Often when starting a project, homeowners do not know how much things cost, who to hire, or even where to start. They typically have some sort of a budget and an idea of what they would like to do but run into trouble because of just not knowing how to begin. The JRH Professional Project Planning Service fills this gap.

Designers, architects, and builders can provide the cost for their services, but it is hard for a homeowner to get an overall sense of how the budget, schedule, and process all fits together. JRH serves as an advocate for the homeowner, helping them move their project forward with a plan, schedule, sequencing, and budget.

The best part is JRH prides themselves on meeting all their clients where they are. Meaning, they engage with some clients at the onset of the project where they can lay out an effective plan. Sometimes they come in to rescue a project that has already spent too much on planning or design and still needs to get the work done. They can step in at any point in the renovation and provide real value and real talk to a homeowner who needs help.

Rios is honest with her clients. She has the experience to know what is feasible within budget and is not afraid to tell her clients the truth about. She will have an honest conversation about priorities and might have clients identify their top 10 projects to complete and then lay out the cost and timeline for each. This may mean tackling the $5,000-10,000 project first and then moving to the next $10,000 project, or to the bigger projects down the road.

The key ingredient to Rios’ business is trust. Clients must trust her and her knowledge of the process and all associated elements. Before starting JRH, Rios created a 20-year, $1.2 billion-dollar masterplan to upgrade and improve 47 schools in a single school district. Every improvement could not be done at one time for all the schools, and this is where she learned how vital phasing is to any type of building project.

She now carries this knowledge into her work with homeowners. Rios guides them through identifying priorities and phasing the projects in terms of sequence and budget. This type of work takes time; she likes to work with people who plan on being in their home for at least the next 5-10 years.

The process starts by identifying all the projects a homeowner wants to do and determining how much that will cost. They put those projects into a logical sequence and phase it out. A client may want to do 20 things, and once those are sequenced out, this may mean making hard choices about what can be done within budget. This is where the trust comes in.

Rios says, “You have to know how to think about a project, otherwise you can make really expensive mistakes and waste a lot of money.” Her focus is on the owner. She is there to ensure that money is not wasted and that projects get done within budget.

She advocates for good design with her clients and is honest about what homeowners value and gives them real truths about what they want and what they can afford. This is another place where trust comes in. She helps clients focus on what’s important and prioritize spending. As a former general contractor, Rios knows where the costs break down. This is invaluable insider information for an average homeowner.

JRH also provides their Planning Service clients with a hiring strategy. They provide referrals to the specialists that can get work done. They might refer a local designer, an electrician, or a builder. Rios wants the homeowner to be able to work with the right person for their job. Rios says she wants to help clients “find your person and stick with that person.”

Working through the Professional Project Planning Service gets clients a Project Game Plan within six weeks. The planning strategy involves design ideas, resources, early budget figures, cost estimates, a hiring strategy, and decision support from JRH for up to a year.

After engaging in the Jenny Rios Home Professional Project Planning Service, Rios wants her clients to end up being confident decision makers. Armed with this confidence, Rios believes her homeowners can move through their renovation successfully.

Learn more about Alden Miller Interiors’ services in her interview with Jenny on JennyRios.com.