By Mark Anderson, Executive Vice President of Sales, Value Multifamily
I talk with customers about project costs every day, and one thing comes up again and again: the later you wait to look for savings, the fewer good options you have.
Lighting is a great example. There are often real opportunities to control costs, but the goal shouldn’t be to simply find cheaper fixtures. It should be to make smarter decisions about specifications, products, availability and procurement without losing what the design team was trying to accomplish in the first place.
After decades of working on multifamily lighting projects, we’ve found that some of the best opportunities come from a few fundamental steps.
1. Review Lighting Specifications Early
One of the easiest ways to create unnecessary costs is to wait until products are being ordered to take a hard look at the lighting specifications.
An early multifamily lighting specification review gives the project team time to evaluate fixture selections, identify potential issues and explore alternatives before procurement and construction schedules limit the available options.
It can also help identify areas where specifications may be unnecessarily expensive or difficult to source.
The earlier those conversations happen, the more flexibility the project team has.
2. Consider Cost-Effective Fixture Alternatives
A specified fixture isn’t always the only fixture capable of delivering the desired appearance and performance.
There may be comparable products from other manufacturers that provide similar aesthetics, performance and quality at a more favorable cost.
This is where experience matters. Some substitutions make perfect sense. Others save a few dollars upfront and create a headache somewhere else in the project.
A knowledgeable multifamily lighting partner can evaluate alternatives against the project’s design intent and requirements rather than simply replacing one product with a cheaper one.
That’s an important distinction. Cost reduction shouldn’t mean compromising the finished project.
3. Look at the Complete Lighting Package
It’s easy to focus on the price of individual fixtures. But the bigger opportunity often comes from evaluating the complete multifamily lighting package.
Looking at the project holistically can uncover opportunities to improve consistency across fixture types, simplify selections and make procurement more efficient.
It also helps owners and contractors understand the true cost of the package rather than making dozens of individual purchasing decisions in isolation.
4. Leverage Strong Manufacturer Relationships
This is one I probably talk about more than most people expect: manufacturer relationships really matter.
Established relationships provide access to a wider range of products and alternatives and can make it easier to respond when specifications, budgets or schedules change.
They also become especially valuable when product availability becomes an issue.
At Value Multifamily, we’ve spent more than 30 years building relationships with lighting manufacturers. That gives us the ability to evaluate multiple options and help customers find practical solutions rather than being tied to a single product or manufacturer.
5. Consider Availability Alongside Price
We’ve all seen it happen: a product looks great on paper until you find out you can’t get it when the project needs it.
Product availability and lead times should be considered alongside price, performance and aesthetics when developing a lighting package for multifamily construction.
This is another reason early planning matters. Identifying potential availability issues before procurement gives the project team more time to find alternatives instead of making rushed decisions when a product suddenly becomes a problem.
Better Lighting Decisions Start Earlier
There isn’t one formula for reducing lighting costs across every multifamily project. Market-rate apartments, affordable housing, student housing, senior living, mixed-use and build-to-rent developments all have different priorities.
What they have in common is the value of making informed lighting decisions early.
Value Multifamily works with owners, developers and contractors on multifamily lighting package development, specification review, cost-effective alternatives, manufacturer coordination and project support from planning through delivery. Our goal is to help project teams control costs while protecting design intent, performance and schedule.
Planning a multifamily construction project? I’d be happy to help talk about your lighting specifications and package before procurement begins. I can be reached directly at MarkA@valuelightinginc.com or 404-358-2085.
