Extended Season Room

The Otter Creek Sunroom & Patio Room Design Process

Our mission at Otter Creek is to make the experience of doing business with our company easy, fun, and always professional.  The design and installation process for our Sunroom and Patio Rooms provides clear expectations for our team and our clients.  This makes the process easy and fun for everyone!

The Sunroom & Patio Room Design Process

• Free design consultation.  Your new Sunroom or Patio Room begins with a no-charge visit to your home. An Otter Creek designer will discuss your vision, answer your questions, and survey your site.

• Written estimate.  Every project is unique and involves a variety of different elements,  so we need to visit your home before we can address specific pricing questions. Once you have decided on a design, we can provide a written estimate.  Sometimes we can do it on site and sometimes we need to visit a second time to present the estimate. This is generally contingent on the size and scope of the project.
• Planning. Once you decide to go ahead with the project and provide a deposit, we schedule your room for installation. That timetable will depend on your needs as well as the time of year and our installation schedule. Generally there is about a 4-to-6-week lead time before construction. During that time we will order materials and plan the details of the installation.
• Installation. Then the fun starts! Our professionally-trained installation crew will build your new Sunroom, a process that usually takes just 5-12 working days depending on the scope of your project. After that, there’s nothing to do but relax and enjoy your new Sunroom!

The Otter Creek Sunroom Advantage  

A sunroom addition is a big decision for any homeowner. It means careful consideration in choosing a company you trust; one that employs experienced designers and installers, and one that uses the industry’s best materials.  At Otter Creek Sunrooms these considerations are integral to our business and position us as Vermont’s #1 Patio Room and Sunroom Company.

Consider The Otter Creek Advantage:

• Local Quality

As a Vermont-owned company with a 35-year history in the community, you can rely on us to provide accurate estimates, stand behind our products, and always provide a high level of customer service.

• Superior Materials

The sunrooms are engineered for durability and strength.  The building materials allow us to maximize the amount of glass and screen in your new room and create a space that feels like you are outdoors!

• Guaranteed

Every sunroom and patio room includes a 50-year manufacturer’s product warranty and a two-year installation warranty from Otter Creek.

• Craftsmanship

Otter Creek designers and technicians are trained specialists who will custom-design and meticulously construct your new room. The result is a finished product that meets and exceeds your expectations.

• Industry Leaders

We use only Betterliving Patio Room and Sunroom components from Craft-Bilt Manufacturing Company, the industry leader with over 50-years experience providing home remodeling products.  Betterliving’s materials set the sunroom standard and provide the kind of quality you can rely on year after year.

Here is what customers are saying:

“I absolutely LOVE this sunroom. Everyone who sees it loves it too. Thank you again for the quality of service that I received from everyone involved in this project. It is a wonderful addition to my property.” —Rutland, VT

“You met and exceeded all expectations in all phases of our projects. Well done! We appreciate the solar effect of the glass on cold, sunny days & the screens allow us to enjoy the beautiful lake views & sunset without bugs!” —Fairfax, VT

Your project starts with you in mind and we strive for the process to be easy, fun, and professional. The design consultation is where we’ll discuss key considerations including:

• Your intentions for the space or spaces including a complete inventory of the items you’ll be organizing and storing.
• Your style preferences for everything from finishes and hardware, to colors, organizational features, and accessories.
• Your own storage preferences. For example, do you like to hang clothing or would you rather store items flat and folded? Do you prefer drawers, open shelves, or a combination?
• The dimension of the target space or spaces and aspects such as doorways, light switches, outlets, laundry chutes, etc.
• Your budget.  We have a range of options and it is helpful to have a budget range to target.

Once we know exactly what you’re looking for, our designers will use a CAD program to create a custom design that makes optimum use of your space and includes user-friendly closet organization ideas based on our years of extensive experience. They will show you all the possibilities!

The rest is easy! Once you decide on a design we will schedule your installation within a couple of weeks.  It generally takes only a day or two for the actual closet system to be installed depending on the size of the project. Our installation process is actually a point of distinction for our customers who appreciate that our team is dedicated to installing closet systems every day and does not deviate between installing other product lines. This means that they are completed in the most efficient and informed manner possible and with consistent technique.

Let us help you make your closet dreams come true with our easy and fun process for designing and installing Custom Closets!
 

Taking inventory of your wardrobe is one of the best ways to get started on organizing your closet; whether you are doing it yourself or having a professional do it.  It allows you to see what you have, what you should edit, and what you are missing.

It sounds easy enough but it can be overwhelming. Finding ways to simplify the process and have fun with it can make all the difference.  It is helpful to invite a friend to help since most folks are emotionally attached to items.  Having a non-partial opinion can help with the editing.  As a rule if it doesn’t fit, it is outdated, or if you haven’t worn it in a year, it is time to get rid of it!  A professional organizer can be a great resource as well and can easily help with this process.

A wardrobe inventory list is helpful.  That way you can easily see what you have and what you are missing.  If you are planning on installing a new closet system it will be easier to determine what you need for shelving, hanging, accessories, and shoes.

Make it fun!  Put on some music and invite that friend over.  Then empty out your closet completely.  As you are editing and inventorying, you can organize items by color and style.  This will be helpful in keeping the closet organized and save lots of time every day finding items.

Do you have a closet or space in your house that is maybe too cluttered or dysfunctional?  Or perhaps the space is serving too many purposes?  Well, you are not alone!  We all have at least one space at home that could be more organized and it’s not always the closet.  Maybe it’s time to consider more creative ways to organize and maximize your space.

Otter Creek Custom Closets is helping create solutions for all areas of the home. Understanding that every home is unique, it is our goal to provide you with our organizing expertise while keeping your personalities, style and needs in mind during the design process. So think outside the closet and consider these other storage solution possibilities:

Garage
The garage tends to be a great place for clutter since it is so multifunctional.  From sporting equipment, toys, yard equipment, and tools, it tends to be a dumping ground for everything.  Maximize all the space in the garage with a custom designed system to store each type of item.
Kitchen Pantry
The kitchen is easily the most used room in the house so efficiency is very important. Consider creating a pantry where everything is easily accessible. Slide out drawers, baskets for perishables, and other unique features will make life easier and more efficient in the kitchen.
Home Office
Combining function with elements of efficiency and flexibility that fit your work space is essential in a home office.  Often this space is shared and needs to meet the needs of both work and home.  Understanding exactly how you use this space is key to the design.
Mud Room
The mud room is a place of chaos and activity; a place that is demanding and ever changing due to the different seasons, activities, or just a drop zone for the miscellaneous.  Creating storage solutions for each individual is often the focus of this space.
Entertainment Center
Our closet systems can be built with crown molding and finished side panels to create a custom piece of furniture that is multifunctional.  Custom sized for TV and audio equipment, open shelving or cupboards with doors, and custom hardware are just some of the features. We can create a custom built-in that is a beautiful addition to any room.

So take a look at your home and where you can find creative ways to help with providing storage solutions that will make your life easier and save you time and stress.

• Don’t try to organize the whole house in one day – getting organized is a process.
• Create a plan—one area, one closet, one room at a time and schedule a work session every week.
• Prioritize the areas by the degree of positive impact each one will make on your day-to-day life once organized.  Check each space off your list as you go.
• Start each area by emptying it completely.  Sweep, vacuum, dust, wipe down the walls, and apply a fresh coat of paint if needed.
• Separate the items into three piles – what is needed, what to give away (including anything that hasn’t been used in one year), and what to throw away (such as items in disrepair).
• Create a system – whether your system is custom closets or simple containers, make sure each item has a specific place of belonging that makes sense according to how and where it is used.
• Practice – live with the new system for a while and master it.  Remember, creating new habits takes time.

Otter Creek Awnings has been a member of the Home Builder’s and Remodelers Association of Northern Vermont (HBRA) for the past 16 years.  They have sponsored the Vermont Home and Garden Show home show, an annual event in April at the fairgrounds, for 10 years, as well numerous socials and other events.

Otter Creek Awnings involvement with the association does not end with event sponsorships.  Todd Warren, Owner and President of Otter Creek, participates in Remodelers Council of HBRA and has served as Vice President and President of that Board.  Currently he serves as Vice President of Associates for the Board of Directors.  Stu McDonald, Closet Division Manager, is the current President of the Board.  Carol Carruth, Sales and Design Representative for Custom Closets, is a founding member of an affiliate chapter for HBRA in Waterbury.  Angel Goldsmith, Design Representative for Sunrooms, participates in the St. Albans chapter.  And Josie Palmer Leavitt, Marketing Manager, has worked on several committees and currently serves on the Board as well.  Otter Creek folks are clear about how HBRA benefits their business.  Todd explains, “Being a member of the Home Builders Association has been invaluable in growing our business at Otter Creek.  As a member we have built long term working relationships with many members and have also created friendships that will last even longer. HBRA members are the true professionals in our industry and we are proud to be included as part of that group.”

HBRA Holiday Party December 13, 2011

Last week Otter Creek folks attended the HBRA Annual Holiday party at the Catamount Country Club in Williston.   Pictured at the party is Elizabeth and Todd Warren, owners of Otter Creek and Paulette and Bart Frisbee, owners of Sterling Construction.

Carol Carruth earned her Certified Storage Designer Designation from the Association of Closet & Storage Professionals

Otter Creek Awnings, Sunrooms & Custom Closets, Inc. is proud to announce that Carol Carruth has joined an elite list of storage designers who have achieved Designer Certification status from the Association of Closet & Storage Professionals (ACSP), the trade organization for the custom storage industry.

“The ACSP is excited to add Carol Carruth of Otter Creek Custom Closets to our impressive list of Certified Storage Designers^SM,” said Diana Augspurger, Immediate Past President of the ACSP.  “After successfully completing a comprehensive application process, examination, and design challenges, Ms, Carruth is certainly deserving of this career-defining recognition for her professional achievement.”

“After years of hard work and dedication to my craft, I am so thrilled to be acknowledged by my industry as one of its most proven professionals,” said Carol Carruth, Certified Storage Designer^SM of Otter Creek Custom Closets.  “To be recognized by the ACSP as one of its certified designers is certainly a highlight of my career.”

ACSP Designer Certification is awarded at each of three certification levels – Registered Storage Designer^SM, Certified Storage Designer^SM, and Master Storage Designer^SM.  Certification is based on five criteria: knowledge, experience, education, client recommendation, and design.

“Designers certified by the ACSP truly are among the best of the best in custom storage design,” Augspurger said.  “When clients select ACSP-certified designers to handle their custom storage needs, they can rest assured they are working with the finest professionals who have invested in their trade knowledge.”

At Otter Creek Awnings most all of us volunteer or belong to one or several organizations.  Elizabeth Warren, co owner of Otter Creek, volunteers for the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce (LCRCC) as an Ambassador.   Otter Creek has been a member of the organization for years and Elizabeth has been on the Ambassador Committee for more than three years.

What is the role of an Ambassador?  Elizabeth explains, “Well, our main job is to help host the monthly Business After Hours Events.  We try and visit as many folks as possible and make as many introductions as we can.  You might also see us at the door greeting and giving out those drink tickets or selling raffle tickets for the 50/50.   Another aspect of our volunteer job is to call new members of the Chamber to welcome them, answer questions, and invite them to an event.  Many of us also support events with social media, especially Facebook and Twitter.”

In the spring the Ambassador Committee helps to plan and organize one of the Chamber’s largest fundraisers of the year; the Annual Ambassadors Silent Auction.  Committee members help by obtaining items, setting up for and working the event.  “The Silent Auction is a huge event, a lot of fun, and the highlight of the year,” says Elizabeth.

The Chamber is just one of many professional organizations that Elizabeth is involved with but it is one of her favorites. “Working with a terrific group of professionals who are committed to the Chamber makes for a very rewarding volunteer experience,” she explains.  For more information about the LCRCC contact them at www.vermont.org.

At Otter Creek we are so intentional about how we do business that we came up with a name for it; “The Otter Creek Experience”.

Our goal is to make the process of working with our company easy, fun, and always professional. The experience beginning with a customer’s first call or visit and a greeting from Jennifer, our Director of First Impressions.  She will start folks out with preliminary information about awnings, sunrooms, or closets, and can schedule a free estimate.  The on-time arrival of our Sales and Design Representative sets the tone for a friendly and relaxed visit about product options, design details, pricing and the installation process. Completing the project with neatly dressed and professionally trained installers allows us to handle the details of any project from start to finish.

Upon completion of a project we send a survey to our all of our customers and track the results.  Over the last two year period we have received over 700 completed surveys.  From those surveys 99.1% of our customers would recommend us to their family, co-workers and friends.  Now that’s proof that “The Otter Creek Experience” is a positive one!

Please check out the attached video testimonial from one of our recent clients.