By Ade Ayoade, The Little Things AI
Summer 2026
In the wake of tragic fires, families are anxious to return home. Rebuilding is more than a construction project; it is an emotional journey. However, before construction begins, homeowners face the long and unfamiliar process of designing and building a new home.
Under typical circumstances, homeowners spend close to a year deciding to build, months evaluating options, understanding budgets, and clarifying their vision. Assembling the right team, selecting an architect and interviewing contractors — can take another three to four months. The design process itself adds four to six months before construction commences.
Yet, even in meticulously planned projects, surprises emerge once construction begins. It is nearly impossible to fully understand a home looking at two-dimensional drawings and material samples alone. Floor plans are abstract, elevations are flat, and a rendering cannot truly convey how light enters a kitchen or how a hallway feels.
Many homeowners admit to signing construction contracts without fully grasping what their new home will look and feel like – a leap of faith. The uncertainty often reappears during framing, when walls are physically laid out and spaces take shape. A room feels smaller than imagined, a window seems off, or a doorway disrupts flow. What looked balanced on paper may feel awkward in real life.
This is when change orders emerge.
A change order is a formal modification to the original construction contract. While the changes are critical to creating the family home, they often come with substantial financial and scheduling consequences. For example, moving an interior wall can add anywhere from $1,500 to $15,000 in costs, depending on structural, electrical, or plumbing impacts. Adding a window can range from $4,000 to over $25,000 when factoring in all necessary modifications and revisions.
Beyond direct costs, there are ripple effects. Materials may need reordering, custom items can have long lead times, subcontractors must be rescheduled, and inspections may need repeating. What seems like a small shift can result in weeks of delay.
These moments can also create tension between homeowners, and their build team. Homeowners are frustrated the design wasn't clearer; contractors point to approved plans; and architects defend their intent. In an already stressful environment, these conversations can become emotionally charged. Frank Lloyd Wright famously said, “You can use an eraser on the drafting table or a sledgehammer on the construction site.” His words underscore a fundamental truth: changes are far less expensive and disruptive during design than during construction.
Some homeowners, determined to avoid added costs, choose to live with designs they later regret, reporting tight, non-functional spaces, or a lack of space to place their TV. The cost of not making changes might not be financial, but the regret can linger for decades.
As homeowners begin building in this heightened emotional environment, the most important step is ensuring you fully understand your home before construction begins. In addition to models, photorealistic renders, site visits, and material samples, modern technology offers powerful tools to bridge the gap between drawings and reality. Interactive 3D viewers, augmented/virtual reality can provide fully immersive walkthroughs, helping you understand scale, flow, and natural light in ways traditional plans cannot. These tools can dramatically reduce uncertainty—and with it, costly change orders.
Rebuilding after loss is never simple. Emotions run high, timelines feel urgent, and decisions carry weight. But taking the time to thoroughly understand your design can protect your budget, your schedule, and your relationships — most importantly it ensures you return not just to a house, but to the home you truly envisioned.
About the Author
Ade Ayoade, an architect and technologist with over 25 years of professional experience across London, Malawi, Toronto, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles, is the founder of The Little Things AI. This Los Angeles startup is dedicated to developing technology to assist homeowners with their building projects. Their offerings include TKEI, an immersive home review app designed for reviewing plans before construction commences. Ade holds a diverse educational background, including a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, an MBA, and a Masters in Architecture and Design. He and his team are currently focused on collaborative efforts with homeowners and non-profits involved in rebuilding efforts in Malibu, the Pacific Palisades, and Altadena.