Remodeling in Orlando? Why do architects recommend this renovation company?
Transcript of the audio above:
This wasn't my first construction project ever so I have dealt extensively with contractors (for big projects and small projects) in the past. The one thing I really I can say about David: you know the guy would always pick up the phone and call me back.... So he didn't play any games, which I loved, you know?
[Yeah]
David and I, when the project was complete... we ended as friends. You know, we started as a client / contractor relationship... and we actually ended as friends. There's very few people that I think can say that, you know?
[Uh huh.... Before you even hired them, what factors were important in choosing to hire them?]
Well, they actually came highly recommended from a friend of mine whose father and grandfather are architects (and they highly recommended him). So, that's a pretty good endorsement... when you've got a pair of architects that endorse them!
So that was #1, but David was one of 3 people that bid on the project. And we went in to it with a pretty firm budget, but it was an attainable and realistic budget. The other two bids that we got were just ridiculous. It was just ridiculous.
They knew what our mark was [our target]. They overshot it [our budget] so much.
With David, we sat down and he said "this is definitely attainable." He put his best foot forward. We didn't have to go back and forth.
You know what? He made it really easy to make a decision, you know?
[laughing, yeah]
The existing house was 1500 square feet and we added 1000 square feet to that.... [wow] So 2500 square feet combined.
The existing 1500 [square foot] structure was 100% redone / modified.... Obviously, ...the 1000 square feet that was added on was new construction. The 1000 square feet tied in with the existing in a manner that you couldn't tell what was added on.
So, it's an old-school neighborhood [College Park in downtown Orlando]. Most of the houses were built anywhere from the 1920s... to the 1950s. It's got that old-school charm.
So, for us it was super important to not put in a different product. We wanted to keep... the same product. So we were pretty emphatic about tying in with the existing structure, roof line, keeping the original floors and matching them as well.
The vision we cast for the house, David and his team got exactly what we envisioned... and everything went as planned.... So, the vision we cast for him, they executed it perfectly. The finished product was exactly what we had envisioned.
[okay]
Where we [laughing] started and where we ended up was night and day. But, he just rolls with the punches and they were flexible, so we were happy about that.
[I get it. Yeah!]
[laughing]
[So after hiring them, (you mentioned the flexibility for the long project), anything else notable about their work and working with them during the process or afterwards?]
A re-occuring theme or issue with [building] contractors in general is a lack of accountability. And whether that accountablity comes in the form of returning a phone call or an email, whether it's good news, bad news, or indifferent news, it just seems to be a re-ocurring theme, that there's no accountability.... The follow-up is just pretty horrible across the board.
...The accountability factor was just well worth it. There is just valued added with dealing with David and his team.
[Would it be safe to say that you would give them a 6 on a scale of 1 to 5? Laughing]
Oh yeah! Yeah, absolutely.... I've referred him since then to a handful of my friends.
All day long, I recommend David. I absolutely don't even bat an eye at referring him to everyone.
Will our contractors provide you the best value on the remodeling or repairs that you need?
Yes, we will! Plus, we will also help you to get the most value out of your remodeling budget.
Our licensed remodelers will guide you through all the details that are relevant for you, such as insurance claims, financing options (including remodeling loans through the FHA's 203K program), plus planning, permits, and inspections. We will help you prevent problems that often cause unpleasant surprises to homeowners, real estate investors, and property managers. You may even qualify to reduce your home insurance rates!
For emergency services (like flooding water, roof leak repairs, and storm damage restoration), use the form on the left now. For other remodeling services, schedule an estimate or consultation with that form.
What do we mean by "giving our remodeling clients the insight they deserve?"
After a few decades of remodeling homes and
commercial
buildings, our experience has led to many insights that we did not understand at first. Even if someone had tried to explain certain issues, it still makes a big difference to repeatedly see the long-term results of high quality work compared to low quality work.
Partnering with remodeling experts vs. just hiring cheap laborers
When you pay many thousands of dollars for a
remodeling service, wouldn't you value the full partnership of an experienced remodeler? Partnership means that we are not just working for you, but working with you. Are you aware that the simple reality is that some other contractors may be more interested in getting paid than in earning your highest recommendation?
The classic example: inaccurate estimates of remodeling costs and completion dates
For instance, most people value getting an accurate estimate (from the beginning) that includes the full amount of time and money that you will need to devote to your remodel. You may know that, in general, remodelers are famous for under-estimating the budget and duration of a remodel. There are two main reasons for that:
First, some may simply be attempting to deceive home owners with attractive numbers in order to get hired. (By the way, we know of many cases of intentional under-bidding. For people who are only interested in the cheapest remodeler that they can find, we recommend that you either reconsider or look elsewhere.)
Second, a lot of sincere contractors just do not have enough real-world experience to be able to give an accurate estimate of the costs and duration of your
remodeling project. They are making "educated guesses." That is not dishonest, but it is also not the accuracy that so many home owners value.
What do experienced remodelers know that new ones don't?
Keep in mind that this is just one simple example. The most common errors in the actual work performed by inexperienced remodelers is not the issue yet. So far, we are talking only about their typical inaccuracy in their estimates of costs and time.
So, to give a precise estimate of how long a custom project will take, that requires plenty of real-world experience with jobs just like yours, right? Inexperienced contractors can only speculate. The numbers they provide tend to be low... even as low as one half of a realistic number. In contrast, only experienced
contractors can make reasonable projections based on past remodeling jobs like yours. They can speak from experience. Contractors who are brand new to the remodeling field obviously cannot speak from experience.
Respect the costs of hiring the wrong remodeling contractor for you
As a quick example, we asked a recent remodeling client about her satisfaction with her remodel (which was the
building of a new garage addition). In the full audio testimonial, you can listen to her delight about the quality of service provided to her. First, here is a short section about the wrong remodeling company. It is a sad story she told about her neighbor:
You have to be careful. They're constantly telling us... seniors [senior citizens] to be worried about scammers.
The gal next door [who had recently invested 80 thousand dollars for the remodeling of her home], she came over here and said "does he do renovations in the house" [inside] and I said "yeah, I'm talking to him about a kitchen renovation." She said "I wish I had known about him..." cause she got cheated.. Oh, she just took a beating!
If reading that send shivers through you, then you might not want to listen to the actual audio recording. That client was quite emotional about the grief of her neighbor (as well as her own gratitude for the remodelers she used). You can listen to the short section above by clicking here:
link. To hear the entire 3 minute testimonial, click here:
link.
other issues:
honest vs dishonest contractors
insured vs uninsured contractors- the risks and costs
experienced vs inexperienced contractors
We expect to earn every dollar that you will pay us (or that your home insurance company will pay us). We also expect to earn your highest recommendation.
When you hire a remodeling company, do you just want someone to provide some skilled labor or do you also want the value of our decades of experience?
