"My designer, Junior, helped me through the entire process. He was so customer-focused and professional. Jason, the project manager, and Walter, Team Leader, ensured a smooth demolition and rebuild of my bathroom. The entire team was outstanding and truly dedicated in ensuring I was completely satisfied. Great work!"
"Green Studio Builders (and specifically its owners, Chris and Nicoleta Papadopoulos) helped me take a financially devastating
situation with my house and turn it into an opportunity to create a home that I love. A little backstory: I bought my home in Hyattsville in 2009. It was a single family detached colonial with a three-story addition on the back-side of the house. In 2010, I was told by a county inspector that the addition was un-permitted. It wasn?t clear until 2012 just how faulty the construction of the addition was. Long story short, it became clear that the repairs needed to bring the addition up to code were going to cost 150K or more. It took me a year find a way to finance the repairs. Once I had, I hired an engineer and architect to draft rough plans to inform estimates. Enter GSBuilders.
When I met with Chris for the initial walk-through of my home, he was sympathetic, attentive, and optimistic. I felt immediately at ease and could tell that he was an expert who would take great care in fixing the mess I?d inherited. He recommended a complete demolish and rebuild, adding valuable square footage and ensuring that things would be wholly right. He was the only contractor to suggest a complete rebuild. The added value was double the added cost! When his estimate came in as one of the most competitive for a rebuild, I was delighted.
Chris and Nicoleta made their support clear from the start. Chris spent his own time cleaning up the messes in the plans drafted by the architect and engineer I'd previously hired. He and Nicoleta both helped me navigate a personal health crisis in the middle of the project, meeting me on site to provide reassurance and welcoming me to their offices regularly with advice and espresso. Nicoleta spent hours helping me coordinate finishes. She acted as my designer at no extra charge. even making trips to tile stores and walking me through other finished project sites (with owner's permission) for inspiration. Nicoleta has a generous heart, exquisite taste, and great strategies for creating beautiful spaces on a budget.
I also owe a debt of gratitude to William Reyes, the foreman assigned to my project. When Chris and Nicoleta had to tend to a family crisis of their own, William stepped in and held my hand through every step of the project through completion. Every renovation has its hiccups and I always knew I could count on William (Mr. William as I took to calling him because he always called me Miss Pamela) to come up with a great solution that would keep the project on track. In some cases the obstacles became opportunities for improvement! I couldn?t have asked for better.
I could write for pages and pages about the specific ways in which GSBuilders saved my house and my sanity. Thanks to Chris and Nicoleta, my grief over this unexpected financial blow has become delight in my beautiful home. I am forever grateful and cannot recommend their services highly enough. I can, however, offer individuals venturing into a project with GSBuilders some advice that will make everyone?s life easier.
1. Start your project with GSBuilders from the drafting stage.
My only regret is that I didn?t find and work with GSBuilders and their engineers and architects from the start. They have a well-coordinated team and the quality of the work for the price can?t be beat. Save yourself the headaches and trust them with it ALL!
2. Know the specifics of your budget and start collecting photos of spaces and finishes you love.
Nicoleta can work magic within your preferred style and budget, especially if you have specific price points for finishes and have a clear aesthetic. And even if you don't, Nicoleta will help you figure it out. That is tremendous added value.
3. Keep the GSBuilders team on speed dial and never hesitate to call.
Chris, Nicoleta, and William all made it clear to me from the start that they were willing to help at every turn, but sometimes I didn?t reach out because I didn?t want to be a bother. MISTAKE! It became clear that transparent and regular communication made everyone?s lives easier. The team always got back to me within hours if not minutes and was happy to be in the loop. A connected team is an empowered team.
4. Stop by the office.
The espresso is hot and strong and you may even come on a birthday and get a cupcake! In any case, you?ll get a warm welcome and all the support you need to navigate your renovation.
Thank you to the whole GSBuilders family for your love and support in this journey. I?m eternally grateful for you all!
"The WHOLE House project with Sunshine Contracting: Sunshine is the best "big" contractor in the area which gives them the resources to get the material and support services in place in a very timely manner. Yet, they feel like a family owned business that is vested in every client relationship they have. The project manager was in touch by phone, text, or onsite every day. The staff is personable, sincere, and pro-active with their communication. The installation team was frighteningly hard working, efficient, and dedicated. More importantly, the work team engaged us daily, proactively, and consistently. They worked so hard that they inspired me to want to help. Cold water and bad jokes were the best help I could do. The team leader looked young, yet, he had complete command of the products, problem solving, team leadership, and daily engagement with this (solid diy background/thinks he knows things) customer. I have huge respect for him and his team of installers."
"My second time using BK Contracting and I couldn't be happier. Just bought a single family home in Leesburg as an investment property. Bret's team remodeled the kitchen (installed all new appliances, fixed some plumbing and replaced the linoleum floor with tile). The kitchen looks absolutely amazing with the stainless steel appliances and the high quality floor.
He also totally overhauled two bathrooms including the entire floor with tiles, replaced all the vanities, toilets, mirrors and lights. Basically, two whole new bathrooms.
The basement had some shoddy work to be repaired. There were entire dry walls missing and all sorts of weird electrical cabling. Bret's team fixed all of it and honestly, it looks about as different as it gets.
All the work was completed in less than 3 weeks and I was able to place the home on time. Consequently, the home was leased out in less than 12 days to a new tenant and I could not be happier.
Best of all, I had to text Bret at odd hours on a Sunday with a broken thermostat / heater issue, and he promptly responded with valuable advice on what the problem was and how to mitigate it. Not sure who else would have given me free advice on a Sunday.
Overall, a huge fan of BK contracting. I had a flooding in my personal home earlier in 2015 and BK Contracts totally rebuilt my basement (insurance claim) and it looks so much better than before.
Bret's a real gentleman and a man of his word. He has always stayed very close or below his budget estimates and I know I will be using him for future renovations of my investment properties.
"Had a great experience working with Sam for the initial walkthrough. Very friendly and provided a competitive estimate on the spot. Crew arrived on time, completely covered/protected all floors, cabinets, and furniture. Did a great job painting almost two full floors of my home including walls, trim, stairs, spindles, doors, and frames. Touched up all areas of concerned and did a good job cleaning up afterwards. Would recommend and use them again in the future."
"They were at my home before I got there, but otherwise it was okay. They sent two people to do the work, and they did good work. They were very efficient, very helpful and I appreciated their assistance."
"This was a great experience. The Team was top notch and very kind. They were very professional and did a great job cleaning the windows. They were careful and respectful of the home and belongings within. I will be using them again!
One starting point to find a local home builder is to collect suggestions from friends and neighbors. However, it’s still wise to do some more research before you hire a builder. Read reviews to supplement any word-of-mouth recommendations. Check sources like Angi that have standards and criteria in place to screen the pros it lists can also help you find more reputable local home builders.
A carriage house is a freestanding building, while a townhouse is connected to other units. A townhouse is a full single-family home and typically shares a parcel of land with other connected homes. A carriage house is rarely used as the sole single-family home on a property and is most often an additional building sharing property with a traditional single-family home.
The most significant expense when building a barndominium is constructing the metal shell, which includes the roof, doors, and windows. Additional exterior components impacting the overall cost include metal siding and the concrete foundation.
Modular homes last an average of between 50 and 75 years, and high-quality modular homes can last for 100 years with proper maintenance. For comparison, a standard home lasts 50 to 100 years and can push to 150 or longer with good maintenance. Modular homes provide better long-term value in that they are significantly more affordable and can last almost as long, but some buyers are wary of modular home longevity, so the actual value if you sell could be lower.
Buying a house is easier than building one from scratch. Buying an existing home is almost always faster, even if you need to make renovations once you move in. When you hire the right team to build a home, they will simplify the design and build phases so that there is little guesswork throughout the process, but building new construction will almost always take longer than buying an existing home.
The Montclair, VA homeowners’ guide to custom home building
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
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Building your dream home starts with hiring a builder. Here is how to find a builder who understands your needs and preferences for your brand-new home.
