Whether you’ve just bought a fixer-upper or you’re looking to make some much-needed upgrades to your well-loved home, you may be thinking that it’s time for a renovation. If this is your first time working with a renovation company like Classic Remodeling, you might not know where to start or what to expect. 

We’ve shared our renovation process, or “The Classic Process,” to prepare you for your project and given you a step-by-step guide through each phase so you know exactly what to expect after you’ve reached out to us. 

Initial Consultation

When you first contact our team, one of our helpful sales representatives will meet you at the project site to get an idea of what you need for your home and see some of your inspiration. It’s good to inform us of what you want during this phase, as it will make the renovation process much smoother. This can also ensure that we can work everything you dream of into your budget so you can make decisions accordingly. You don’t want to find that a last-minute feature you want to add in the middle of the project will put you way over your budget!

We also have a standard list of questions we ask to gather as much information as possible, including:

• What are your goals in this renovation?
• What is working now and what isn’t?
• How did you find Classic?
• What is your budget?
• What is your timeline?

We will also ask you to walk us through your daily routine, so we know how you use your space. This includes details like how you like to cook and do the laundry, where you like to relax, how everyone else’s schedules in the house relate to yours, whether or not you have children, and anything specific they need. 

These questions and details ensure that we tailor every aspect of your renovation to your specific needs so your home is the perfect blend of functional and comfortable. After all, no two homes are alike, and everyone has different needs to make their home their sanctuary. 

During this first site visit, we will also ensure there are no structural issues, like rot or leaks, to address in the area we’ll be working in. This helps us identify any necessary repairs and ensure the space is safe and functional before beginning to work.   

Conceptual Design

Once we know the issues we’re addressing, what your dream renovation will include, and get an idea of your budget, we will measure the areas where we will work. Sometimes, this is just one room, and other times, it’s the whole house. We will also take photos during this time to document the space’s appearance before we start and use them as a reference while drawing your as-built plans. 

Before we draft our own plans, we will draw the existing conditions of your home and determine any hurdles we might have before we start designing. This is especially important if we are moving windows, changing anything with the exterior, or adding to the house in any way. A few common hurdles we see include FEMA, HOA, BAR, including the 50% rule, and the Substantial Improvement Rules. We need to know how many of these things will affect your project as early as possible so we can design within the legal guidelines for your home. 

We will usually make multiple site visits to confirm measurements, confirm details, assess any new issues that may arise before and during construction, or see materials in the space. We can also set meetings with you in the space if you’re having trouble visualizing how your renovation will look. 

The selection process happens during this phase, too. We have an onsite showroom with cabinetry, counters, tile, faucets, sinks, pulls and knobs, grout, tile trim, and paint decks. You and our designers will meet to pick out the materials you want to incorporate into your renovation and solidify the finer points of the design details. This part can be a fun experience, and our knowledgeable designers are ready to offer suggestions, provide product information, and guide you should you start to feel overwhelmed or stuck. They will also know what products best suit the space and your everyday life. 

Contract and Permitting 

Once plans are drawn up and everything is approved, we will start purchasing materials, ensure all legal proceedings are completed, and send plans to the appropriate municipality for permitting. This phase, while often time-consuming, is vital before we break ground to ensure we don’t violate any regulations or break any laws. 

Construction 

Once construction starts, the designer will visit multiple times a week to ensure the project is on task, everything is done correctly according to the plans, and to answer any questions. 

You may also be called in occasionally to assess tile choices, countertop choices, confirm pulls and knobs and paint choices, and other details. This can be a fun part of the renovation process as you see the choices you made with the designer earlier in the process start to come together. 

Updates and Check-Ins

Our team is dedicated to updating you on every step of the project, so you don’t have to worry about where you are in the timeline. We will meet with you during the planning phase as often as every two weeks. 

During the construction phase, a lot depends on the scale of the project and your needs. Some clients need weekly check-ins, and others prefer updates only when significant milestones are crossed or if the project is delayed and will fall behind schedule. We also have many clients who live out of town and will come visit to see the progress or have meetings. Whether you prefer weekly updates or mile-stone check-ins, we tailor our communication to ensure you’re always in the loop – giving you peace of mind throughout the process. 

Sometimes, projects last longer than initially estimated. Some common delays include:

• Weather
• Unforeseen issues with walls, floors, or roof structures
• Delay in materials shipping to the job site
• Inspection wait times
• Illness among employees

While we do our best to avoid delays, they inevitably happen. We will ensure you know what’s happening and when things start moving forward again. 

Trust the Classic Renovation Process

Throughout the renovation process, from start to finish, what continuously sets us apart is that we care. We care about the quality of our work, we care about our clients, and we care about doing it right the first time. With Classic, you have our quality guarantee. If you have any issues with our work, check out our Worry-Free Warranty. We work very hard to maintain solid relationships with our clients, even after the project is completed. 

You also benefit from our company’s “design-build” status. Unlike general contractors, we can do everything in-house, from preliminary planning and design to construction. Our experienced team has worked in the industry for many years, giving us the knowledge to complete our jobs well. This also means that you can save some money since you won’t have to work with different companies to complete things like designing and planning. We’re here to see the project through from start to finish. 

Ready to make your home inspiration a reality with our 30 years of superior performance, craftsmanship, and service? Contact us today!

 

Classic Remodeling was recently recognized as a customer satisfaction leader in Qualified Remodeler Magazine’s annual customer satisfaction report. As part of this special report, compiled in conjunction with GuildQuality, 60 of GuildQuality’s highest-scoring remodelers are profiled. These sixty firms were selected from a pool of over 15,000 GuildQuality members across the nation for excellence in providing customer service.

Classic is honored by this distinction and has always been committed to delivering the highest quality craftsmanship and customer service. We’re thrilled to have a “likely to recommend” score of 97% for 2017 and a 96% overall recommendation rate.

Measuring Customer Satisfaction

Qualified Remodeler’s annual report highlights areas of importance for consumers regarding their recent remodeling projects. The data was collected by GuildQuality and represents more than 100,000 consumer surveys.

As you can see above, homeowners have indicated that the three most important areas for determining client satisfaction are:

1. Trust
2. Problem Resolution
3. Value

Building trust is not an easy task. Remodelers need to establish their trustworthiness at the very first meeting with a potential client, long before we deliver a finished product. So, how do we do it?

We have always felt that clear communication is the cornerstone to building a trusting relationship with our clients. It is also the key to problem resolution on a job. We believe in setting clear expectations with clients at the beginning of our working relationship. We discuss everything from budget and schedule to the construction process, timelines for decisions on selections, and change order policy. Internal communication among team members is also essential. Our project craftsmen meet with designers weeks before a job start to review plans and talk through the project. Just prior to the start of construction we’ll do an on-site walk through. Our process during construction includes several regular check-ins with clients to review progress and discuss any questions that may arise.

At the end of each project we use GuildQuality to survey our clients. These surveys provide valuable insight into our customers’ experiences. Internally, it allows us to identify areas where we excel, as well as areas where we need to make some adjustments. As a GuildQuality member since 2003, we are fortunate to have 15 years worth of survey responses and testimonials from past clients. That feedback is in an invaluable resource to potential clients as we work to establish their trust in our firm.

Maintaining Trust Through Challenging Projects

Each project is different and presents a unique set of challenges. Qualified Remodeler asked us to describe our most challenging project type and how we alter our approach to those types of projects to maintain customer satisfaction. Our dedication to customer satisfaction and building trust shows in our response:

“Whole house renovations are sometimes a little more trying for the customer – with larger budgets and longer construction times, we tend to find the clients’ stress levels go up as the job goes along. In addition to trying to keep those lines of communication open with our staff, we also use GuildQuality to survey these larger projects more frequently throughout the job. We know that sometimes clients will share information with a 3rd party that they may not necessarily feel comfortable sharing with us directly. By surveying at key points throughout the job we can hopefully get a better gauge of how the client is feeling, giving us an opportunity to identify any areas we need to address before the end of the project, to make sure we wrap things up on a positive note.”

We know that when you decide to remodel your home, you want to work with a contractor that you trust. That’s why we are continuously working to refine our processes, identify areas for improvement and continue to capitalize on the things we do best. GuildQuality surveys are an important part of that process for us and we thank all of our clients who have replied to GuildQuality surveys in the past. It is through your feedback that we’re able to continue to improve and remain a leader in our industry.