Client Case Study
“We're so happy to have our own space and have it be exactly what we needed it to be — to finally move in and live here.”
Hi, We’re Jenn & Ben!
I'm Jenn, a Realtor® with Compass RE. And I’m Ben a Senior Data Scientist at Vanguard.
We bought this house and started the renovation process right before we got married, which added on to this being a stressful time for us, but Sam and team helped put us at ease. They were even great at communicating with us (when needed) while we were on our honeymoon.
It's always been a dream of ours to buy a fixer-upper and Sam and team really helped bring our vision to life.
The Opportunity
Buying a 1950’s split-level as their first home together and renovating the interior to give it the needed updates and style to make it their own.
As is common with older homes, it came with its share of problems. They needed someone who could take a look at everything, really identify the issues and be able to give them honest answers.
“And, of course, like an old house, there are definitely cost surprises, they were very transparent about those. They didn't just do things. They told us before doing them.”
The Challenge
Jenn and Ben knew they needed help, but didn’t know who to hire. They knew they would need to work with a skilled, detail-oriented professional who would keep them included in the decision-making process—especially since Jenn had an eye for detail.
They also wanted to work with a contractor who was open to interaction between them and all the different sub-contractors, so they didn’t feel like strangers were working in their home.
“They know I'm very detailed oriented, so they didn't guess what I would like on anything, they were always giving me options. They never just chose for me, which was very nice.”
The Solution
Knowing there are so many contractors out there, Jenn and Ben knew they needed to carefully explore their options. They acquired multiple estimates and spoke with many highly-recommended contractors. Then, they got a referral from a colleague and friend with great taste and high standards, and were soon introduced to Sam and Beechdale Builders.
“The quality is wonderful. Everything is holding up so nicely. We feel like they really took care."
The Decision
They selected to work with Beechdale Builders. Partly because Sam was transparent in his approach of how he organized the estimate, and partly due to his willingness to help cut back the proposal—since it turned out there was so much more that needed renovation than originally anticipated.
Jenn and Ben decided to leave the kitchen out of the renovation for now, to keep the project in line with their budget.
“It was always nice to see there was never tension during the work, there was usually music playing, so it was a fun environment, and at the end of the day it was very cleaned up.”
The Result
Their project ended up really changing the whole layout and structure of the home, specifically the master bedroom and bathroom. They also renovated a second full bathroom and den, while at the same time realizing they needed new ceilings, recessed lighting, electric and plumbing throughout many areas of the house.
““We knew we could trust Sam to point things out to us, things we wouldn't have thought about. This was our first renovation. We really didn't know what we're doing. It could have been a stressful time, and they made it as enjoyable as they possibly could.”
The Value
In the end, Jenn and Ben love their newly remolded home and really felt Beechdale Builders had a genuine interest in wanting them to love their home. They felt the process was great, the Beechdale team was very friendly and everyone was very collaborative.
The Bonus
They can't wait to have Beechdale builders back for what they are calling "House Phase 2" which will be their kitchen, laundry area, and basement, completing the interior of their home.
