Welcome to another edition of “A Week in the Life at Archway,” where we give you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on here at our remodeling company on a given week. This week, our focus is on the unrealistic remodeling expectations we encountered with some of the people we met with.
The first example comes from Frank, our interior designer/sales representative who has been in the remodeling and construction industry for decades, so he really knows his stuff. Frank went on an appointment for a bathroom remodeling consultation this week and quickly realized that the homeowners had completely unrealistic expectations about what remodeling costs, especially if there are many problems that need to be corrected before even beginning construction. The bathroom was located in a basement and upon initial inspection, Frank noticed it had mold, buckling wall boards, and plastic tile (yes, plastic tile). Frank said what surprised him most about this situation was that the home itself was very clean and looked pristine, but the homeowner was struggling to keep the basement clean, resulting in unsightly and unsafe conditions.
He told the homeowners that the space was damaged and needed a full (gut) replacement and suggested many options for repairing the problems and replacing the bathroom, including:
- Recommendations on the proper size and location of an exhaust fan to help reduce the mold, which is often a problem in basements due to humidity and poor ventilation.
- The bathroom would need to be torn down to the studs and sub-floor to eliminate any mold that already existed.
- Everything in the bathroom would need replacing – tile, plumbing, vanity, etc. to ensure it is up to safety codes.
When it came to discussing the budget for the project, the homeowners said that they had about $7-8,000 to spend. Frank explained to them that they could’ve maybe gotten it done for that price in the 80’s, but that today, that amount wouldn’t even cover the new materials needed to bring the space up to code. Needless to say, this was a dead-end and we did not end up getting the job.
Other fun things that happened this week were:
- We finished up the Senteno bathroom remodeling job (see before and after photos here) and the customer was very pleased with the work!
- We began a kitchen remodel for a previous customer who had her bathroom remodeled with us earlier this year. The featured photo in this post is of her new floor going down.
- Our interior designer, Meagan, got locked out of a customer’s home when she went to look at a property because they went outside and the customer had left the keys on the counter and locked the door behind her. After standing outside in the heat for 45 minutes, they called one of our subcontractors to come and remove the hinges on the garage door just to get in.
We hope you enjoy getting a glimpse into the ridiculous things that happen at a remodeling company. More to come next week!
If you want to learn more about our interior remodeling process, be sure to check out the rest of our site!