Getting the Best Value for Your Remodel: Key Tips to hiring a Quality Remodeler

Whether you’re remodeling your home for comfort or to increase the value, homeowners know that a well-done remodel can bring both pleasure and a good return on investment.

Remodeling is, however, a big step for many homeowners. Getting the best value for your remodel shouldn’t come from guesswork; instead, knowing how to find a remodeling company with a solid reputation and one that delivers quality work throughout the entire remodeling process requires research.

How to get the best remodel for your dollar? Make sure the company that is doing the remodel asks the right questions, does its homework, and offers full-service design and remodeling under one roof.

Does the remodeling company offer a written contract based on your remodeling needs?
Steve Walton, Senior Design Consultant for Marrokal Design and Remodeling, San Diego, California helps clients sort through what can be a complicated process to get the best value remodel that meets all his clients’ needs.

“When I meet with clients, I have them describe their ideas for the remodeling project. I take a lot of notes,” says Walton. The design consultant then sets another meeting at Marrokal’s Design and Remodeling center. Prior to this meeting Walton has already done his homework and researched any likely obstacles for the remodel. Some companies take on a project and later discover remodeling barriers.

“I get your set-backs, zoning conditions, and height conditions and try to see if there are any issues. That way when we meet at our design center we can start looking at the architectural process,” says Walton.

Tips for a Successful Remodel!

• Solid reputation. “There are lots of companies that are going out of business these days,” says Steve Walton, Senior Design Consultant for Marrokal Design and Remodeling.  Make sure you check to see how long the home remodeling company has been in business.

• Company awards and other noteworthy publicity. Successful design and remodeling companies have received awards to show off some of their top-quality work; ask the company about what awards it has received. For instance, Marrokal Design and Remodeling has won national awards including the 2008 Western Remodeler of the Year. The company also received the Better Business Bureau’s 2008 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. The award is designed to promote the importance of ethical business practices as well as the willingness and efforts made by businesses to ensure that the marketplace remains fair and honorable.

• Referrals. Make sure the company can provide plenty of past clients for you to speak to about their remodeling project. “In our case, Marrokal Design and Remodeling has more than 2,000 past client references for potential clients to review,” says Walton.

• Make sure the architectural drawings provide an accurate picture of your remodel. “We provide interior and exterior perspective color renderings as well as mechanical three-dimensional computer modeling. The renderings are more of a finished look and the mechanical drawings are used in the early design process to get a sense of the space,” says Walton. Both methods are extremely helpful in aiding clients to understand how their remodel will look before and after. Walton adds, “A sophisticated design phase helps homeowners understand what they’re getting so that when the clients are in the construction phase they don’t have many, if any, changes.”

The Design-Build Steps to Success

Marrokal Design and Remodeling uses a six-step design-build process to carefully assess the client’s needs and ensure that the project is run smoothly so that the end result exceeds their expectations. It’s this unique strategy that puts Marrokal Design and Remodeling ahead of the competition.

Here are the steps: 1. Project Programming/Budget Development, 2. Field Measure/Inspection of Existing Conditions, 3. Preliminary Design Meetings, 4. Construction Agreement/Building Specifications, 5. Product Selection/Design of Finish Materials, 6. Building Permit Phase. For a detailed look at these six steps click here.

An excellent indicator that the design-build process is working comes from clients who’ve experienced it. “This is our second major remodel in 20 years with many smaller remodeling jobs in between. We have followed the history of the other major contractors in San Diego and interviewed many over the past years and no one even comes close to what Marrokal can design and deliver... no one!,” write La Mesa clients, Mike and Mary Marmolejo, in a letter expressing their thanks to the company.

Notes like that one are not the exception but rather the rule. It seems this nationally recognized and award-winning company is constantly receiving praise for its work.

“Our sincere gratitude to Senior Design Consultant, Jim Dyjak, and his design team, Project Designer, Scott Hall, and Interior Designer, April Worrell, who came up with ideas we never thought of. Jim even managed to get us back some of our lost view by moving our kitchen, rearranging windows, enlarging sliding doors, and repairing the adjoining sun deck. The new kitchen is our absolute favorite with its nine-foot island (aka: the sushi bar). We look forward to many get-togethers with family and friends—they'll see firsthand what high-quality work Marrokal Design and Remodeling does,” writes homeowner, Marilou Seki from Point Loma.

What Should a Design and Remodeling Company Offer Me?

If a company offers free design, you’ll likely get what you pay for.  If a company is offering “free design” it’s likely that the design fees are somewhere hidden in the overall cost.

“The design can make or break the project,” says Steve Walton, Senior Design Consultant for Marrokal Design and Remodeling. It’s the least amount of the cost of the overall project but it’s highly critical to the success of your remodel. “With our process we’re going to talk to homeowners about what furniture is sentimental and how it will fit in the remodel, sun orientation, views, traffic patterns and flow, and our clients’ lifestyle—this is how we build the project. We don’t build it from a, ‘Oh, I want to add an 8 x 10 room.’ Instead I find out how my clients live and what they’re all about and then the project is designed based on those answers.”

Does the remodeling company offer several design options to help you stay within your budget?

“You have to be open to a certain budget range that you’re comfortable in and then you should really spend time up front reviewing a lot of different designs so that you don’t get locked into one design at one price point. That happens a lot. People will hire an architectural firm and they’ll end up going through weeks and weeks of planning or drawing. They’ll get a set of plans down to the point where they can then send it out for bids and then usually they find out that they’re over budget.”

Marrokal Design and Remodeling creates options that are best suited to its clients based on customers’ desired remodeling needs.

“The first meeting we have with the clients gives them specific costs for, say, six different concepts. That gives homeowners the freedom to choose based on their financial comfort level and design needs. It’s a huge difference from the architect drawing the plans, then the homeowner having to get bids on the project. This is why we’re so successful because we give clients the flexibility to choose the design and project that creates the best value remodel,” says Walton.

A Home Remodeling Story!

Americans spent an estimated $225 billion on home remodeling in 2008, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Remodeling represents approximately 2 percent of the United States economy and 40 percent of all residential construction. In the next decade, NAHB expects remodeling to overtake new home construction by dollar volume.

If you’re a homeowner interested in remodeling, what does this mean to you? It means that there are lots of companies to choose from so selecting the best company to get your remodeling project completed can be challenging. But if you understand what to look for in a home remodeler, you’ll be able to select the best one for your project.

Understanding the design-build company

Not all remodeling companies are created equal. In fact, not all remodeling companies offer the same services. A full-service, design-build remodeling company offers homeowners the ability to get all of their remodeling needs from the architectural design to the construction of their remodel met through one company that will oversee the entire project—from start to finish and even service beyond completion.

Marrokal Design and Remodeling is an industry leader based in San Diego, California since 1981. For over a quarter of a century, Marrokal’s design/build professionals have impressed homeowners with their attention to detail and unparalleled customer service. “We have a great core group of people who really work hard for our clients. About 75 percent of our business is from referrals,” says Bruce Howard, Director of Production at Marrokal Design and Remodeling.

Don't Let Your Kitchen Remodel Cause You Stress! Choose Marrokal!

Kitchen remodeling can be costly and inconvenient process. However, you can avoid them by seeking the services of a professional kitchen remodeling contractor. Not only will you be able to remodel your kitchen in a cost-effective manner, you can also look forward to a beautiful and functional kitchen after the job is complete.

Kitchen remodeling contractors are vital to the success of your remodeling project within the budget, especially contractors from Marrokal. The best contractors can guide you during the remodeling job by collaborating with you about ideas and other concepts that can help with the completion of a functional kitchen. They can also provide professional advice so that you will make informed decisions during the remodeling project. Thus, before embarking on a kitchen remodeling project, take your time in seeking the best contractors. They can ease your worries and even make your remodeling project enjoyable.

Marrokal's Custom Fire Fountain Wins the Contractor of the Year Award (CotY) from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry!

This design feature is the central focus in an entry sequence for an urban modernist bungalow sited on an extremely restrictive lot. The distance from the side walk to the front door is scarcely 16 feet. There is a custom steel and reeded poly carbon panel fence and gate one enters through, crossing several poured-in-place concrete slab steps to reach this fire-fountain feature. This feature acts to redirect the user 90 degrees to climb the seven stone steps of the front porch. In crossing the fountain you continue to walk on pored-in-place concrete steps of the same dimension that now “float” in the shallow pool. Water circulates around the concrete pads creating a modern moat.

The fire-fountain itself is formed, poured-in-place high compression, steel reinforced concrete that was subsequently acid washed to achieve the desired finish. In modernist form, no decorative tiles or stones were added to the simple, straight-forward composition. A central stainless steel cascade shelf directs the water fall to the pool below as one singular sheet of water. On either side of the water cascade are dual fire features which sit slightly below the level of the water fall and when lit create dancing flames which reach over a foot tall. Flames rise up through teal and coke-bottle green glass, a color selected to mimic the color the water casts in sunlight. When lit, the natural gas flames create an effect of light dancing about behind the poly carbon fence panels from the exterior of the property. The pool is lit by four stainless steel LED bullets below the water line which are not only decorative but serve to illuminate the “floating” steps a pedestrian would cross to enter the house.

Black lava rock and drought resistant succulents surround the concrete fire fountain. The design of the concrete pool, with the steps floating in the pool, ties in with the home having some mid-century design elements. This style of landscape pool was utilized in many mid-century modern designs, in both residential and public structures.

The Contractor of the Year (CotY) awards are given each year by NARI Headquarters to members who have demonstrated outstanding work through their remodeling projects.  NARI Contractor Members are invited each year to compete for the prestigious Contractor of the Year (CotY) Award.  CotY Award Winners report that winning this award is a major factor in enhancing their image within the industry and with prospective clients, and is a major morale-booster for their employees.

Marrokal Wins Remodeler of the Year!

Marrokal Wins Remodeler of the Year!  Here is a short excerpt from our success story:

No one has been immune to the challenges of the remodeling market the last several years, but Marrokal Design & Remodeling has weathered the storm better than most other firms.  With a strong focus on marketing and sales combined with smart management, San Diego-based Marrokal has maintained profitability even as revenues dipped in 2009 before rebounding this year. Because of that success and the way the management team has positioned the company for the next generation of leadership, Marrokal is our  Remodeler of the Year

To see the entire story go here: http://www.housingzone.com/pr/article/2010-remodeler-year-marrokal-design-remodeling









 

A Kitchen Remodel Can Renew the Life of Your Home!

Sometimes your home may start to seem boring, lifeless, even unbearable.  The easiest way to renew the life of your home and make you enjoy being there again is to remodel the kitchen.  You would be amazed at how much life can be added to you home simply by remodeling the kitchen!

One of the best strategies of increasing a home’s value is by remodeling its kitchen. The cost of kitchen remodeling however, can cause a glitch in your plans. But, before going through with those plans, what are your reasons remodeling your kitchen? To increase your home’s value for resale or for efficiency in the kitchen? No matter your purpose, kitchen remodeling can increase the value of your home.

There are many factors that can affect your planned kitchen remodeling. They all depend on your needs. But, in order to get the best results especially if you are on a budget, it is always advisable to seek professional contractors to do the job for you. Not all contractors are expensive; some if not most of them can work with your budget. Working with a professional contractor can even make kitchen remodeling fun and cost-effective.

When remodeling your kitchen, you need to determine certain things that can improve the value of your home based on your purpose. If you plan on getting a much higher price when selling the house, you should make sure that the design and color will fit the taste of most home buyers. But, if you are remodeling with the thought of using your kitchen for many years to come, you can choose any design or color that you want.

Thinking About the Color Scheme of Your New Kitchen?

Color selection and color schemes are important aspects of kitchen remodeling or any home improvement project for that matter. But your planning your kitchen's color motif is an inexpensive yet effective way of changing the mood of the area. Home improvement stores in Tampa have so many selections of kitchen remodeling essentials to choose from, which makes your task a lot easier. The only thing to remember is to choose according to what you have.

Colors have their own meanings and can elicit feelings and emotions without you being aware of it. This is why when you're remodeling your kitchen, know which shades to use and avoid in order to have a kitchen that embraces you whenever you're in it.

Small kitchens should generally stay away from dark colors because they tend to make the room look even smaller. If you need to put in a dark shade, best to use them on your kitchen cabinets (brown/wood, deep red, dark blue, charcoal gray) or the flooring (wood floors, maroon ceramic tile, etc.) Also, go for simple, unadorned cabinets to steer clear of a cluttered look.

Standard-sized kitchens can basically choose any color they want for their cabinets, floorings, counters, and equipments. One way of stepping it up a notch is by adjusting your lighting. If natural light has access to your kitchen, you can compliment this by choosing bright colors like yellow and whites. However, if you get limited natural light, best steer away from dark colored walls to keep that light ambiance. But here is one remodeling warning from a Tampa interior decorator: stay away from stark white colors on everything (kitchen cabinets, counters, tiles, frig, everything!). White on everything can be associated to hospitals which is a very unpleasant for some. If you must, choose off-white shades.