Having a Full-Service Design and Remodel Under One Roof Solves Problems Before They Start!

While this may seem like the more expensive route, it can actually be the most predictable and cost-effective. “A lot of designers don’t know how to listen to homeowners,” says Gary Marrokal, owner of Marrokal Design and Remodeling. A full-service design remodeling company helps homeowners understand exactly what they are getting—from start to finish—which avoids common industry problems that often occur when an architect drafts the design plans and then a builder is brought in later.

Frequently, when homeowners turn to architects, the plans are over-built and too costly to be developed. When you use a full-service design-and-remodel company, the budget for the design and construction are taken into consideration.

“It’s like if you and I go to the store and we don’t know the budget and I load up a bag with expensive steaks, chips, soda, and a lot of other items without realizing the real cost of the food. Then when we get to the counter, we’re way over budget. The bag gets blown out because we can’t afford it,” says Marrokal.

“In a full-service company, you will understand your design and how it’s going to be when it’s complete,” he says.

Marrokal is the Company That Has Experience and a Healthy Reputation as Well as Trust

A company that you can trust with your home

Nothing can beat a quality reputation. If the work doesn’t measure up and problems with the remodel mount, the company will eventually find itself buried in lawsuits. Homeowners should always check with a remodeler’s past projects. Ask for clients to speak with and then take the time to view the projects that are similar to the work you will be having done. The extra hours of research could save you future endless headaches and thousands of dollars.

“You really want to talk to a client that the company is doing work for currently. Everyone has a happy client that had work done six months or a year ago, but homeowners should seek to talk to someone who is getting work done right now or whose home was just completed,” says Gary Marrokal, owner of Marrokal Design and Remodeling. He says it gives an accurate picture of what you can expect.

A company that has experience and a healthy reputation

The biggest complaint in the industry is that many home remodeling companies hire surly, fast-talking sales associates to close deals on remodeling projects. This creates a disaster. Homeowners feel pressured and end up with unsatisfactory remodels.

Marrokal says his company has studied customer service training, and the staff knows that the company’s biggest asset is its clients. That’s why their complete satisfaction is a must. And it begins with educating clients. Marrokal Design and Remodeling carefully guides clients, but ultimately lets them choose which level of quality they want for their home.

“You want a company that will give good value but you want a company that will educate you about the different levels and costs for products so that you can choose how much to spend ,” says Marrokal. He adds, 

“All cabinets will hold your plates but you want hinges and wood that will work ten years from now. You want a finish that will look good 10 years later.”

Smart Small-Home Remodels Offer Simple and Comfortable Living

Supersize, no more! The new home theme boasts a less-is-more attitude and homeowners love it. The smaller-home remodel trend is delivering big results for homeowners who want to bring back simple living that leaves nothing to waste in these strained economic times.

“Smaller homes are becoming more pertinent under the current market conditions,” says John Mills Davies, Director of Design at Marrokal Design and Remodeling. The negative effects of urban sprawl—such as the long commutes which impact the quality of a person’s life are causing more people to search for neighborhoods that offer a better living environment. According to the National Association of Home Builders, many baby boomers want to be closer to families and are looking for smaller homes. “There’s a lot of thought in this country about neo-traditionalist principles and how the old neighborhoods really worked well. They were oriented toward how people interact and inter-relate,” explains Davies.

“People are buying into neighborhoods that have character, are really a pleasant place to live, and where they are able to interact with people in a reasonable fashion without having to spend three hours on the freeway commuting,” says Davies.

Smaller homes are also more appealing because of the green-trend movement to conserve. A reluctance to pay for any unnecessary space is fueled by energy and construction costs and the overall desire to leave a smaller carbon footprint.  A less-is-more attitude prevails and satisfaction is found in simpler living.

Marrokal Design and Remodeling is Your One-Stop-Shop for Home Remodels

The full-service home-design remodel company offers homeowners one-stop shopping for their remodeling needs. “I develop a written program based on what my clients’ needs and goals are for their remodel,” says Steve Walton, Senior Design Consultant for Marrokal Design and Remodeling. He adds, “Throughout this I am digging deep and finding out what’s important to my clients. A lot of companies don’t ask these questions but this is how Marrokal Design and Remodeling starts to develop a preliminary budget for our clients.”

The company also uses value engineering to design the remodel with clients’ budget needs and requested items in mind. “Value engineering” means refining and sometimes redesigning aspects of the remodel to make it more cost-effective.

Why a full-service remodeling company?
This is perhaps one of the most significant points when choosing a remodeling firm. A full-service company keeps your remodeling project running smoothly by coordinating all of the necessary design, construction developments, and communication with trade companies through one primary source (removing the unnecessary hassle of trying to get numerous trade companies to work together).

“When people are first looking into a home remodeling project, money tends to be the number one factor but, when the work is finished, the money factor actually drops to six or seven on the list,” says Walton. He says what ends up being more important is the fact that the homeowner hired a remodeling company that provided a complete understanding of the entire remodeling process, and oversaw the project from the design phase to the building of it—leaving the homeowner with just one primary company to work with during the remodel.

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.”

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.

Home Remodeling for Seniors: Safety and Ease of Mobility

If you are aging gracefully, securing your home as a safe and mobile area is key to long-term home living. At Marrokal Design & Remodeling we can remodel your home to include:





• Creating ramps or slopes instead of steps for easier and faster access to the home.

• Decreasing the height of steps.

• Using materials for flooring that grip or are skid proof to reduce falls.

• Adding lighting at the bottom of the stairwell: reduced lighting, especially at the foot of the stairs, can cause accidents and injuries for seniors.

• Adding grip bars in bathrooms and railings in hallways: signs of fingerprints on walls in hallways often indicate that someone living in the home may need assistance with balance in those areas.

• Filling sunken living rooms: “A lot of people who have homes with sunken living rooms are asking to fill up their living room to make it so that it is on the same level as the next room,” says Walton.

• Changing doorknobs to handle levers so that they are easier to open whether someone is elderly or has an injury such as a broken arm.

• Adding walk-in showers that are convenient for both showering the dog and rolling in a wheelchair or walker.