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When Matt and Jenny wanted to renovate, they wondered how to get started. They’d looked at a lot of new houses, but eventually purchased a slightly older house south of the river with a block of land in a lovely quiet area that they really liked. The purchase was made with the idea to renovate.
It was a chance to design their own space and make the house into a home that would not only meet all of their needs, it would be a realisation of their dreams as well.
The first thing Matt did about the renovation was to ring around building companies and look on the Internet for builders. He had a few of the big companies come out, but it became clear after a few meetings that the big end of town was more interested in talking him into going up or out rather than re-working existing spaces to make those spaces better. Another thing Matt didn’t like about the big building companies was that he never actually got to speak to a builder. The companies sent a building or sales representative and, sure, those people can answer a lot of questions, but they weren’t able to answer all of Matt’s questions. So questions ended up being relayed through reps to builders, back to reps, and then to Matt. Like that children’s whispering game, and not a game Matt wanted to play.
Renovated kitchen and bathrooms – Check out before photos for comparison.
Finally Matt spoke to builder who seemed good but said he didn’t do many projects south of the river. The builder suggested that he contact John Bodin at One Design and Construct. Right from the very first phone call, Matt got a good feeling about John. With others building people he had spoken with, Matt felt nagging suspicions about what he was being told. Not so with John Bodin. Here was a builder that obviously knew his stuff, was easy to talk to, and could answer all of Matt’s questions. They arranged a meeting and Matt remembers a very open dialogue, easy communication, and a high level of professionalism. It was clear that John was proud of the work he did. Matt saw plenty of photographs and John even invited Matt to see completed work on site. What Matt really liked was that, at last, he was talking to the person that would be in charge of the project and oversee all of the work.
I’m not a builder and I’ve never been through a renovation process before. It was very important to me that my concerns would be heard and that my questions would be answered. John has a lot of patience. He answers phone calls immediately. I always knew what was going on. That made me feel comfortable.
Matt always thought that he was being heard. He said John had a lot of patience and was always okay about answering any questions or concerns that Matt had. Matt always knew the status of the build because he received regular updates from John. And Matt thought John was also very honest. Problems were never patched over or hidden. For example, if a contractor’s work was not exactly right, it was often John who would notice a problem, point that out to Matt, and make sure it was rectified.
We’re pretty particular, and every time John does something, I know what I’m getting and I know it will be a quality result.
There were a few tricky bits with the kitchen design, but John knew what works and helped Matt and Jenny design a gorgeous multifunctional kitchen and entertainment area with lots of storage space. Matt and Jenny wanted to keep the original slate floor tiles so the design process was one of working backwards. John knew just the person, and that’s where Tamlin Prince from Prince Design came into the picture. Tamlin designed an amazing kitchen, ensuite, bathroom and laundry while keeping the existing slate flooring in mind. Her design and colour selections produced a stunning end result where everything looks great. At the end of it all, nothing looks out of place or wrong.
So glad I didn’t go the owner/builder route. If you do it all yourself, the risk is all on you.
Matt had a friend who did a renovation as an owner/builder. The friend found it so stressful, he said it just wasn’t worth it. Especially since he didn’t save very much on cost and the quality was not as good as he had hoped. For Matt, contracting John and the One Design and Construct team to complete the project meant that John assumed the risk. What Matt wanted was quality workmanship and a quality project without uncertainty or crossing fingers about the outcome. That’s what he got with One DC. John had all the right connections and everyone he brought onto site were exceptionally capable. John’s quote was accurate, there were no surprises, and Matt and Jenny are very happy with the result and the entire process. They feel they got the value they expected and, moreover, they got the home they dreamed about.
Would Matt recommend John and One DC to others? He already has!
