Villa Builders - Annapolis Area Design-Build Remodeler

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Villa Builders worked with us every step of the way to ensure we had a viable plan to upgrade our master bedroom suite. They were attentive to details and produced a very high quality end product-it's just beautiful!

-Janice & Raymond, Annapolis

Bert Shelby & Liz Wozniak: Defying Stereotypes

Many people shop for a remodeler the way they shop for a car—they research the make and model, compare and negotiate prices, kick the tires and take a test drive before they buy. Even then they may be skeptical about what they are getting into.

Bert Shelby and Liz Wozniak were no different when it came to choosing a remodeler to work on their home. The couple’s plans were extensive and included a kitchen remodel with an addition, a new powder room, a deck remodel and the addition of two porches. They had spent a year working with an architect to develop the plans, but soon discovered that building them as designed was beyond their budget. Moving into the construction phase for them, meant closing the gap between the plans and the resources they had to devote to the project. Working with a design-build remodeler was the perfect solution for them. Nevertheless, they started the process with some trepidation.

“It was a scary process for us,” Bert confessed. “We had never done anything like this.” The couple did their due diligence and interviewed several other builders before choosing Jeff Hall and Villa Builders. “We liked Jeff. He was very forthcoming about what he could and couldn’t do, and was fairly aware of what our concerns might be.” They also liked the fact that Villa had a design process built into the project that would address the discrepancies between the original plans and the final budget, and would also provide the time needed to stage a multiphase construction project. “Jeff helped us with that a lot.”

Once construction was underway, the Shelby’s were again delightfully surprised with the quality of the workers and the complete commitment they demonstrated to meeting the family’s needs throughout the year-long construction project. For example, at one point, Villa built a special staircase to accommodate Bert’s recovery from foot surgery. “That was very telling that Jeff and Chris (the lead carpenter) would go to that trouble.”

Throughout the process, everything went very smoothly. “All the subs were very good, and very good people.” Even the neighbors commented on how nice everyone was that worked on the project. The care Villa took in choosing their workers was not something the couple thought about beforehand, although Bert commented that it was apparent throughout the project. “I came away from dealing with plumbers, electricians and siding people very pleased.” The end result has also left the neighbors commenting “on how lovely our home looks. “
Not only did the workers cater to Liz and Bert’s needs, they also made friends with the couple’s self-described herd of cats. Liz remembers how one of her more chatty felines would have on-going conversations with the carpenter. On one occasion, she overheard Chris reply with a line from Lassie: “Is Timmy stuck in the well?” Overall, she said, they were very careful coming and going and keeping the cats safe. When, at the end of the project, one did escape, they dropped everything to catch her.

As in any large project, there were some surprises. The couple was most surprised, however, about how smoothly the process went. “Everything was laid out in the contract.” The Halls were on top of the project from beginning to end. In fact, said Bert, “I didn’t expect it, but Joanne set a goal of talking with me every Thursday during the project. If she missed, she would leave a voicemail for me on Friday morning. I appreciated her diligence and conscientiousness.”

Before working with Villa, Bert admitted, “We had stereotypes about building contractors, pigeon-holing them in with used car salespeople.” Clearly, Villa defied those stereotypes, leaving Bert and Liz with a more than favorable experience.

In the remodeling industry, referrals are one of the highest compliments you can receive, and Bert and Liz have been generous with them. “We’ve already recommended them to several people.”

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After


Side Porch, Kitchen Entrance