It started with a front porch. For Martha the outdoors brings a vibrancy and connection that can’t be achieved within four walls. Her backyard is a collage of bird feeders, water fountains and greenery. Birds can be seen fluffing their feathers in the pools of water and competing for a space at one of the feeder’s pegs.
The front of her house was flat in comparison. They desired a space to sit and enjoy nature with friends. “We looked at multiple remodelers. It was at the Dulles Expo Center that we first learned about Sun Design. We connected really well with Jon Benson who ended up eventually designing our project. We were really impressed with Sun Design’s customer service and quality of work,” says Martha.
Martha also shared, “Sun Design approached our project like an engineer would, and being engineers ourselves we understood right away the technicality and value of the work Sun Design provides.” What the clients didn’t expect was to fall in love with the Sun Design process.
“We got a weekly report on how our job was coming along. There was a mid-job huddle [a gathering of the clients’ entire work-team to evaluate progress of the project]; a schedule posted in our house for who was coming when and what was going to get done. We were really impressed! They really worked with us to meet our needs, cleaned up after themselves, and respected the house as if it were their own they were remodeling.”
The family was so delighted with how the front porch was going that they signed a contract during production to redo their two upstairs bathrooms. Two years later, they opened their kitchen to the dining room for a more open floor plan – and just recently finished the rear screened porch.
When asked what advice they’d give to someone looking to remodel their home the client responded, “Stay involved and expect things to change. Things are going to happen along the way, be prepared for it.” The easiest example for them to cite was their kitchen cooktop.
They opted to purchase their appliances directly, and when their order came in, they noticed immediately that the cooktop was wrong. “It was a struggle.” The client reflected. Yet, throughout the back-and-forth negotiations with the appliance manufacturer’s customer service department, the Sun Design team was supportive and even provided additional information critical to the resolution of the problem. The result? The cooktop they wanted. Martha commented, “Even though we were the ones who purchased the cooktop, the Sun Design team went to bat for us with both the representative and the manufacturer. They really put their reputation on the line and helped us win this struggle.”
“Do your research”, the client reiterated. “Go with a design-build firm. For us, Sun Design was upfront, honest, and transparent about their process and their pricing. We knew it was worth the value.” In closing Martha added, “Having the Sun Design team over was like having an old friend over. When Sun Design says they’re building relationships – they really are.”
