We just completed a huge remodel of our home (master bath, master bedroom, master closet, guest bath, guest bedroom, open kitchen area) with Wes of Farnsworth Builders.
I was very apprehensive about starting the process for this remodel as I almost didn’t even know where to start. Everyone has horror stories of hiring a contractor. I did my research and read numerous reviews on Angie’s Lists, Yelp, and also took recommendations from friends.
Although all of the people I read about and spoke to seemed top-notch, what made Farnsworth Builders different was that Wes (the owner) was very easy to talk to about everything. He brought in his architect to also take a look at the structure of our home and to assess how the project could be completed. We would be tearing out walls, adding large windows, adding a balcony, and a patio door so there needed to be a proper structural assessment of the home.
After the architect completed the design, Wes gave me an estimate, and I was ready to go with him. He asked me if I had received any other bids and I told him I wasn’t going to bother as I felt most comfortable with him right from the start. He insisted that I get some other bids because he wanted me to be completely comfortable with his process and estimate but it would be good to see how other contractors worked and what their estimates would be. He explained what to look out for and what kind of questions to ask.
I ended up interviewing several contractors and architects and all of them were great, but I did not feel the kind of rapport I did with Wes. His architect also explained that one of the bonuses with hiring Wes was that he could also be consult on the interior design, picking out products and items for the house; basically it was a “one-stop shop” with Farnsworth Builders. Wes had even said that after we got the design from the architect, we didn’t even have to hire him as our builder. We could take the design and go with someone else. But of course, we told him he was the one we wanted to use.
In the months before the start of the remodel, Wes guided us into preparing for the remodel. What I needed to look into, what kind of cabinets, tile, bathroom products, doors, etc. By the time we started, we were in a really good place and had most products delivered and ready to go. Wes insists on having everything ready before he starts so there aren’t unreasonable delays and wasted time.
His workers were on time every day, on schedule, cleaned up after every work day, and a pleasure to have at our home. They were such a pleasure to have at the house. My husband would even hang out with them after the day and talk shop.
We had some major issues that were discovered from the previous owner's "remodel" (using that term very loosely), but Wes not only explained the problems but also helped us fix things without breaking the bank. Throughout the remodel, Wes would explain what was going on, what needed to be done, and kept us fully informed on the process.
I felt like Wes was building our home as he would his own. There were times that he would redo something if it weren’t exactly to his specification. And other times he would ask our opinion on something and I would just tell him to do it as he would his own home. That’s how much we trusted him.
When we had our final inspection, our inspector praised his work. He said that he knew Wes’s work and completely trusted that everything was done according to code and knew that Wes is not the type of contractor that cuts corners or does anything unsafe.
After almost 4 months, our home is complete and we are beyond thrilled. The process from start to finish was the best I can imagine for any remodel. I can't recommend them enough.
