featured client experience profile

GABRIEL MARTINEZ

Project Background:

Gabriel was one of the first to purchase in his townhome community in 2005. As his family grew, he realized the traditional, structured-room concept on the first level of his home wasn’t conducive to their lifestyle. With the formal dining room, office, kitchen and living room all in separate spaces it felt sectioned off and uninviting/unusable/small. BOWA’s In-House Design Team created a plan for an open, spacious first floor with an industrial loft design that incorporates the rustic characteristics found in Loudoun County farm country.

Why did you hire BOWA? “I just felt most comfortable with BOWA”

Gabriel had completed interviews with multiple contractors before choosing BOWA. We asked, what was the deciding factor in his final choice? “I just felt most comfortable with BOWA. The others just didn’t come across as capable.” Specifically, “It was the experience the company had, especially working on a project that I felt was a little bigger than just your average renovation. Tim Burch…his experience, his command of the craft, and, when talking about the company, how he explained that BOWA could deliver what I wanted.”

What did you appreciate most? “I was in tune with where the project stood weekly”

When asked what was most appreciated, Gabriel mentions the management of his project. “It was really what set the project experience apart from my dealings with other contractors. Knowing that I had a dedicated resource assigned to my project and available to provide me with a status weekly was extremely valuable. I always felt like things were moving along and I was in tune with where the project stood weekly.” Because he stayed involved with the project throughout construction, he also appreciated watching the project come to life. He explained, “Having a chance to see it all come together was really exciting because it was all on paper and 3D renderings, and once you could see what you had seen on paper in real life, it really made the decision of choosing BOWA that much better.”

What was unexpected? “They didn’t waiver from the fact that they made an error and stepped up quickly to fix it”

As in most projects, there was a hiccup. After the delivery and installation of red oak flooring, instead of the white oak he expected, BOWA took full responsibility for the error and acted quickly to rectify the situation. “What was nice was after the error was identified, BOWA immediately stepped up to the plate and corrected the error even though the material was on the ground and installed. They didn’t waiver, they just stepped up quickly to fix it,” Gabriel commented, “They did whatever it took to make it right for us.”

Advice for others considering a project? “If you don’t pick the right team, you’re not going to be happy”

Gabriel suggests everyone considering a project should make a “statement of work” detailing what you expect to receive throughout the project and as a finished product. “Sit down with the prospective builders and hand them this document. It gives them a great head start into understanding what it is that you’re after.” This not only gave Project Leader Tim Burch an understanding of expectations, but Gabriel confidence in the team he was hiring. “If you don’t pick the right team, you’re not going to be happy. The experience is not going to be worth it.” Gabriel also recommends that homeowners ask for and call references during the interview process. “I called each of the references Tim gave me and, fortunately, I got ahold of everyone. They all spoke lovingly of BOWA and were willing to answer any of my tough questions. It helped me to get a good sense of what I was walking into.”

To see the beautiful photos from and learn more about Gabriel’s award-winning project, click here.