Renovating a 100-Year-Old Home

A Real-World Reference for CORE Remodeling Services

If you’ve talked to a few contractors and still feel unsure, you’re not alone. Below is a real email exchange between a potential client and current CORE client, Kristine B., sharing the real talk about a large-scale dream renovation with CORE Remodeling Services in Worcester County.

Homeowner Reference (in her words)

I'd love to share some feedback. I know how overwhelming but also exciting larger projects can be. I can tell you briefly about ours to give you some insight and then answer your questions. Our house was built almost 100 years ago and had a small addition built in the 60's. We removed that addition and basically started over and are adding on a garage with bedrooms/living space going above it along with a new porch/entryway.

My husband is quite the handyman to say the least. We met with quite a few contractors. Most treated us like we didn't know anything or would talk things through with us and then never follow up. We weighed out a couple of different options. Some contractors have you go through your own architect and then they work off of the plans, but if the plans weren't what they needed you would need them redone which can add up quickly. Other contractors such as CORE do it all for you essentially so they have an architect they prefer to work with, etc and will connect you with them while also being in contact with them as well. This I will say is worth the money compared to getting your own plans because the architect will know exactly what they need and can make revisions as needed along the way. Being able for CORE to be in the loop the whole time is much easier than us going back and forth hoping the plans work if that makes sense.

I stumbled across CORE. We had met with quite a few contractors and felt overwhelmed at this point and went into our meeting with no expectations. The second we met with Corey it was the biggest breath of fresh air and we just knew that was the right choice. He made things so simple to understand and had everything prepared and laid out for us, but he also could tell how much my husband knew and was able to talk to him in a way that made my husband finally feel understood and not treated like he knew nothing which speaks a lot to Corey's character. What I can say is CORE truly does care and their communication is unmatched. I can guarantee you'll never find a contractor as communicative and professional as them.

Fast forward we started the process, but the market was really bad so we couldn't get approved for the full loan amount we needed, but that had nothing to do with CORE of course. Because of this we ended up having to wait almost a year which was not in our plans. I say all of this because through this whole process Corey always remained in talks with us and always reassured us he would be there when we were ready.

Banks in my opinion were the challenging part since not a lot do larger loans for projects of these sizes, but Corey helped any way he could. Once we got the approval it was maybe 3 months and then the work began, but this was all communicated to us from the first day we met Corey. Even while we were waiting for the work to start we were always in the loop and still to this day I get fairly weekly messages knowing when people will be here, etc which has been super helpful with all of this unexpected weather.

The CORE Experience

Q: What advice would you give us to help ensure a smooth experience working with CORE?
“My biggest advice is to understand that things can change and come up along the way. For example because it took us so long to get our loan, the prices increased on the products and even when you get an estimate it is truly just an estimate. To no fault of CORE he can't give you exact prices until the sub contractors come and survey and give him a final number. His estimate was not very far off, but just understand that they will change along the way before the final agreement. But again Corey always kept us in the loop every step of the way so you'll never be left wondering, I just always say to be prepared.”
Q: Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would do differently when starting a project with CORE?
“I wouldn't change a thing. If anything we would have gone to them sooner. I know it sounds cliche but they truly are the best at what they do!”
Q: What was the most challenging part of working with CORE, and how was it handled?
“The only "challenge" we faced was as we were finalizing our floor plans. Corey found out our town had recently adopted some regulations that weren't there when the plans were initially created, but I don't even like calling it a challenge because Corey was on top of it the second it happened. Corey worked with our architect and they were able to redesign our layout with minimal impact on what we had already envisioned while also staying within the budget.”

“Another thing we came across was during the foundation we had to get it inspected before they could move to the next steps and our town inspector wasn't available on the Friday they called and when they checked back the following week he was sick each day. By midweek Dane was on top of it and had them get a fill-in inspector out so our foundation workers could move forward on their end. So I say all this to reassure you even with hiccups along the way Corey and his team will always make sure the job gets done in a timely manner and we were always kept in the loop as well which kept our minds at ease.”

Final Thoughts from the Homeowner

“Corey and his team are the absolute best. They communicate every step of the way. If something didn't look right, Dane was out immediately to look at it and make sure it was okay. I honestly wish I could say a million more amazing things about them because I have been so impressed and I cannot recommend them enough. They are worth every single penny. Even their subcontractors have been amazing, and seeing our dream home come to life is so surreal. We are honestly going to be sad when this is all over because they feel like family now.”

We’re happy to connect you with current and past clients in projects similar to yours.

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