Kitchen, Before Renovation

Kitchen, After Renovation

Needless to say, I fired that other contractor and took my friend’s advice to inquire about Southern Homes’ renovation service.  I was very eager to get started since at this point months had passed with mildew, mold and damaged dry wall sitting in my house.  Southern Homes made every effort to expedite my project.

Ted Oderman was great and handled everything.  He checked in with me to keep me updated and even came in to do a little of the work.  I have never had this kind of service from a contractor before.  It was refreshing!

The price and time estimates for the work were pretty spot on.  They fixed it all including structural damage and treating the wood.  They even did some extra touch ups around the house that was an unexpected treat.  I was really pleased.  Interestingly, the actual work was complete in about a week.  They did in one week what the other contractor could not get around to doing over the course of 3 months.  Also what sets Southern Homes apart is their customer service.  They actually call you back and voluntarily give you all the information you need to know.  They know how to do things the right way.

I would recommend Southern Homes to anyone because you will get excellent work and you can trust them to do what they say they are going to do.

Before Renovations

After Renovations

My first experience with Southern Homes was in 2002. They built my family’s home and I was delighted with the results. So after Hurricane Katrina when I found myself establishing residence in my father’s old 1960’s two‐story house, I immediately called them to inquire about their renovation service. I knew they would be a onestop‐shop for everything I needed; plumbing, electrical services, design options etc. Also, they invited me to view some of their renovation projects, all of which were properties they had not originally built. And what really pleased me is how they broke the project down into phases, which made the payment schedule more manageable. Also, knowing exactly what your money is going to, phase by phase, really makes a difference.

Despite the circumstances, it had always been a dream of mine to buy and fully renovate an older home. There were several things I was envisioning to make this old house a new home. The most pressing issues were downstairs. There was a large guest bathroom that was cutting into living space. The den was very dark and all the rooms were separate. I wanted a more open floor plan. Southern Homes took on my project and merged some of the extra bathroom space into the den and added a new window for natural light. They also opened the floor plan by cutting a wall to offer space for the kitchen to overlook the living room. When I saw the completed project I was excited and immediately ready to move in. I loved it! It was great to see my ideas come out so lovely. I get compliments every time some one comes to visit.

One person that really stood out during the whole processwas Don Raider. We first started the process with another associate who had to move before the renovation was complete. Don was new to the renovation side of Southern Homes (he had been in the building division for some time) and had to take over my project in the middle of everything. I was surprised at how well he handled the transition. He was really good with following up. There were so many things I would forget and Don kept me on top of things and reminded me. He was very nice and polite to the point of disbelief; you just don’t meet people like that anymore. In spite of the staff changes and 2 hurricanes (I started the project in September) Southern Homes remained very timely with the turnaround. I would recommend anybody to Southern Homes.

This is a company you can trust. You don’t have to worry about if their coming back to finish the work. And you can be sure the work will be well done and with quality materials. Not only that, when a plumbing block caused water damage to some of my flooring shortly after I moved in, Southern Homes stood by their warranty and immediately repaired the block and replaced the floor. They are not like other companies that are hard to find when it is time for a warranty claim. They were so quick to solve the issue. Like I said before, I would recommend Southern Homes to anyone.

AFTER - Arian's New Exterior

We had been in our home for several years but needed to expand our living space. We also wanted a Certified Green Home because of our passion for the environment and desire for heating and cooling efficiency. I really preferred to stay in our neighborhood rather than move, so a full‐scale renovation was the best option. It was important to me that we kept the feel of our old News Orleans style home.

BEFORE - Arian's Home Exterior

Because of the extensive work that was required, we had to move out of our home during the renovation.Needless to say, timeframe was important. Southern Homes held up their end of the bargain and then some. Even our neighbors could not believe how quickly they finished. And they were nice to all of our neighbors. When doing that type of large‐scale renovation you want a class-act builder that will be considerate of your neighbors and their property.

Arian's New Kitchen

Once I saw the completed renovation for the first time I was excited and overwhelmingly surprised how wonderful everything looked. Our neighbors even applauded; we were all very pleased. Anyone needing a good builder will be in great hands with Southern Homes. You can count on top quality workmanship. They will walk you through the process, which can be overwhelming, with respect and dignity. With Southern Homes you can count on getting the service and results you are promised.

Disclosure: Arian is related to an employee of Southern Homes.

A Cozy New Fireplace

The Living Room View from the Kitchen