Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Remodeling firm thrives in tough economic times
In difficult economic times, creativity and diversification are important, but staying true to one's essence is vital.Burch Builders Group in Warrenton has found a successful formula for all of the above.
In business since 1949, the firm moved to Warrenton about four years ago and has recently expanded, partnering with Main Street's Shelf Life to create a design studio on Third Street.
The studio, which is located next door to the builder's main office, offers a new experience for customers, said owner Tim Burch and design specialist Allie Mann.
“The idea behind this is to give both current and prospective clients a better place to meet and discuss design ideas and possibilities,” said Mann.
Though the design-build firm has remained busy with custom homes and remodeling, Mann noted that the new studio allows customers to come in to discuss smaller projects.
Instead of a complete master suite renovation, perhaps homeowners want to swap out carpet for hardwood or update bathroom fixtures, Mann said.
With mountains of catalogs and samples, the studio — along with Mann's experience — offers clients myriad choices without having to travel to Northern Virginia or the District.
“It was a natural progression for us,” Burch added. “We'd finish a project and people would ask, 'can you help with wall color, or picking out drapes.”
For a consultation fee ($160 for a two-hour minimum and $70 per hour thereafter), customers can come in for design advice and assistance.
“This has a store-front feel, which is different for us,” Burch said, noting that the firm has traditionally met with customers on an appointment basis and is now considering adding Saturday hours to the studio.
Furnished by Shelf Life, the studio's partnership with the Warrenton furniture store offers another dimension.
“Customers can come in here and talk to us about a specific piece of furniture that they want and we can work with [Shelf Life owner Bob Moore] to get it,” Burch said.
While the new space allows Burch Builders to work on smaller-scale projects, the company is still thriving with its bread-and-butter renovations, said Burch.
“For us, we do things the same way, every time. We're very personalized. We want people to feel comfortable. We're custom builders and those are the people who are doing well. We haven't changed the way we're doing things,” he said.
Burch and Mann added, however, that some customers are having work done in phases, whereas they previously might have had all of the work done at one time.
Before the economic downturn, Burch said, a customer might come in and want to remodel the family room and kitchen and master bedroom.
While clients these days might ultimately have the same work done, it’s done in smaller pieces, with an eye toward adding more work in the future, Burch explained.
“A lot of it is compartmentalized. That allows us to spend more time talking about each part of the project,” Mann added.
That being said, Burch pointed out that the firm is currently working on four large projects, which is “about normal for us.”
As the real estate market continues to struggle, more families are making changes to their existing homes rather than attempting to sell, they said. On the flip side, some buyers are scooping up well-priced homes with the intention of remodeling, Mann added.
With eight employees, it's not unusual for the firm to have more work than it can handle.
“Although the opportunity is there to become much larger, quality control for us is a huge thing. There's only a certain amount of work, in my opinion, that you can handle to keep that quality,” Burch said. Once the firm lines up all of the work it can handle for a year, “customers will wait until next year or we refer them out,” he said.
You must be logged in to post a comment.