Dear Ramon and Marilyn,
I know that we have said thank-you many times, but Joe and I both felt that a written note would be a better way of addressing our great appreciation for the building of our home.
When we set out to "renovate", it was with the sinking knowledge that the house we wanted to update had many issues, and we were hopeful that those issues could be remediated on our budget. After getting a couple of optimistic estimates, which, we realized, did not address all the inadequacies in the house, we met with Ramon and Marilyn. They were very frank. They could design and build a renovation, but we would still be left with some of the problems inherent in a sixty-year-old house that had a mish-mash of additions.
As we began the talk concerning tearing down the existing house, and building a new, energy efficient, sound home, our initial concern was that the subject of building a new home comes with a lot of baggage. Everyone knows the anecdotes told by those who build .....cost overruns, lengthy schedules, surly workmen, and poor supervision. We had lots of concerns, not the least of which was budgeting for a job we hadn't planned to do.
Ramon and Marilyn sat down with us and explained their business model. They understood our concerns and alleviated them, by taking each of the points and addressing them. We felt that we could trust them, but as with anything in life, it was a leap of faith.
As it turns out, the faith was highly justified. Construction began on schedule, and as we were living out of the area, we were only able to visit intermittently. Each time we came, the progress was amazing. The Homeworks team is a well-choreographed production. Each worker in the house had his/her own job to do. With supervision by Ramon, Marilyn and Randy, as well as Miguel's presence each day, the work progressed flawlessly. Of course, as with any job, there were small setbacks and little hiccups, but nothing seemed to throw the team. They just found another way to make things happen!
Our major concern was our budget. Marilyn and Ramon had explained that we would have a cost for everything at the outset. Barring extreme and unforeseen circumstances, they would stick with the costs they had given us. I don't know anyone who has built a house who has had that kind of surety that they knew exactly what they were dealing with, but that was the case with our project. The only times we went above the budget were the times we came up with our own ideas of modifications. Having the flexibility to watch the budget, know where we were (thanks to Tish) and make choices to add a little here and there, was a great help to us.
Design was another concern. Because she knew that we were not in the area, Marilyn made sure to completely understand our design esthetic, to know with some surety what kinds of design details would suit us. Each time there was a choice to be made, and we could not be on site, Marilyn would call or email with our choices and the resources to use to make the decisions that needed to be made.
It was great processes, to be able to look at the budget, decide where we wanted to splurge on quality, where we wanted to conserve for the present, with an eye toward the future, and how we wanted to use any extra money we had. Homeworks mastery of budgeting gave l!s great confidence and comfort.
When it was time to move in, the Homeworks team walked us though the house, ensuring that each detail had been tended to, no matter how big or how small. We felt that we had the benefit of an excellent company, coupled with true concierge service!
The quality of both design and goods converged to produce a home that is a true standout. We have lived here for five months, and only grow more delighted with the beautiful house that Homeworks built.
Joe & Kathy Maguire
Homeworks,
We want you to know that when we found our home on Martinique it was like finding our dream home. We are very pleased with the quality of workmanship your company provides, and the service before, during, and after our purchase. We sincerely appreciate the way you conduct business, and we would highly recommend your company to others because of our satisfaction.
Andrej and Sandra
To the Homeworks Team:
Wow, I don't even know where to start. I remember Ramon's words at our first meeting...."a remodel is like a bad marriage...you will get through it but it is going to be tough". Well, with Homeworks, our experience was a pleasant one. The entire renovation only took eight months and I got to work with an exceptional team.
First Marilyn, I will always be thankful for our chance encounter that one afternoon. Without us meeting and you being so friendly and helpful, we might only be in phase 1 of a renovation. You have an incredible talent for designing a house! No question about it. You thought about everything from top to bottom and left nothing out. You have great vision and an eye for detail. My happiness with the process and the decisions that were being made was always one of your greatest concerns.
Stephanie you were the best!! Being my decorator on the job I know you had the hardest job of all. You had to do a lot of hand holding, answer numerous questions, many times repeatedly, and somehow always did it with a smile. You reassured me, when necessary, that everything would look great in the end. I am so glad I trusted you. You quickly learned our style and helped me stay on track AND on budget!! In the end, we got a house that we absolutely love and it truly reflects our personality.
Kevin you were also amazing. You were equally as patient and concerned that I was happy all the time. I love your "can do" attitude and the quality of work you demanded on the house. There was never any "slacking" with you on the job!! I always valued your comments and opinions. Your honestly was always appreciated. .You built a home that you can be proud of. Probably most importantly was that you were always readily available. I could always count on you being there to make sure everything was being done right, running smoothly and being completed in a timely manner. Thank you so much.
Miquel and your smile. Your presence on the job site was priceless to me. You were knowledgeable about what was going on and could answer my questions. You welcomed my numerous visits to the house and not once seemed to mind. You are a great craftsman with an ability to do about anything. Your dedication to perfection showed in the end. You are truly an asset to the company.
Victor, James, Ovideo and both Gus'. You also were a pleasure to see each day. You were always the first to arrive in the morning and the last to lock up and leave each night. You were always available to help me if I needed it and were always very professional and polite.
Even Nancy, Tish and Randy who periodically had to deal with me. Each of you were helpful any time I needed something. Nancy you always made sure that my messages got delivered and probably had my number memorized from ringing so much at the office. Randy, thank you for keeping me posted monthly. What a great job you did predicting the cost!! You are really good at what you do. Tish, thank you for working with Ruth at Palm Bank. I know it was different from what you are used to working with. I appreciate that.
And last but not least, Mari. Now that the house is complete, your job is to make sure that I am happy with the final product. As soon as the 30 days were up you were calling me to do the punch list! You are very efficient and are able to get things done. I like that!! This is customer service that is so hard to find anymore. Thank you for sticking with me until the final detail is complete.
Finally, for a project that was only supposed to be a game room over the garage, you guys did an incredible job. I can't say enough great things about you, and if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing. We LOVE our house and what you did for us. Thank you Ramon for agreeing to do the job. Congratulations, you have built a company you can really be proud of. I am really going to miss everyone.
Warmest Wishes
Tom, DeAnna, and Harmon kids
Dear Mr. Perez,
Words cannot express my gratitude to you and your staff for providing me with the most unexpectedly pleasant custom home building experience!
My previous experience building a custom home was riddled with anxiety, disappointment, and compromise, I fully anticipated a similar ordeal and prepared myself accordingly. Instead, I was met with an enthusiastic staff and assigned my own professional designer, Mari Amatangelo, with an attention to detail that was unmatched! the site supervisor and crew cheerfully consulted me at every turn to ensure all the details were perfect. I fully expected this level of communication to taper off throughout the project, however your staff, obviously passionate about their work product, included me in every decision!
Eventually, my confidence in the Homeworks "family" reached a level that allowed me to delegate many of those details, knowing my interests would not only be protected, but fully represented in negotiations with sub contractors, in the reflection of my personal style, and in the quality of the final product. I can truly say my home is exactly what I envisioned and so much more!
yours may not be a large company, but your staff is passionate about what they do, they enjoy their work, and each other, and the sum of these is reflected in my beautiful home, which will always be open to the friends I have made through this journey.
Thank you so very much for the investment of yourselves you made in my family's home. it will not be forgotten.
Sincerely,
Candace C. Harrington
Dear Ramon, Marilyn and all the Homeworks staff,
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each of you for truly designing and building a
showplace home for me in South Tampa. The professionalism, creativity, building and
engineering expertise, along with a cordial and dedicated staff have made this a truly
pleasurable experience!
Homeworks represents my number one choice for designing and building a home. This
is based on past experience with other quality builders in the Tampa area. The
combination of your design expertise, knowledgeable engineering, and daily on-site
supervisory skills demonstrated by your foreman have ensured only the highest levels of
quality and craftsmanship.
The attention to detail provided by your design team represents a unique attribute to
Homeworks. The team worked with me one-on-one to first understand my tastes and
desires, and then act on my behalf in screening myriads of selections into a manageable
few, saving me both time and money. Rather than imposing their own personal likes into
the decision process, your experienced team first listened to me, and then showed me
available trade-offs and alternatives from which to choose. This approach has resulted in
an artful combination of both innovation and architectural styling which has maximized
my financial investment. Thanks Mari for all your patience, dedication and support!
Throughout the build process we were challenged by both the City of Tampa and nature.
Yet the combination of your in-house engineer and building foreman continued to
develop venues to overcome the obstacles without sacrificing either design or quality.
Their attention to detail and commitment to quality speaks volumes for Homeworks,
clearly setting you apart from other quality builders. Thanks Randy and Kevin for
working with me, it would not have worked without you!
Again, thank you for this opportunity to share with you my thoughts on the
professionalism, creativity and quality which is deeply embedded in both your staff and
product. You have made this building experience a truly enjoyable one, and I look
forward to enjoying my new home!
Sincerely
Paul Ostrowski
Dear Homeworks,
We are extremely pleased with the quality of the work that Homeworks performed at our home in South Tampa. The owners of Homeworks, Ramon and Marilyn Perez, are very capable, experienced, knowledgeable and professional people who insist that their staff provide the highest level of customer service; in addition, they are friendly and easy to talk to and work with.
We were impressed with Homeworks’ attention to detail, not only in the planning and design of the project, but also in connection with day-to-day construction matters. The project manager was at the project site a lot, but when he was not there, he was readily available by phone and very responsive. If a subcontractor failed to do a good job, Homeworks required the work to be corrected or redone. Change orders were processed professionally, and Homeworks capably handled the nightmarish hassles of dealing with subcontractors and suppliers. Upon substantial completion of the project, Homeworks promptly completed all punch list items. During the first year after completion, we had only one minor warranty item that Homeworks took care of immediately after request.
We especially appreciated the design assistance we received from the Homeworks staff, from the first phase of drawings to the day-to-day help with selections and recommendations. Having a design professional available at all times to bounce off ideas and offer suggestions throughout the job was invaluable.
We believe that Homeworks deserves its reputation as a superior home builder/designer, and we would work with Homeworks again without reservation.
Tom and Lynn Black