Remodeling: What matters to you most?
By Patricia Nugent
All great achievements begin with a vision. To form a clear, comprehensive picture of a home renovation before the first nail is hammered, Bob Gallese, founder of Acclaim Renovations & Design, holds an initial inquiry meeting with potential clients.
“I’ve been in the business for 44 years,” he says. “And if I’ve learned anything, it’s that how smoothly a project runs depends heavily on the first time I sit down with people. Though they might think they are interviewing me, it’s usually me who is asking most of the questions.”
During this meeting, which takes place with Bob and all of the decision makers in-volved, he follows a line of questioning that goes something like this:
“What is your pain?”
He explains everyone has situations to overcome through a renovation, whether it’s building an addition because there’s no room to entertain, or maybe they just hate their outdated kitchen, which is stuck in a decade long, long ago.
“What is your gain?”
Return on investment should be a consideration every step of the way. Bob finds out how long people plan to live in a home. Before he steps foot in anyone’s home, he’s already done the research, finding out how much it’s currently worth and how much they can expect to get out of a renovation in that neighborhood. He is adept at advising homeowners on how to get the maximum value out of a renovation without overspending.
“What’s your style?”
In this age of Pinterest and Houzz, everyone has pictures of what they like. He takes those images and makes them fit with the project at hand, as well as the décor in the rest of the home. He also caters a person’s style to the functionality of a room.
“What’s your budget?”
Bob establishes an investment range and communicates what he generally thinks is possible within the budget the homeowners are comfortable with.
Acclaim Renovations & Design powered by One Man and a Hammer is located at 8550 East Avenue in Mentor. Call 440-974-8082 or visit AcclaimReno.com for more information and to view some remarkable before-and-after galleries of room makeovers.