The answer is simple. For almost twenty years, we’ve never needed to advertise! Since 2005, we’ve generated over 80% of our annual sales through word-of-mouth referrals. True story!

Proudly, for many years we’ve been blessed with steady job referrals and numerous construction management projects. We haven’t had pressure to advertise and get our name any further out to the marketplace because our volume was quite sufficient. Today, however, the economy has changed. The Internet now allows us to connect with a massive audience in ways that were unimaginable just 10 years ago.

We still rely heavily on our referrals, but frankly, the entire remodeling market has retracted. It’s important to us to also reach out and match our unique skillsets with more people wanting to remodel or renovate their home. Nowadays, potential buyers and remodeling customers spend an enormous amount of time researching, comparing and making buying decisions primarily from what they learn online.

To provide as much information as possible to potential customers, we’ve recently committed to expanding our online presence because of its cost effectiveness and ability to instantly share enormous amounts of vital content with them that they otherwise might not have found on their own, or heard about through a referral from one of our customers.

Good question. Since you’re probably referring to the overall economy, one cannot ignore the problems our country is currently facing. With new and existing home sales in steady decline, interest rates soaring, lay-offs surging and families struggling with ever-increasing cost-of-living expenses, the general trend for many existing homeowners is to ‘hold on to what they have,’ until things stabilize. For many, that’s probably excellent advice.

However, in the process of ‘holding,’ our research suggests that there are still a lot of people, particularly veterans with VA Benefits and those with fixed-rate mortgages, that are highly considering remodeling and/or expanding their existing homes to make their ‘holding pattern’ more comfortable, and to add significant value to their home when things turn around.

Obviously, especially in today’s uncertain times, not everybody can afford to remodel or add rooms. The same is true with our potential referral customers. But for those who can afford to invest in their homestead, it’s probably a wise thing to do.

Why?

Let us share some insights from several of our savvy, remodeling and home renovation customers. According to them, there are three primary reasons why they think that now is the time to invest in remodeling and home additions:

1. Economic (Dollar) Inflation

   Like almost everything else, the cost of building materials is going through the roof. For example, remodeling or building an addition today is roughly 40% more expensive than is was just two-short years ago. In two more years, it’s projected to shoot up 40% or more, again! 

   Here’s another view our regulars share on the topic of inflation ... First, remodeling is more expensive these days, certainly. But at least we can find materials without too much problem. (Do you realize that when you order many brands of windows, doors, and major appliances today, you’ll wait three to six months for them to arrive?) 

   Arrive? Arrive from where? You guessed it ...China!

   Secondly, the expectation of availability may not be around that much longer. And, if in a year or two you decide to remodel or add a room, will materials still be available at all? And, if so, how much do you think they’ll cost then?

   Our remodeling friends also suggest that spending $40-, $60-, $80- or $100,000 on a kitchen/bathroom remodel or one- or two-room addition today will likely add up to twice that amount to your home’s value by 2025. That’s not a bad return.  

   Whatever the exact numbers turn out to be, they are still using inflation to their advantage. They refuse to let their money sit in a bank or low-yield investment and earn next to nothing. They put it to work in their home where they have total control over it. Using their math, the money spent on a remodel or home addition now will return as much as 30% to 40% per year in home value if things remain the same.

2. Family Consolidation due to Aging and the Economy

   Increasingly, more and more people are facing difficult circumstances. And some have hit really rough times. Having to move-in with parents or siblings is becoming more and more common. One of our customers recently had us build a small, 650 Sq. Ft. one-bedroom, one-bath apartment in the back of his home for his widowed Father-in-Law. The elderly retiree could no longer afford to live independently and thank God our customer had the wherewithal and compassion to help his forlorn relative. 

   Whether it’s wanting to modernize your kitchen or bathroom, add room to accommodate a family member or aging parent(s), or build a rental unit for additional monthly income, investing in your home is the wisest choice among many according to our insiders! 

3. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and Supply Chain Issues

To an extent, this topic is addressed in #1 above. However, when the time comes that materials are either unavailable or too costly to buy, the entire homebuilding industry will grind to a halt. Very few will be able to afford a contractor to do any work at all, that is, if there’s even anyone around.

Besides here in the United States, our lumber, plywood and sheetrock is imported primarily from China, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Brazil and Russia.

Sheet metal, nails, screws, metallic studs, frames, braces, forms, steel girders, pipe and a myriad of adhesives, couplers, pressurized tanks, regulators, parts and connectors come pretty much from China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Turkey and Germany.

Likewise, industrial equipment and large industrial machinery like earthmovers, backhoes, tractors, graders, dumpsters, haulers, spray and spread trucks, fuelers, liquid transports, dump trucks, and many others are mostly imported from China, Japan, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland.

See where this is going?

Knowledgeable industry insiders forecast a very uncertain import supply of equipment and materials in the next several years. As international tensions escalate, global currencies melt down and energy and food insecurity are becoming more and more prevalent, it’s anybody’s guess as to how long all of these critical construction materials and goods and equipment imports will last. And, quite honestly, we have nowhere near the capability to supply even a minimum quantity of these goods and materials to ourselves here in the U.S.

Transformations Remodeling is a solid company with a sound business model and an excellent reputation in the construction and remodeling industry. For this reason, we’d love the opportunity to face the storm together with you and give you our honest, lowest cost estimate of what it will cost. There will never be a better time than now!

Sure. We are an independent, family-owned construction and remodeling business located near the airport in San Antonio. We employ roughly twenty skilled carpenters, framers, sheetrock crews, tile and grout layers, glass specialists, flooring crews, roofers, and painters. We’ve been in business as Transformations Remodeling since 2005. Before that, our owner, Juan L. Martinez, worked as a general contractor and construction superintendent here in San Antonio.

Mr. Martinez is a native of Monterrey, Mexico, where he apprenticed and trained in all phases of construction with his family’s well-known engineering and construction business. He developed a great deal of expertise in architecture, building design, functionality, and excellence in workmanship during his first 15 years of experience building homes, businesses and factories throughout Mexico and Central America, before emigrating to the United States.

Mr. Martinez became a United States citizen and moved to San Antonio in 1980. He immediately began serving as a Construction Superintendent and Project Manager for the next 20+ years for two of San Antonio’s largest and most widely-recognized remodeling and construction companies.

He started Transformations Remodeling in 2005 and has been steadily remodeling homes and building additions since that time. Juan Martinez is well known throughout the industry as an artist and excellent quality builder.

After 18 years of successful operations, Transformations Remodeling now owns its headquarters and warehouse building at 602 W. Rhapsody Dr. San Antonio, Texas along with twenty other commercial and residential properties in the San Antonio area. The company operates three divisions: (1) Residential Remodeling, Renovations and Additions, (2) Commercial – Interior and Exterior Retrofitting, and (3) Commercial and Residential Property Management.

We are financially sound and fiscally conservative. Most often we price lower than most competitors and we consistently produce world-class work with generous assurances of quality workmanship and durability. Our finished work is our reputation. We approach each job and individual budget with emphasis on function, proportion, quality installation, uniqueness, appeal, and beauty. We take time to listen and take good care of our customers.

Yes, we certainly do. Transformations Remodeling offers a full, one-year guarantee that for no cost at all, we’ll correct, fix, repair or replace any defect in workmanship, and any failure, peeling or blistering of wooden surfaces due to defective preparation or installation. We warranty third-party doors, windows, HVAC units, kitchen and bathroom appliances, washers and dryers, water softeners, garage doors and openers, lighting and light fixtures and all plumbing, electrical and mechanical installation for a period of one-year due to defective installation only. Ordinary manufacturer’s warranties apply to all appliances.

Yes, we do. However, our showroom is designed more like a conference room for customer meetings and to spread out construction plans and blueprints. In our moderate showroom, we mostly demonstrate the function and appearance of certain modern kitchen and bathroom sinks, cabinets, vanity’s, islands, appliances, showers, and bath’s rather than having an extensive line of product and furnishing choices.

The other reason for having a downsized showroom is that we always recommend that our customers visit our preferred vendors’ showrooms here in San Antonio to browse their extensive line of product selections, prices, colors, patterns and textures.

We have affiliations with numerous material and fixture suppliers locally and they carry a deep variety of selections for all types of fixtures like doors, windows, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, floor and wall tile, showers, sinks, vanity’s, tubs, toilets, cabinets, floors and flooring, and countertops and backsplashes.

Not only do our preferred suppliers carry extensive selections, choices, colors, sizes and prices, they will gladly extend you our contractors discount on your purchases.

Simple. We guarantee that we will meet or exceed the lowest verified project cost estimate you receive from any of our legitimate competitors here in the San Antonio area. We only require that you receive at least three competitive estimates for us to review and compare services to make sure they match with ours apples-to-apples, and we are pricing the same scope of work.

By selecting Transformations Remodeling to professionally handle your project from start to finish, you’re getting one of the best in the business for the lowest confirmed cost possible.

Our Low-Cost Guarantee is the best incentive that we, or anyone else, could possibly offer. We offer it to assure you that you’ll be getting the finest remodeling job possible for the absolute lowest cost. By letting us meet or exceed the lowest cost quoted to you by our main competitors, you will have first-hand assurance that choosing Transformations Remodeling will have saved you the maximum amount of money for the highest quality work possible.

As a caution, we advise all potential customers to really scrutinize the popular ‘no down payment,’ and ‘12-months interest free,’ and ‘no payments for 12 months,’ financing incentives you find with many kitchen and bath remodelers. Why? Well, you’ll discover in the fine print that nothing is ‘free’, and the deferred interest will hit you hard beginning the 13th month. How hard? Often higher than your highest credit card interest! Please research these offers carefully.

One other thing to remember about these types of incentives for a major purchase is that the builder or remodeler sells your contract to the third-party finance company at a discounted rate. So, they will mark-up your job estimate to make up for the money they’re discounting your contract by. Again, as a potential customer, you are allowed to research and ask your potential contractor any question you wish. We simply recommend that you fully understand the true terms and conditions of your project’s third-party financing arrangements.

Transformations Remodeling requires a down payment/deposit of twenty percent (20%) of the total job cost upon signing your Remodeling Contract. For the balance of your job, our Contract spells out a concise payment schedule (called, a ‘Draw Schedule’) that after your initial down payment is made, will be tied to job progress and milestone completion.

For example, after your down payment, partial payments will be due upon completion of the following stages of job progress, or job milestones:

• Demo completed. Begin foundation (if required), and framing,

• Begin roof (if required), electrical, plumbing, and mechanical rough-in’s (EMP Rough-in),

• Begin sheetrock, tape, float, texturing, and painting,

• Begin floors, cabinets, countertops, backsplashes, showers, tubs, sinks, major appliances, and fixtures installation,

• Begin finish-out, and final walk-thru.

Great question. Here’s what an allowance means: It’s the same as when you travel on business. If your company gives you a meal allowance of, say, $25 per day (per diem), they’ll pay up to $25.00/day for your meals. Anything over that, you pay for yourself.

Likewise, if we estimate a new tile floor for your kitchen, the price we quote will include a $3.00 per square foot allowance for the purchase of any tile you choose. But anything above $3.00 Sq. Ft., you pay for yourself. Generally, kitchen floor tiles cost about $1.75 to $12.00 per square foot for the really expensive marble and quartz tiles. A $3.00 per square foot allowance means that you can select any tile, any type, any size and any color you want for your kitchen floor and we will pay the first $3.00 per square foot for that tile. Anything above that, you’ll be responsible for.

So, when selecting your kitchen floor tile, you simply go to our tile vendor’s showroom and pick out your favorite tile in the $3.00 range. Tell them the size of your kitchen and they’ll take care of the rest. Our vendor will then process your order, and we will pick up the tile and install it. You’ll never have to handle it yourself! But remember, if you prefer a more expensive tile, you’ll pay the difference directly to the tile vendor.

The same allowance (per square foot) also applies to our other cost estimate categories, such as: quartz, granite or composite countertops and backsplashes, wall tile, carpet, shower glass enclosures, sinks, tubs, plumbing and lighting fixtures and paint.

Generally, we can start your remodeling project within a week to 10 days after signing the Remodeling/Construction Contract and receipt of your deposit. On home addition projects that involve a detached building (a separate apartment or other structure designed for occupancy not connected to the main house), a different type of Permit is required and may take several weeks or more to process the permit. A detached building permit will require a complete set of engineer’s blueprints and other drawings/certifications. We will let you know what is required based upon your individual project.

Other than making sure to empty all cabinets, drawers and shelves and remove all furniture and furnishings in the room(s) you are remodeling, there’s nothing else you’ll need to do except to plan for, and prepare the family for the disruption of remodeling and make a list of things-to-do and a schedule list referred to in the earlier section, ‘WHAT TO EXPECT – OUR REMODELING PROCESS.’

At the end of each workday, our crews discard all trash and construction debris, straighten-up the work area and remove any potential fall, slip, or trip hazards. If there’s any additional work or cleanup you’d like our crews to do before leaving for the day, be sure to let them know. They’ll be more than happy to take care of, or correct, any issues you point out to them.

When you’re remodeling or home addition project is complete. We conduct a thorough cleanup and finish-out of the entire work area. Floors are thoroughly swept and mopped. Carpeted floors are thoroughly vacuumed. Freshly painted walls, ceilings and trim are inspected for blemishes and splatter and repaired or corrected, if necessary.

All of the major appliances we install are double checked for safe and proper operation. Toilets, sinks, showers, vanity sinks, water heaters, water softeners, garbage disposals, trash compacters, and other appliances we’ve installed are double checked for proper drainage, proper water connection and proper function.

Lighting, lighting fixtures, light switches, new electrical outlets, fans, new fuse panels, relays and new junction boxes are double checked for compliance, workmanship and proper functioning.

New cabinets are double checked for balance, trim, function and proper closure. Countertops, backsplashes, tile trim and wall tiles are cleaned and disinfected.

Once finish-out is complete, we will conduct a final walk-thru with you, the customer, for final approval. If something is identified that needs fixing or correction, it is done or scheduled immediately. If the final walk-thru is acceptable and you are thoroughly satisfied with the job, we will then collect our final Draw (payment) and the project is complete.

Good question. First, let us say that work disputes and/or problems with a crew member do happen, but not that often. We can’t control everything, but there’s many things we can control. So, the key to avoiding most common problems on the job is open and honest communications. Avoiding disputes is one of the main reasons we emphasize establishing and maintaining open communications throughout the entire course of the project.

To begin with, we ask that you approve any remodeling revisions, changes to drawings, drafts and designs and, in particular, changes and change orders. Most disputes and misunderstandings are avoided this way.

Since most construction misunderstandings involve things like the wrong placement, the wrong component, size or color; incorrect measurement, incorrect or insufficient installation, bracing, shielding or test results, it’s vital that we follow the engineer’s or architect’s precise instructions, and any approved changes you initiate, throughout the course of the job to avoid problems or having to make expensive corrections.

If a dispute or challenge does arise, usually a quick examination of the plans and/or blueprints will resolve most issues and identify who’s responsible for its correction, if necessary.

When we begin work, we provide you with a Selection List. The Selection list is used for you to select, identify and confirm your selections in the following areas:

• Floors – carpet model, type, and color. Padding type. Or, if you prefer floor tiles or wood floors, identify the name of the manufacturer, type of tile, model number, dimensions, color, cost, border tile or wood type, size, color and model, contrast tile or wood trim, etc.

• Walls, ceilings and trim – Texture type, paint, wood or tile surfacing, paint color or tile type, manufacturer, model number, size and color.

• Cabinets – type, wood species, dimensions, borders, soft-close, other features and color. Painted or stained, color, closure type, cabinet door style, painted or stained, color, hardware and handle type, manufacturer, color and metal type.

• Countertops, backsplash and wall tile – manufacturer, model number, type, measurements, dimensions, color/design, edges and cutouts.

• Vanity/Sinks – Type, metal, porcelain, stainless steel, etc., manufacturer, type, model number, size, color

• Toilets/Tubs – Manufacturer, type, model number, size, color, etc.

• Showers – Type of enclosure, size, manufacturer, bench, seating, other amenities, type of shower fixtures, shower heads, water cans, wand/no-wand, etc.

• Bathroom and Kitchen Fixtures – Sinks, vanity type and features, faucets, lighting, garbage disposals, trash compactor, water heater, cabinet handles and pulls, towel racks, paper dispensers, medicine cabinets, exhaust fans, etc.

Once you have your Selection List completed and the items purchased, they can be delivered to, and held in our warehouse until we’re ready to install them. By the way, we do not charge for storing or installing your accessory items and fixtures.

Finally, regarding the possibility of personnel issues. If, for any reason, a problem arises with one of our crew members or other representatives of Transformations Remodeling, we want to know about it right away. We will take immediate action to resolve the issue by removing the individual from your residence and interview him/her off site after conferring with you regarding the issue, or complaint.

So, if at any time an uncomfortable situation arises with any of our contractors or employees, please notify us immediately so that we can resolve matters right away. We appreciate your cooperation in these instances and will do all we can to prevent problems or conflict.

Yes, you certainly may. If you’d like to contact any of our references, please let us know by phone or email and we will gladly send you the name and contact information of three of our references.

Understandably, all jobs are unique and do not fit the same mold. However, given our extensive experience in remodeling kitchens and bathrooms and building additions to homes in this area, here’s a general timeline to expect, from contract signing to job completion:

Project Type & Total Time to Complete

Full Kitchen Remodel (New floor plan, new cabinets, floors, countertops, and appliances) 8 to 10 Weeks

Kitchen Remodel (Existing floor plan, new cabinets, floors, countertops, and appliances) 6 to 8 Weeks

Full Bathroom Remodel (New floor plan, new cabinets, shower, bathtub, vanity, and commode) 6 to 8 Weeks

Bathroom Remodel (Existing floor plan, new cabinets, shower, bathtub, vanity, and commode) 4 to 6 Weeks

Detached Apartment or Mother-In-Law Residence (Ex: 800 Sq.Ft., 1-Bedroom, 1-Bath with a walkway to the main house and covered patio) 6 to 9 Months

Attached Room Addition (Ex: 200~400 Sq.Ft., 1-Bedroom, 1-Bath with matching siding and roof) 4 to 6 Months