Arturo Alvarez Demalde has selected the plot where his new home will be planted. Construction began on Friday on is expected to take 4-6 months including all landscaping, drainage, permits, fire inspection, etc. There are plenty of hoops to jump through!
Why did you choose Ralph Slaske of Slaske Builders to build this new home?
I met with Ralph Slaske and then met with a few other builders in the area. Without a doubt Slaske was better than the rest. He was more knowledgeable and was able to answer all of my questions in a way that I understood and made sense to me. One of the other builders literally told me he didn’t have time to answer any questions. I spent a total of 10 minutes with him and half of that was waiting for him to get off the phone. When I was with Ralph, I really felt that nothing else was going on, anything I asked was his top priority.
What was of paramount concern when choosing a builder?
Obviously price is a big part. When you’re building a custom home, it’s easy to get caught up in price per square foot. Just taking that metric, you can build a very big, but cheap house. I wanted a blend of affordable and upgrades. I told Slaske what was important to me and he understood. His proposal spelled out each aspect I cared about. One thing that is important to me are finishing touches. I wanted to pick out my baseboards, window and door trim as well as the sheen on the cabinets. After saying that I realized that I might be a little picky! At the end of the day, it’s my money and I want to get what I want and Slaske enabled me to do that.
What can Ralph Slaske and Slaske Builders do to improve?
One of the most difficult parts of this process was finding the right piece of property. I want neighbors, but not too close. I wanted an acre or two, but didn’t want a house 25 feet away from my property line. That meant I had to find a lot with existing homes. I talked to Ralph after I had located a few lots I liked and he actually toured them with me and helped me pick out the one that was best for my needs as well as best for construction. My favorite lot sat a little lower in elevation that the homes around it and could have been underwater if we built on my chosen spot! Ralph gave me options to backfill the whole area or pick a new lot. His understanding and experience was invaluable during this process!
Thank you Arturo Alvarez Demalde for taking the time to give us your thoughts!
For more information on Ralph Slaske take a look at this recent interview.