By Dianne Feffer
Special Contributor
There is a tendency for us to take an interest in renovating our home. We’re comfortable with our house but also conflicted with certain aspects of it.
All too often the intention takes a decade or two to be realized. Such is the case with Baby Boomers Honey and Mike Sheff, who in their 20s purchased a 3,000-square-foot home on three acres in Collin County back in 1981. It’s the only home they have ever owned.
Honey, a licensed psychologist, and Mike, a banker, realized that 40 years had passed, they had raised two children and launched them to college, and in the process cared for eight dogs and multiple cats.
As Honey says, “Life took over and we turned around 40 years later.” They are now viewing their home through the lens of a couple in their 60s.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Maybe you’re a decade into homeownership or possibly you’re approaching the empty-nester stage too.
Where to start and who to call regarding home renovation can be an arduous task. Five years ago, Honey and Mike started the process to find a contractor who could help them renovate their home.
“I found quite a few people who had used contractors, but no one felt comfortable recommending these contractors after the job had been completed,” said Honey.
She spent a year unsuccessfully asking friends for referrals and then took to social media with her inquiry. She was finally routed to Bruce Graf of Graf Developments by a colleague who had hired the company to renovate her home. In doing their research of Graf Developments, Honey and Mike consistently learned that: 1) Bruce won’t be cheapest, but he is worth every penny and you get what you pay for. 2) When you’re a client of Bruce Graf, you’re a client for life. And 3) Bruce’s work is of the highest quality and his crew and ‘subs’ are held in equal esteem.
“What struck my husband and I immediately was the talent of Bruce and his designer, Angeline,” Honey said. “They listened carefully and developed a relationship with us so that they could recommend certain changes based on understanding how we wanted to live in this house.”
“They translated that into a vision of what our house needed to be, and it was clear that the renovation plan aligned with what we wanted in our newly renovated home,” said Honey.
This particular home renovation was completed in seven months. As Bruce says, “We took it down to the studs and brought it back to life, better than before. They now have a home where the kitchen is part of the living space, which will bring their family and friends together making plans, meals, and memories for years to come.”
Honey shared her excitement saying that “the biggest transformation in my home has been the Kitchen/Living Room as an open concept as well as my Master Bath being completely reconfigured to be more user-friendly and to guide us through aging-in-place.”
We’ll leave you with before-and-after photos of both the kitchen and master bedroom and just know you’re completely normal if you stare at these for a while – I did.
Quick snippets from Honey as she and her husband take in their newly renovated home:
“Everyone who walks through our new home is blown away by the total renovation.”
“Our adult daughter returned home to say ‘where did this view come from? Bruce replaced the original five narrow windows in our living room with two 6 x 10’ windows. This has enhanced the experience of sitting in our living room, relaxing and taking in our beautiful backyard.’ Our adult son was stunned by the transformation beyond anything he could have imagined, loving how some of the “old” was integrated into all of the new making it look totally different.”
“I often walk around the house and say to myself, ‘I can’t believe I get to live here. I love it so much! Mike and I believe that we have given a gift to ourselves, one that we’ll fully enjoy during this time in our life.
“For years I’ve belonged to a book club but was embarrassed to entertain in my home. Now I’m happy to host and have already organized six events including an upcoming professional retreat at our home”
Could your home benefit from renovation? See more of Bruce’s work by visiting GrafDevelopments.com.
