67-Year-Old Arlington Home for Major Remodel

The client had recently retired and decided to move to Arlington. He had purchased a single-family home on South Harrison Street built in 1950. It had two bedrooms and one bathroom. He had planned to renovate the property from top to bottom before he moved in with his wife.

Downstairs, he moved the dining, kitchen and laundry areas to the back. Expanded the living area and put in an additional guest bathroom. He called us in to do an estimate for putting in kitchen countertops  and bathroom countertops.

The remodel was a major undertaking, and the client was impatient to move in. He asked us for the quickest installation we could manage, and was not interested in choosing the stones in person as he was out-of-state. He gave us a budget to work with, paid half of it then and there, and pretty much told us to use our discretion to give him the best results we could for the work he needed done.

The budget was not large, but it was adequate. We sent in an estimator to consult with the contractor as to the general color scheme of the home and made measurements of the rooms. After went to work right away choosing the stones, tiles, and sinks that we thought would blend in nicely with the general design of the home, since we were given very little information about the preferences of the homeowner. We chose granite (always a favorite) we had in stock for all the bathroom countertops, floor and wall tiles, and backsplashes.

Installation

As soon as the contractor gave the green light, we started work immediately. It went smoothly, because the contractor was someone we had worked with previously, and when we came in, the work sites were ready for us. We laid down all the floor and wall tiles first in rapid succession, taking just four days to tile and grout four rooms and we had to stop work because we had to wait for the cabinets to be installed before we could come in to do the templates. But once we had those, we did quick work of the fabrication. We were ready to install the vanity and counter tops just as the contractor finished with the rooms.

Installing, polishing, and sealing the countertops and backsplashes were done within one day, and we could send photos of the finished installations to the client the next day.

Post Installation

The client called us as soon as he received the photos and expressed his admiration of the colors and materials we had chosen. He said that his wife had expressed doubts about giving us free rein, and he was glad that he didn’t have to admit she had been right! He was even more satisfied when we informed him that we had gone under budget, and assured him that we would be more than happy to address any issues he will have when he saw the installation in person. 

Post mortem

The project was a unique challenge because it was unusual for a client to be so completely out of the loop when it came to making choices, and it was a rather large project to go into blind. However, we trusted the judgment of our experts to not let the client down and to produce results with which he would be happy and under budget.

It also helped greatly that we had a previous working relationship with the contractor, who gave valuable insight into the general tastes of the homeowner.

We at Granite Asap always strive to meet client expectations, and go beyond it if it is at all feasible. We were very happy that this client felt justified in giving us his trust the way he did.

You, too, can avoid a lot of stress and headache by placing your trust in us. Contact us for a free estimate of your own remodel needs, no matter how big or small it is.

Arlington, VA

Arlington County in Virginia, is a large city shouting distance of downtown Washington. It was called Alexandria County in 1801 when it was still donated land for use of the US government. Part of the land returned to the state of Virginia in 1846. That is now what is referred to as Arlington. The name change occurred in 1920 to distinguish it from Alexandria City, which was right next to it.

Arlington has a total land area of 26 square miles. It is the smallest of the self-governing counties in the US, geographically speaking. However, because it is close to Washington, D.C., many federal government agencies have their headquarters in the area. These include the Pentagon, the Department of Defense, the Transportation of Security Administration, and the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. This contributes greatly to the stability of the county’s economy, a good thing for residents in general.

 It is the 4th most populous city in the US if it were ever incorporated into. Some studies consider ideal area for retirees because of excellent health care quality, high walkability, low crime rate, and rich mix of local culture.

For most residents in Arlington, it has proximity to many places and its excellent public transport system. It is easy to get around even if you don’t have a car. There are also many restaurants offering a wide range of cuisines, usually a short walk or ride from anywhere. If you feel like getting close to nature, Arlington has many parks and hiking/biking trails. While it is technically a suburb, it is far from sleepy. Something is always happening, so if you want to “get away from it all,” Arlington is not the place to do it.

Arlington has a lot to offer visitors as well. If you want to feel a bit of American civil war history, visit The Arlington Memorial Cemetery. The land was once owned by Confederate general Robert E. Lee. It was established as the Tomb of the Unknowns. The final resting place of soldiers . It is also the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy, marked by the Eternal Flame memorial. You may also want to check out what slave quarters looked like back in the day. The cemetery overlooks the Potomac River as well as the National Mall.

From Arlington Memorial, you can check out other famous monuments just in the area. You have the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Hemicycle where you can gawk at the Iwo Jiwa Memorial. You might also want to head on to the Theodore Roosevelt Park island and do some hiking. When all else fails, you can always check out the Pentagon.