It is difficult to put into words just how much appreciation we feel for Karnezis Construction and the work that they have done over the past few weeks on our home. After seeing some of the projects that they had completed at our neighbor’s houses, we knew that Jesse and his crew would do top notch work, but we had no idea just what a great experience it would also be to work with them. We both wanted to write reviews, so the rest of this is broken down to include some of what both of us came up with.
KRISTINA: First, Jesse was excited about our vision for our front porch addition and for screening in the existing back porch. Both had some unusual design elements which Jesse was happy to talk out with us. He stopped by a couple of times while we were still in the planning stages so that we could fine tune our ideas with him. He encouraged us to send him examples of porches that we liked so that he could get a visual sense of what we were looking for in the finished product. He consistently provided us with clear estimates and timelines for the work and Jesse included adding electricity for the back porch and hired a contractor for installation. We were lucky enough to be the first project that Jesse and his team took on after the birth of his son, which was a bonus for us because we got to host the first site visit for his newborn child!
MARCUS: Jesse is a people person and an incredible communicator, on top of being a true craftsman when it comes to the work that he does. Beyond all of that, though, Jesse also has an artist’s eye. In both projects, my wife, Kristina, had envisioned many of the features that have now gone from her imagination to reality over the past few weeks. When the initial ideas were shared with Jesse, he not only understood the vision immediately, but he also added his own touches to the process from that very first conversation. He handled all of the permits and legal details smoothly and without a hitch and he was very organized about his entire approach to the process. Jesse made us both feel special and consistently helped to find a pathway to “yes” whenever we had requests.
KRISTINA: Right off the bat, I noticed what a good listener Jesse is. This can be rare when you are a female talking to a male contractor. When I told Jesse that my Dad had done similar work, he would reference that, saying, “You might know that since your Dad did this kind of work.” He listened to my concerns and ideas and then would share his knowledge about why something may or may not work and would suggest alternative ideas. I also noticed that Jesse attends to details and treats his crew well. He had a porta-potty on site since it was a project that would last a couple of weeks and had a dumpster ready to go before the job began.
MARCUS: Jesse’s Karnezis Construction team was incredible. Kyle, Garrett, Austin, and everyone else that helped make this all happen were all very solid, trustworthy, and friendly throughout. Each and every person was approachable and helpful throughout the couple of weeks that they were working on our home. I was so impressed with their attention to detail and their craftsmanship throughout. I don’t know how to build a deck, but I do know how to cook and feed people. It was a real treat that, on the final day, I was able to make a batch of slow-cooked Al Pastor pulled pork street tacos – complete with homemade pineapple-habanero salsa, pickled vegetables, cotija cheese, and more – to feed them all. It was poetic that our first “deckwarming” involved sitting together on our new front deck with the people who made it a reality and to have a moment to feast and talk and laugh together.
KRISTINA: The two weeks that they spent at our house doing the work were great. Construction is disruptive, to be sure, but Jesse is such a good communicator and works to minimize the disruptions. His crew are all so friendly and talented. They have been working together as a team for years and it really shows. When we had questions, one of them would often pull out their phone and show us pictures from other jobs that they had completed. The week AFTER the projects were done, Jesse was still in touch, managing the electrical contractor to install a ceiling fan and sconce light, then setting us up with a color consult so that we could think about next steps of painting and staining. Both the color consult folks and the electrical contractors had only good things to say about working with Jesse and the quality of his work. It’s obvious how well liked and respected he is by his community.
MARCUS: Karnezis Construction transformed the front of our house so much that, for the week after it was complete, neighbors were slowing down their cars and rolling down their windows to shout out their opinions on the changes. Words like “incredible,” “beautiful,” and “amazing” were very common in these spontaneous reviews. I referred to the front porch as the “nicest room in our house.” That was until they finished the back porch, which we alternately call the “treehouse” or the “outdoor living room.” When they finished that project, we spent nearly the whole weekend in our new treehouse. We ate our meals there, played board games, and basically lounged in the fresh air, listening to the sound of the rain and occasional thunder. In fact, I sat at the table in the treehouse while I wrote my review.
BOTH OF US: The work that Jesse and his team did for us has completely transformed our small house. The work, itself, is above and beyond what we envisioned. The lines are clean. The construction is solid. And they were able to work so well with the existing structure that it all, in the end, appears as if it were part of the house all along. They also went above and beyond in so many ways throughout the process, including identifying a leak in our roof and helping us to repair it before ending up with a far more expensive and challenging task down the road and helping us to personalize our decks. For example, we were given a metal crow statue by our kids several Christmases ago (made by an artist friend in Port Townsend, WA – where we used to live). Jesse used some boards to build a “crow bar” so that we could mount the statue on the corner of the front deck. He also sourced some really beautiful tongue-in-groove cedar for the ceiling on both decks, a nod to our roots in the Pacific Northwest.
KRISTINA: We have lived here for two years, and that whole time I have been telling Marcus that I am not sure that I want to commit to this house for very long. Now, with the new additions, I feel like this could be home for many years to come.
MARCUS: I’ve moved way too many times in my life, so hearing Kristina say that last part is the sweetest sound that I can imagine. Thank you, Karnezis Construction!!!
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