Daniel Builders

Is it crazy to uproot your family and travel thousands of miles in search of a new place to live? Some might think so, but not for Ricardo Rodriquez and his wife Amber. They thought it was a great idea. And after a year of living in South Carolina, they still do. Two years ago they were living in Bakersfield, CA. Amber came up with the idea and convinced Ricardo that farm livin' is the life for them (to borrow a lyric from Green Acres) . They embarked on some long road trips to Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and South Carolina in search of a place to live out their agrarian vision. A lovely community in South Carolina called Pendleton was where they eventually landed. It's an intriguing and increasingly common story. People are coming to South Carolina from all over the country. Ricardo explains the appeal, and what they learned since arriving. You'll see his major move wasn't so crazy after all. Do you know someone moving to the upstate of South Carolina? Our Guide-Design-Build team can help them transform a home into a place they love. Tell us your custom remodeling ideas at Danielbuilders.com and a Project Guide will contact you and schedule a Project Vision Meeting.

At Daniel Builders we have a blueprint for Building Trust. We understand not everyone will love choose us for their major remodeling, but one thing we aim to establish with everyone is Trust. If you’ve seen our trucks, you know our tagline “Building Trust”. Maybe that seems abstract or sounds like marketing gibberish, but we see it as a very practical pursuit. We've identified five aspects of building trust - Honesty, communication, connection, commitment, and competence. Spend any time around our team and you'll hear those elements harped on continually. We know practicing them things garners trust. In this episode we focus on competence, which is defined as an ability to do something successfully or efficiently. Trust built on competence is a universal principle. A pizza place who makes a wonderful pizza in a timely manner will have people returning for more. Eat one super tasty pizza and you trust you'll receive another when you return. The same happens among remodeling contractors who do great work. Some of our clients return for two, three, even four more remodels. They watched us do competent work and trusted us to do more of the same. In this episode of Ready, Set, Renovate we speak with two guys who came up through the ranks at Daniel Builders. Sean Harvey is the Build Director and Sam Parkinson is a Project Manager. These guys got to where they are in large part by being competent in carpentry. How did they become competent in carpentry? As you’ll hear Sean & Sam took different paths to developing carpentry competence. One took an “old school” approach while the other learned much under the tutelage of YouTube. It’s a content rich conversation on carpentry competence. Are you considering a remodel, but not sure you know a trustworthy contractor? We’d love to hear more about your project and be given the opportunity to build your trust. Tell us more about your remodeling ideas here and we’ll schedule a conversation to go over our Guide-Design-Build process.

Watching the full length version of this testimonial is better, but here's a preview of what to expect. The full length version will be available on our YT page on 8/26!

For over a year Daniel Builders has been telling the story of a historic home remodel in downtown Pendleton SC. This remodel was the theme of 4 part video series titled "Another 100 Years", which is available to view on the Daniel Builders YouTube page. Those videos provide a realistic overview of the challenges and setbacks of remodeling a century old home. Daniel Builders is happy with series, and far more happy with how the remodel turned out. Still a major question went largely unanswered as the story of this remodel unfolded. How did homeowners feel about the process of remodeling their home? And how did they feel about the finished product? Fortunately, they were willing to openly address those questions in this five minute video, which also showcases the beauty of their fully furnished home. This is the Another 100 Years remodeling story as told by the homeowner.

Watching the full length version of this testimonial is better, but here's a good idea of what to expect. The full length version will be available on our YT page on 8/26!

Drone technology is being utilized by builders, and you might say the popularity of this new tool is really taking off! On this episode of Ready, Set Renovate! We speak with drone photographer Ryan Swanson of Upper Edge Drone Photography. Ryan talks about utilizing drone photography, with benefits that go beyond capturing cool photos. It’s an uplifting conversation sure to elevate your view of remodelers and the work they do! (dad jokes are just an added bonus) So let's get to it!

An ADU is a self-contained residential unit. You'll find all the elements of a home in an ADU - front entrance, conditioned space, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc. It's secondary or independent of the main house on a residential lot, but still it's own residence. You'll find all different types of ADUs from attached to detached from the primary house. ADUs offer a flexible option for families to care for loved ones in a multi-generational home. They can also create opportunities for rental income, add to your existing area, provide office space or a place to start a new business. In this episode of RSR Taylor Lyles discusses the process of building and permitting ADUs in Greenville County. Taylor is the CEO of the Home Builders Association of Greenville, SC and well versed in the ADU realm . So let's get to it!

See these blinds in action!

At last we the home is complete and it's beautiful!

You’ve heard the stories before.Client goes to a custom builder with a big dream. Builder says no problem and off they go building, when seemingly out of the blue MAJOR problems arise.Questions and fear multiply. Will my project ever be completed? How much is it going to cost? And ultimately how bad is this going to get? A ton of money, time and yes someone's very home is at stake. On this episode of Ready, Set, Renovate! Hailey Evans shares how she worked hard to keep her custom home from turning into a contractor horror story. She and her builder (which was not Daniel Builders) thought they had a good idea how everything would go, but a few months into build process expectations had radically changed, and not for the better. Issues surrounding COVID only added to the difficulties.Being a “can-do” person, Hailey rolled up her sleeves and became the self-appointed project manager for her custom home.Pretty remarkable considering she had zero experience as a builder! As she articulates, the learning process was extremely challenging, but also very rewarding. Hailey was determined the story of her custom home would have happy ending.Fortunately, the ending was happy in more ways than one. Are you wanting to steer clear of a renovation horror story? Tell us about your renovation aspirations at danielbuilders.com. A Project Guide will contact you and begin moving your ideas forward.

Our process begins with a website submission followed up by a phone call. Let's get started!

Here's an overview of the Daniel Builders process and people.

Have you ever encountered a sales person who would say anything to get the sale? Before long it's obvious your best interest is no where on their radar. That frustrates and undermines trust. Emotions run high when your home is on the line. There's no debating the value of a trusted advisor at that point. Not just a salesperson, you want someone who will tell the truth even if they lose the sale. Our two guest for this episode are men of character who happen to be in sales. Yes John Power (Daniel Builders) & Mark Martin (Keller Williams) go to work to make money, but not in a way that jeopardizes trust. They know bad advice is a trust killer. Listen as they speak about their somewhat novel approach - advising the client based on the client's best interest.

There are a few things everyone should know before hiring a custom renovation contractor to transform their home. First, custom renovations can't be replicated. No 2 are alike. As a wise sage at Daniel Builders frequently says, "We're not building widgets." Not only does the scope of work vary from project to project, every home is completely different. So producing the same thing never happens, hence the word "custom". Second, no 2 General Contractors are alike. Each GC has a different approach, different standards and different outcomes. This is why you don't bid a project exclusively on price. To use a cliche' you're not comparing "apples to apples". All that to say, a custom renovation usually comes down to one person being tasked to produce the right outcome. That's the Project Manager. A highly competent project manager has the best perspective on what a beautiful custom renovation entails. This video showcases a brand new kitchen and bathroom as the project manager narrates. He's good at narrating the scope and challenges of this project, but as you'll see he's even better at his day job, being a project manager. Are you looking for the right team and project manager for your custom renovation project? Contact Daniel Builders at 864.506.5546 and a project guide will begin moving your home toward a transformation.

So if trade contractors are doing the skilled labor, couldn't anyone do the work of a General Contractor or Project Manager? We discuss that topic on Ready, Set, Renovate podcast.

On an earlier Ready Set Renovate we interviewed Dale VanDonkelaar from Trusted Tradesmen & Co Cabinet Shop. Here's an updated video showcasing some of the work we referenced in that video.

How long should a whole home historic renovation take? Good question. Here’s a better one. How do you renovate a 100 year old home to be structurally sound and true to its original design? Answering both questions adequately requires a very long conversation, something our Project Guides do well. Another option is watching these “Another 100 Years” videos which chronicle the transformation of a 100 year old home in Pendleton SC. All three videos are found on the YouTube channel Daniel Builders Inc (might I recommend liking and subscribing). The 1st video discusses the project vision and shows some demo. The 2nd video reveals major progress despite finding substantial amounts of rot. This recently filmed 3rd video offers some strong clues on how the project will look when finished, much like watching an artist put finishing touches on a masterpiece. Daniel Builders has a completion date scheduled for the Spring. A fourth and final video installment will be filmed then. On that final installment project manager, Sam Parkinson, will be joined by the homeowners. This will be a great opportunity to hear their version of the “Another 100 Years” renovation. Are you contemplating a major home renovation and generating some in depth questions of your own? Speak with a Daniel Builders project guide by calling 864.506.5546 and discuss the best path forward for your custom renovation.

Here's a preview of Installment 3. Full length to be released later this week.

What part of a kitchen renovation is most important? A) Flooring B) Appliances C) Countertops D) Cabinetry (having read the title, you know where this is going) Yes, cabinetry is typically the highest priority during Design. In this episode of Ready Set Renovate we spoke with cabinet builder, Dale VanDonkelaar. After 30+ years of honing his cabinet building ability, his work is beautiful and functional cabinetry. In fact, Dale is so focused on his craft, getting him out of his shop was a challenge. Grateful he came on to share approximately 10 minutes of cabinet building passion and insight. Hope you enjoy this fun, faced paced episode! Is your kitchen ready to be renovated, new cabinetry and all? Contact a Daniel Builders project guide at 864.506.5546 and learn more about the custom renovation process.

2022 is winding down and in this episode of Ready, Set, Renovate! we're expressing gratitude to Taylor Hall. As you'll see, Taylor is a rare combination of creative genius and technical savvy, which he utilizes to enhance the TSR! podcast. In this episode Taylor discusses his passion for videography, and how growth minded businesses can leverage that passion. (A gifted videographer combined with good content is marketing gold) Enough talking about Taylor, time to hear from the man behind the camera. Let's get to it!

Construction contracts can be quite lengthy and full of confusing legalese, but completely necessary during a major custom renovation. Attorney Stokley Holder, of the law offices of Holder, Padgett, Littlejohn and Prickett is our guest. Andy DeLeonardis, a contract specialist for Daniel Builders, is also part of the conversation. Attorney jokes may be funny, but legal problems are no laughing matter. Let's get to it!

Is a Design phase necessary for your custom renovation? Some would suggest no. They would say a skilled craftsman (or what we affectionately call Chuck & his Truck) is all you need. And it's possible that might work. There's a lot of risk taking that approach though. Like anything significant you want to accomplish, the right preparation leads to the right outcome. Design = Preparation. Be assured a well crafted Design increases the likelihood of getting the renovation you envision. So what goes into a custom renovation Design? The short answer is it varies. Whole home custom renovations require significantly more Design than a bathroom reno. The goal of Design is to walk away with a rendering, a detailed scope of work, selections (colors & fixtures), and it certainly helps to having a Builder on hand to provide a Fixed Cost to Build. In this episode we talk with two individuals well acquainted with the Design process. Billy Zion of Zion architects and Laurilyn Hall of Thrive Architectural Interiors are two people with extensive experience Designing custom renovations. You'll quickly see their contribution to that process is significant. So without further ado… Let’s get to it!

This episode is all about the client/contractor relationship. Why are some relationships harmonious and productive while others are highly strained (to put it nicely)? Our guest, Shawn Van Dyke, is a construction business coach, keynote speaker, and author of two books - Profit First for Contractors and The Paperwork Punch List. Most contractors are not profitable which makes them feel uncertain about what they need to do to grow their construction businesses. Shawn believes construction business owners should be as good at business as they are at their craft. That's why, after twenty-plus years of owning and operating multiple construction businesses, he now works with construction business owners, executives, and managers all over the world and shows them how to stop losing profits and wasting time. He is the CEO of the Built to Build Academy® which creates confident construction business owners by providing operational systems to streamline their construction business, and get their life back. Rob Young of Heritage Custom Builder also joins us to share his experience and insight on the Client/Contractor relationship. Let's get to it!

How does your builder determine the price of a custom renovation project? Generally speaking, there are 2 approaches to pricing a a custom renovation – Cost Plus & Fixed Cost. In this episode of Ready, Set, Renovate! Steve Carson and Larry Myers compare and contrast these 2 methods. Both are reputable builders and have well thought out reasons for their chosen approach to pricing. Spoiler alert, neither approach fits all circumstances, although you may discover one is preferable to you, your personality and circumstances. Only one way to find out. Watch and decide!