The DeSanto Home

A few years ago, we built a new garage for the DeSantos when they lived in Belmont. This latest project was much more extensive. We touched just about every area of the house, from renovating and reconfiguring the kitchen/family room to creating a master bedroom suite to adding or renovating four bathrooms (and much more). Once we completed the interior, we headed outside to build out a multi-level backyard deck.

"The DeSantos - along with their architect and landscape architect - were a pleasure to work with," said Custom Contracting president Bill Farnsworth.

Jeanne recently sat down with us to recap her experience with Custom.

On their key project goals...

"Aesthetically, this house looked like it had been grafted together from various timeframes. The front dates back to the 1880s. The addition in back - which was built in the early 1980s - didn't match the character of the rest of the house."

"Custom did an excellent job unifying the look and restoring some of the old touches, such as reclaiming a few original doors. You could tell they respected the old workmanship and kept that in mind while also introducing modern conveniences like a new HVAC system."

On the timing and budget...

"Logistics were a big concern. We were selling our old house and had to be sure the interior work would be completed on time so that we could move in by June 2009. Custom was right on schedule.

"Budget was also important. The project started in October 2008. Every time you looked at the stock market, there was bad news. We needed Custom to stick to the budget, and they did that too."

On our communication abilities...

"With a project this big, we appreciated that Custom never made assumptions on what to do. If anything was unclear or unspecified, they always told us the situation and gave their opinion on how to handle it. That was really helpful. Custom never chose to fill in any ambiguities themselves - which meant no unpleasant surprises."

On lead carpenter Bryan Lamoureux...

"Bryan did a superb job managing the project. He even did some of the custom cabinetry work, such as building closet doors that look like they've been there forever. You could tell how much he respected our home. He was really intrigued by some of its older features and gave us helpful guidance whenever we had to make important decisions."

On her favorite aspect of the finished work...

"It sounds crazy, but my favorite part is the HVAC system. It's great. Most homes have hot spots and cold spots. Now, this home has the most evenly distributed heating and cooling I've ever experienced. Really well-designed."

On our business model...

"I like Custom's business model in that they're looking for long-term relationships. After they complete a large project, they want you to call them again when smaller projects come up. It's reassuring to know you can rely on one source to handle everything from a major remodel to ongoing maintenance."

On referring us to friends...

"We've already recommended Custom to friends of ours in North Andover, and we will continue to do so with other friends. We have more work to be done on our garage and front porch, and Custom will be the first people we call."