Julie Griggs built up her career from scratch – literally. In 1995 she was on an empty property in Andover Hills, who was ready to build her first home. At that time, the Lexington district was little more than a network of unpaved roads and opportunities. At that time, Grigg had only 28 years old and had no idea that the moment shape the beginning of a decades of career for family and life-von families all over Lexington.
Grigg's Homes Inc. began as a tailor -made house building company with Griggs at the top as one of the few female builders in an industry that is overwhelming by men. “At that time I was often confused with the broker or the homeowner,” she recalls. “But I never wanted to be recognized as one of the best in the industry as a” female builder “.” In the next twelve years, she built 36 customs houses and dominated various aspects of trade and built up equal relationships with contractors and customers alike.
But in 2005 life took a new turn. With a three-year-old son at home and the real estate market, which affected the life capacity of the new building, Grigg was drawn to another side of the industry. What started as an adaptation soon became a passion to change the way people live in their houses.
“A new home offers space to life. A renovation changes the way you live in your house, ”said Griggs. “I enjoy the aspect of 'before and after' and heard my customers say that they have never loved their house or have used their room better.”
As a redesign, Grigg's at home is approaching every home with an “X -ray view” of his potential with her years of experience in the new buildings and offering her a unique ability to anticipate structural problems and other challenges before you occur.
“We live in our houses, but we don't often know what's behind the walls,” she said. “I can imagine why a master builder built something in a certain way and what we will see when we take it apart.”
This deep knowledge of how houses are being built enables her to help home owners to reinterpret their rooms in a way that they never considered possible. “Since we live in our houses every day and get used to what they look like at the moment, it is sometimes very difficult to imagine the conversion in other ways than what they believe,” she said. Here you trust an experienced building contractor to shape what is perfect for your room, and often surprises you with options that you have never imagined.
Beautiful conversions go much deeper than just aesthetics. For Griggs, the foundation of every successful project is the floor plan. “Some houses have defects in their layout that only have to disappear,” she says. “It doesn't matter how much great design and beautiful surfaces go to a project if the floor plan is wrong.”
In contrast to new buildings, conversion in an existing home requires families in which families still have to live during the process. “It gets worse before it gets better,” she said with a laugh.
“There are noises, dust, schedules, out of the move out – and these early phases lay the basis for the entire conversion,” she said. “You cannot overturn the” pretty part “at the time of time and make functional errors or costly mistakes.”
Conversion can be a bumpy experience, but ultimately the results are worth it. And Griggs is known for their ability to lead homeowners through the difficult sides of the renovation.
“Conversion can be emotional. They take care of a lot of feelings, ”she said, not to mention financial burdens. Being able to communicate well has become a key component of your job. And it emphasizes the trust as a key factor when choosing a converter.
“For many people, their home is their most valuable capital. Trust applies not only to the plan and the schedule, but also the finances and the inevitable surprises that can happen during the abrasion and afterwards, ”she said. “Before you set a conversion, make sure that you are familiar with your communication, your trust and your relationship. This person will be in her house almost every day. “
Griggs' approach is thoughtful and tailored to the needs of every customer. She spends a lot of time in advance and helps the home owners to understand what they can expect in terms of time and budget. When the conversion begins, it usually has a good idea of the taste and values of her customers – whether they would prefer a simple shower or a “car wash”, she jokes. “I always go together what I learned about my conversion about my customers.”
Over the years, Griggs has cultivated a trustworthy network of subcontractors, many of which have worked with it since their early HomeBuilding days. “This industry is still based on human craftsmanship. This work is still carried out by people, which of course offers a potential for errors, and therefore supervision and supervision are so important, ”she says. In view of the growing challenges of labor men in the shops, she is grateful that she has a team of contractors and project managers who knows and deeply familiars them, and emphasizes how important the role of “teamwork” is in building and conversion.
For Griggs, the transition from the home building to conversion reflected more than just adapting to market changes – it deepens its connection to customers and improves the way people live in their houses.
Griggs recently expanded its business companies with the start of Carey & Holt Realors, a company that is intended to help homeowners prepare their houses for sale. As a licensed broker, she has seen it as another way since 1995 to support her customers on her home ownerships.
Regardless of whether you convey a new life or prepare a house for the market, your work should leave a permanent effect and help people to feel at home more.