June 7, 2011

Dear Russell and Lisa,

Just a short note to let you know how much I appreciated the superior quality of the job Zar Custom Homes did for me. The entire process was a dream come true. Your team led by Dean Nieman was just wonderful and very efficient. All aspects of the renovation were done with the utmost quality and care. Everyone involved was top in their field and always presented themselves as polite and concerned about my project. Thank you again!

Sincerely,
Anne S. Lander

May 17, 2011

Dear Russell and Lisa,

Thank you for the professional and quality work performed by ZAR Custom Homes to rehab the home at Hadrian Way in Randolph Park neighborhood! It was a large undertaking, which required careful logistical planning, scheduling, and budgeting to pull off. You guys did it right!

I was impressed by the constant contact and weekly update sessions Dean provided on our behalf. And Lisa gave expert guidance in helping decide on the many finishing details. Lastly, I am pleased that the project came in on time and on budget!

As a Realtor, I recognize the value of providing good service. Part of that is having faith in who I might recommend to home owners for solving home repairs and/or upgrading, or even building a new home.

Due to your “can-do” approach to your customers, I am happy to refer future business to ZAR Custom Homes!

Sincerely,
Curt Seifart, Jr.
Helen Adams Realty

July 12, 2010

Russell & Lisa,

We want to thank you for the outstanding job you did in helping us build our dream lake house at Lake James. It was such a challenging project since we were several hours away. We needed a builder we could trust when they promised a superior home and excellent customer service. We needed a builder who would listen when we explained our vision. We needed someone who was available and responsive to our questions to ease the anxiety of not being able to be on site. You delivered on all counts and truly exceeded our expectations time and again. You're help and involvement with the planning of the house, the architectural review, and interior design were invaluable and critical to the success of our house. You added details that accented our design ideas and truly took our breath away.We can't thank you enough.

Bill & Nancy

April 26, 2010

Hi Russell,

Thank you for all of the amazing work your team completed on our home. The new wine rack and gates look absolutely amazing and far exceeded anything we could have imagined!!! We have always wanted to have a wine rack in our home and the gates truly are a work of art! Also, the repairs to the front roof turned our great, as well as the molding you replaced in the office. Both the roof and molding updates matched what we had exactly and was completed professionally by your team. Thanks again for everything and we look forward to partnering with you on future projects.

Best Regards,

Jason Bush

January 25, 2010

Zar Custom homes did an excellent job on our screen porch addition and stone patio. After talking with multiple builders about our project, we selected ZAR Custom Homes based on references, quality of work and Russell's "no pressure" approach to selling us the job. We are very satisfied with the final product and we had no idea the addition would transform our back yard into a completely different living space.

Rodney and Beth Lynn

September 15, 2009

Hi Russell,

I apologize for taking so long to get this to you and this is long-overdue! I wanted to thank you for all that you have done in the past few months for my clients. I am most grateful for the level of service that you provide as well as the quality of workmanship that your team of professionals provide to my clients. I cannot thank you enough for your dedication and commitment to my clients as everything that you and your team do is a direct reflection upon me! I have received numerous compliments from my clients in regards to every aspect of the job that you perform?as well as the 'above and beyond' that you give, including the numerous phone calls from all parties involved in a punch list transaction to your prompt responses, either by phone or by email. My clients who are in need of renovations and not just punch list items have been extremely impressed with you and, as in my business, your goal of making them a 'client for life,' is extremely important. In my opinion, this goal for your business has been accomplished with both my clients and myself?although I am aware that this is an ongoing, crucial aspect of your business model and I'm sure will continue! OH, and did I mention your reasonable fees?in this market, that is very much appreciated!

Keep up the excellent service, dedication and work and know that you and your entire team are most appreciated and highly recommended!

Have a great day,

Debe Maxwell

July 17, 2009

Dear Russell and Lisa,

Linda and I would like to thank the both of you for a job well done in completing our lovely home.

Right from the start, you guys responded quickly to every question, inquiry, phone call and e-mail. You guys also provided great advice and support on floor plans, finishes and locations. We were involved and informed throughout the entire process and everything went smoothly.

Even after me moved in, you guys followed up with us and made sure everything was OK. We were very impressed with your attention to detail and integrity. We are thrilled that Zar brought us home on time and on budget. We will definitely go with you guys again for our next house.

Sincerely,

Tim and Linda Vang

July 6, 2009

Dear Russell and Lisa,

RE: Houston Ridge Rd Two Car Garage Addition

I wanted to write and thank you and your team once again for doing such a terricic job on our garage project. We are all just thrilled with the final results. We've met so many new neighbors. People keep stopping by and commenting on how nice it looks. The brick face and siding match great! I was pretty concered we would have a tough time matching those materials up to the existing structure but it worked out fine. The concrete work around the outside leading to the back patio looks so nice. I love the brick stairs off the back of the garage too. Your professionalism and certainly patience throughout this project does not go unrecognized. As I've mentioned before, I've done several remodeling projects in the past and I've never had an experience like this one before. Your willingness to work through any hurdles and ensure the project was staying on track so that we would get the final results we wanted was a refreshing change from what we've dealt with in the past. In fact, I've never finished a remodeling project without any regrets or dissatisfaction. I can say with this project that was accomplished. There isn't one thing about the project that I'm dissatisfied with, everything was done perfectly. I only regret that I didn't work with you on my kitchen remodel and other past projects. My little guy Lucas will miss talking to all the guys on the job everyday. They were all very friendly and professional and patient when my four year old wanted to tell them lengthy stories when they were trying to work. Also, thank you for finishing the job in the timeframe you estimated. I couldn't believe that even though we had a two week delay with inspections, you still finished on time. This has NEVER happened to us before. We've had builders come in six months over their estimated completion dates on past projects. This was a wonderful surprise.

This was a big project for us. I was very nervous about starting the job becuase of our past experiences. You assured me that your firm was different, that you would make sure we were happy. You were true to your word and that's a refreshing change from what we were used to. You have restored my faith in the construction industry. I won't hesitate to recommend your firm. I'm a member of Angie's List and have written a positive review there. If you ever need a reference I would be more than happy to help you out. Any future construction needs I have you'll be the only one I call to quote the job.

Thanks again Russell, it was truly a pleasure working with all of you.

Sincerely,

Nadine King
Darrin King

April 23, 2009

Dear Russell and Lisa,

Wow, it's hard to know how to begin this letter to you both and let you know how much Tony and I appreciate everything you did.

After many months of deciding who we wanted to build our home, it was evident that Zar Custom Homes was the way to go! The two of you handled the meeting with professionalism, honesty and most of all, with the confidence to build the home we have dreamed of.

The past year was a great experience for both of us and it was due to your scheduling of the vendors, always answering emails, questions and available to meet or talk about changes or concerns. It was a process that could have been a pleasant one or a disaster, but you showed us that not all builders are created equal!! You rose way above the others and made the entire year an exciting time for us!

The greatest compliment that we can give the two of you is that you were always, always available. This says so much about a builder. Building a home is one of the biggest investments a couple will make and there is so much emotion involved. We felt like we could come to you about anything concerning the house and that was very important to us.

Lisa, we want to let you know that the monthly budget sheet that was emailed to us was so helpful and was very informative. It helped us to keep ourselves "in check" and stay within our budget (we all know that was more difficult for me!) You were always there to answer any questions regarding things that were ordered and prompt in getting back to us if you didn't have the answers.

Russell, our home turned out just like we imagined and it was due to the dedication and hard work you put into the every day drive to Cornelius. We both know your main concern was for us to be happy with the end result and we are not only happy, but very proud of everything that was accomplished!

A big thank you to both of you - we did it, we made it through and we hope this experience was a good one for you also! Congratulations to you both on a job well done!

Sincerely,

Tony and Susan Pope

January 05, 2009

Dear Russell and Lisa,

We would like to sincerely thank you and your team for the phenomenal spaces you have created in our home. The covered patio and new breakfast area turned out to be so much more than we had envisioned, and it is doing exactly what we wanted. As you know, the McNally clan is a very close knit family. Christmas at our house went extremely well with all the added space. It has extended our living area and everyone gravitated to the patio.

The new, larger breakfast area has completely transformed our entertaining space inside. It seamlessly integrates with the kitchen and best of all; you have made it possible for a future remodel of the kitchen.

We chose your company because we felt you had a passion for building, and you proved us right, and exceeded our expectations. We had total peace of mind that our house was being taken care of throughout the entire process. It takes a special company to foster that kind of work ethic in this business and that is what sets you apart from all the rest. For all of our future remodeling projects, we will definitely use you again.

Thank you and your company again for making this a pain free process. Other than the anticipation of the finished product, it was a very enjoyable experience and we couldn't be happier with the process and the end results.

Sincerely,

James and Gamaris McNally

January 05, 2009

Russell and Lisa,

Everyone connected with ZAR was extremely professional. Everyone involved was very responsive to any questions and very helpful in working out all the little details. Best of all the work was done on time and on budget, a true turn-key, hassle free effort.

Sincerely,

Brian Freeman

May 12, 2008

Dear Russell and Lisa,

I wanted to thank you for the wonderful job you did in our backyard. Not only does the porch and pool look better than I expected, but the entire building process went extremely smooth. I always felt very confident in your work and knew you would have a group of vendors that would not only deliver a quality product, but would also understand the level of customer service that is critical in today's business.

You have a unique ability to customize the experience to meet my personal expectations; and exceed them! On several occasions, I found myself calling to ask you a question and you had already thought of it and had it resolved. It gave me great comfort knowing you were there to oversee the work site and keep the process moving forward per your schedule. I always came home to find the site clean and safe for me and my family. I was impressed with the level of professionalism and customer satisfaction that was demonstrated during the entire project. You did a great job at communicating where we are, and next steps. Communication was key throughout the entire process and I always felt we were on the same page and where we were in terms of the targeted completion date. I also loved the emails that would just let me know that I would be psyched to come home today! (Like the day when the speakers were installed you had the music playing so we heard it when we pulled up, or when the pump for the pool was able to fit behind the garage). I felt that you had as much pleasure in doing this job as we will have using the finished product! To me, this goes back to the person you are... one who has accountability, trust, passion, and integrity.

My family and I can't thank you enough for the great memories we will have enjoying our new porch and pool!

Sincerely,

Steve and Shannon Lowe

May 5, 2008

Russell and Lisa,

We cannot say "Thank You" enough for all your hard work with us during the recent remodel of our kitchen and master bath. As you know, we interviewed several other contractors and had even hired a "professional" design team without success.

From the moment we first met with Russell we felt we were in very capable hands. Whether it was talking us through the process of getting the estimates or working with our budget and timeline we were 100% satisfied to the point of being impressed. The fact that our project was completed ahead of schedule was an incredible bonus!

It is so rare today to work with people who say what they are going to do, and actually do it. On an almost daily basis one of you were in contact with us. We knew every evening what was happening the next day and who to expect in our home. Also it was so comforting when you would come to the house (on a daily basis) to see what work was being done. The attention to detail confirmed that we had made the right choice with Zar Custom Homes.

Lisa your help with tile choices, lighting, paint color... made such a huge difference. The options can be overwhelming, and you really helped to keep us focused. On top of all that, you were always so cheerful and pleasant. We could definitely feel your desire for us to have all that we wanted.

In addition to how much we enjoyed working with each of you, the subcontractors you chose were so professional. We know it would have been impossible for us to find the quality of workmanship you had available.

You were both wonderful and we so looking forward to another project with you.

All Our Best,

Andy & Jennifer