For some homeowners, the home renovation industry has developed a bad reputation. In a lot of ways, it’s warranted. It’s almost to be expected that a renovation project is prone to delays, increased costs and extended timelines. But what if it wasn’t that way? By Kelsi Trinidad
For some homeowners, the home renovation industry has developed a bad reputation. In a lot of ways, it’s warranted. It’s almost to be expected that a renovation project is prone to delays, increased costs and extended timelines. But what if it wasn’t that way?
Refresh Renovations was created in New Zealand to solve customer pain points. The company realized that creating a better home renovation experience was fundamentally different and would deliver real value to customers. Refresh Renovations’ unique approach took principles from its experience in the construction industry – where its founders worked as a marketing and strategy consulting group to help construction companies grow profitability – and applied those processes to home renovations.
Since 2010, Refresh Renovations has shaken up the home improvement and renovations industry by providing superior service to homeowners. Instead of the traditional renovation approach – which requires homeowners to manage a builder, designer and other professionals – Refresh Renovations simplifies the process, with a locally owned and operated design and build renovation company.
With its success in New Zealand, the company expanded to the U.S. and began franchising in 2019. Refresh Renovations continues to exceed homeowner expectations with its structured five-step process, resulting in custom designs that are completed efficiently and on budget. The process focuses on addressing all issues – design, renderings and estimates – at an early stage in the project, helping franchisees align with homeowners’ needs and reducing costs. Franchisees are able to eliminate waste, both in materials and labor, which enables them to have a competitive offer and deliver a better project outcome for the homeowner.
Refresh Renovations provides franchisees with ongoing support – including access to a helpful project management platform – and world-class marketing assistance, allowing owners to take on any size or type of project. While there are other franchises in the home renovation space, there are few that work on renovating the entire home space, inside and out, according to Paul English, CEO and franchisor for Refresh Renovations North America. The renowned company completes full home renovations, kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations, house extensions, garage conversions and much more.
As a part of the onboarding process, the central team helps new franchisees build their local construction team. They help find and evaluate various contractors, tradesmen, designers and estimators to ensure that franchisees have a solid team to deliver the company’s value proposition. Except for a branded car, startup costs remain low, with no need to store any supplies or materials. Franchisees also can enjoy a flexible lifestyle with the ability to work from home. As the business grows, franchisees have the opportunity to hire operations managers if they wish to have a more semi-absentee role.
Because of the company’s extensive support system, franchisees of all backgrounds – including those in finance, manufacturing, military, education and real estate – have been able to tap into the benefits of this highly scalable business.
For Paul English, it has been liberating to work with people who are striving to start their own businesses. “I was working in corporate for a good 31 years overseas and made the decision to actually work for myself and do something to create my own opportunity. I think my biggest regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. It is rewarding to see people make the decision that took me a long time to make,” he said.
Kelsi Trinidad