Successes

Dear Prospective Neighbor:

I am writing this letter to share with you the experience I had working with Richard Best to build my home in Palmetto Bluff. Who This Letter Is For While I write this letter openly to anyone considering Richard Best, I write it especially to those for whom building a custom home is a really big, nail-biting decision. I have no doubt that many potential homeowners around here are well-off, and the act of having a home built is just a fun little diversion.

Perhaps you’re an industry tycoon, and this is a second (or third) home for you. Perhaps you’ve done this several times before and have people who can sort out all the details for you. Or perhaps you know you can always throw a little extra money at whatever problems might arise. If this describes you, then hats-off to your good fortune. You’re welcome to read this letter, but with all kind respect, you are not my primary audience.

All you need to know is that Richard will do a wonderful job for you. The intended reader is someone more like myself. Someone for whom the thought of building a home from complete scratch hovers somewhere between extremely intimidating and outlandish. Someone who will sweat the details. Someone who has doubts as to whether they have the temperament to take on such an endeavor. The myriad of decisions involved. The potential for cost overruns, unscrupulous vendors, errors, snafus, permitting red tape, delays.

All on top of an already-demanding day job or other pre-existing commitments. I’m writing the letter I wish someone had written me, back when I was at the start of my journey of trying to figure out how all this works. Back when I had this long-held goal of someday living in Palmetto Bluff – along with high design aspirations, a limited budget and plenty of nail-biting. How I Evaluated Potential Builders I did a lot of due diligence in looking at potential builders. I read books and articles on homebuilding and choosing a builder. I spoke to many people in the community (e.g., residents who went through the build process here) and in the industry (e.g., local real estate professionals, architects, designers, attorneys, vendors). I researched public records for adverse events. I walked through sites at various stages of construction. I toured finished projects. 

In total, I researched upwards of a dozen builders, ended up personally interviewing a total of seven, including the well-known ones responsible for many of the homes built in Palmetto Bluff, as well as some off-the-beaten-path alternatives who I thought might offer some cost advantage. Read Full Testimonial

Please accept our sincere gratitude for the beautiful home we hope to enjoy for years to come. We are truly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with everyone at Richard Best Custom Homes. As remote clients, the entire process was a pleasure.

As newcomers to the home construction process, we were first incredibly impressed with the well-organized, detailed budget and plans put before us. As the process continued, we greatly appreciated the opportunity to walk through our home during the many different phases of construction and being given the opportunity to ask questions and provide input. Each visit was more exciting than the one before.

Additionally, we looked forward to the weekly photos and written updates that were provided on an extremely timely basis all the while staying within our original budget…. and any deviation was due to our decision to make upgrades along the way. Richard, his staff, and everyone involved with the building of our home were extremely helpful, professional, and patient. Their incredible craftsmanship, knowledge and attention to detail both on and off the job site exceeded our expectations and we would highly recommend them to anyone about to embark on this journey. Thank you to everyone involved with Richard Best Custom Homes for a wonderful home that we are excited to share with our family and friends.

It is rare in today’s world that we have the privilege of working with a firm with as much honesty and integrity as Richard Best Custom Homes. 

You just completed our new home here on Palmetto Bluff on time and on budget. From your personal guidance in obtaining our initial building permits, to planning the time lines, then professionally executing our project management, I am pleased to say that the Richard Best Team exceeded our expectations. 

This is the third custom home we have built, and this project was our best experience to date. Richard Best is the only builder we would ever consider building with again. 

We still have a couple of weeks away from taking the keys from you for our beautiful new home but we didn’t want to wait to reach out and formally thank you for everything you and your Team have done to make it so incredibly special. Like most of your prospective clients, building a home here on the Bluff was not our ‘first rodeo’ but we can honestly say that no other building experience comes close. That’s especially noteworthy when you consider that this is our 30th move with everything we own. From day one you made yourself available for every meeting and discussion with our architect. You did this for more than a year without the expectation of compensation or our business. Your input during the design phase was critical as we relearned that architects can design homes but in the end it has to be able to be built. Thank you for that. We ended up with a design that was exactly what we wanted...you were a large part of the reason why.

We’ve been building for more than a year and you will complete the home on the day you promised it. That doesn’t surprise us Richard because along the way we’ve learned that the best thing about you is your incredible character and honesty. Those traits permeate your entire Team. We also learned that the ‘Custom’ in Richard Best Custom Homes’ really means ‘custom-custom’. At every step along the way you intently listened to us and ensured that our home was exactly what we wanted. We’ll miss our time with you at the house where you guided us through every detail. When issues sprung up you always found a way to make it exactly what we wanted...down to the smallest detail. We truly have a custom-custom home. Please do not hesitate to have prospective clients talk and visit with us. We would be thrilled to talk with them and show them your handi-work. We’ve made many terrific decisions in 41 years of marriage, having you build our home on the Bluff is near the very top. Thank you so much Richard. We will make incredible memories in our new home...none of which would have been possible without you.

You just completed our new home here on Palmetto Bluff on time and on budget. From your personal guidance in obtaining our initial building permits, to planning the time lines, then professionally executing our project management, I am pleased to say that the Richard Best Team exceeded our expectations. 

This is the third custom home we have built, and this project was our best experience to date. Richard Best is the only builder we would ever consider building with again. 

When we built our small home in Palmetto Bluff in 2004, we had two sons, one married and one single and both in other cities. There were no grandchildren. It served as a weekend getaway from Atlanta. 

Fast forward several years and both sons moved back to Atlanta with their wives and there were now SIX grandchildren! We loved the house, but it no longer worked for our family. Enter, Richard Best. You listened to our needs and brilliantly reimagined the space. A small storage closet became a bunk room and a very narrow space now houses two additional bunk beds. Sleeping for six grandchildren accomplished! A mud room became a pantry with shelves and outlets to accommodate the appliances using up our counter space. Now we can cook in the kitchen and have a well stocked pantry. The space under the steps became a storage closet for various things we wanted out of the way. In every room, ingenious ideas led to efficiency. 

We LOVE our little house that now sleeps TWELVE comfortably. The experience working with the professionals on your staff was extraordinary, with a special shout out to William. I would recommend Richard Best Custom Homes.

Building a new home while living in an entirely different country naturally seemed like a daunting task and one fraught with danger. Upon meeting with the team at RBCH we were immediately put at ease with the clear and rigorous approach they presented. Costing, process and timeline were all made transparent and it was clear we'd have direct lines of communication with a project manager and Richard himself if needed. During the build, without fail, we were sent weekly updates listing tasks completed, upcoming tasks and much welcome photos of the progress being made.

Any deviation from the initial estimate (good or bad) was immediately communicated along with clear rationale for the change. Overall we were delighted with the adherence to both estimated cost and timeline. Adding to the complexity of our situation, we had engaged a local design firm to guide the interiors and furnishings. It was admirable how well RBCH collaborated with our designers to get the job done, while requiring a minimal amount of input from us. Finally, upon being able to experience our wonderful new home, we were pleasantly surprised at how small our punchlist of required changes/fixes compiled down to. RBCH have been prompt, professional and sensitive to our living space while addressing all items.

We would not hesitate to recommend RBCH as we have been able to experience firsthand not only the quality of what they do, but how they do it. Building a dream home for remote clients is no mean feat!

Building our Home at Palmetto Bluff with RBCH was a pleasure.

We can't say enough positive comments regarding Richard Best and his team, from Richard, his office staff and onsite managers. They made for a seamless building experience from pre-construction to completion. Our first meeting was prior to our architectural plans being completed. Richard was very transparent about his building process and what we should expect. At the meeting we discussed our building goals and budget. He was very mindful of our budget and always had helpful suggestions for staying within it.

At the last pre-construction meeting, Richard gave us an itemized cost of construction and a building time line along with other detailed information from the framing, interior, exterior to completion. He was always upfront about what would work and how long it would take. He is a “hands on” builder along with his team. We were amazed at the “face to face” and onsite meetings we had with him personally at both his request and ours.

So many of our questions were answered and details confirmed during these meetings. Building from long distance (Indiana) was not a problem. Richard and his team communicated via phone calls, text messages, and emails. We never felt that the distance affected the construction process or communication. We consistently received a weekly email update with photos from Richard.

The email covered work that had been completed along with a list of work items to be started the following week. Richard and his team always made sure we understood each step of the construction process. Our entire experience with RBCH has been positive and successful. Their attention to detail and expectations were spectacular. We are happily in our home at Palmetto Bluff and still in communication with everyone at RBCH.

We fell in love with Palmetto Bluff during our first visit, and immediately knew this was the place where we wanted to build our dream home. Within the week, we had our lot - our mission on our second visit was to choose a builder. We bicycled through the neighborhoods, examining various builder projects under construction. Without question, Richard Best was our first choice. We did our homework, contacting many of the client and vendor references Richard provided, and even some not on his list. All spoke glowingly of Richard and his team, reinforcing our decision. 

When we returned to Palmetto Bluff to begin the building procedure, Richard spent an entire day with us, visiting some of his completed homes, and explaining his building process. He was also present with us the next day as we met with our architect, William Court of Court Atkins, and we were impressed with their easy relationship. 

Once architectural drawings were complete, Richard provided us with a construction schedule - since we were more than seven hundred miles away, it was important to us to know roughly when we would need to be on site. When not in Palmetto Bluff, we were in constant communication with Richard's team through phone conversations and emails, and Richard was always available for guidance - he saved us from making several Northern-style decisions (mistakes!) for our Southern home. Doug, Erin, Blake, and Wayne, you were always focused on our concerns - we felt as if we were your most important clients. 

We had such great experiences working with the RBCH vendors - we cannot imagine making the myriad of necessary decisions without them. We are not yet full-time residents, but each time we visit, we discover new features of our home to love. When we asked for a particular design element to be included during construction, Richard and his vendors found a way to fulfill our wishes -with an eye to our budget. Now that construction is complete, Brandi and Butch continue to address our concerns as we, and the house, settle in. 

Richard Best Custom Homes team members are steeped in Richard's values - his honesty, integrity, and ability to make his clients part of the RBCH family. We give Richard Best Custom Homes our highest recommendation, and we would be happy to share our building experience with prospective clients. 

As we wind down the construction phase of our home and begin to enjoy it, Lynne and I wanted to take time to write you a note to let you know how pleased we are with the custom home Richard Best Custom Homes built for us.  I know during construction I often told you this verbally, but the day you reached out to us asking us to consider RBCH as our builder at Palmetto Bluff was a great day!  I remember in our initial meeting over breakfast at Buffalo’s, you seemed genuinely interested in helping us create our dream home at Palmetto Bluff, and I can emphatically say that you maintained that level of interest throughout the entire construction process.  From the vendors you introduced us to, to the detailed allowances you provided in the original budget, every step seemed to be lock step in line with what we wanted.  Where we had definite ideas of how we wanted things, you quietly made it happen.  When there were times we literally had no clue what we wanted, you were there to offer ideas and advice; never too much, never too little.  You and your team made the building process a pleasure and very much exceeded our expectations!

Please pass along our thanks to the entire RBCH team, especially Wayne and John.  We love our new home and we look forward to recommending you to all of our friends who may want a house at Palmetto Bluff.

I never thought that I would build a nice home in South Carolina and never thought I would leave the safe confines of south east Louisiana. But, Patti Berner and I did. When we decided that we wanted to spend as much time as possible in the cow county of Palmetto Bluff, we set out to secure two things of the utmost importance. 

First was a first-class Architect. Second, and of the utmost importance, was a custom-built home. Choosing an Architect was pretty easy. Choosing our Builder was more intense. We met with four or five good companies, and were very impressed, but then we met Richard Best, and there was never a doubt who would build our home. 

It has been a year now since we finished our project and with the passing of that milestone I want to take a moment to thank you again for building us such a wonderful home.  Sharon and I treasure it. I never thought I would look back on a home building project and say that it was pleasant, let alone that I actually enjoyed it, but I certainly did working with you.

You have put together a team of consummate professionals.  What I truly appreciated was the collaborative effort with my ideas, your guidance and fiscal sense, and the craftsmanship that all came together to help create this beautiful house.  Everywhere I look I see a small touch here or another element there that might go unnoticed by itself but cumulatively create the finesse home that we have ever owned.  The three Aurora awards that you and Wayne Windham have received on the home help to bear out what I knew early on: this is an amazing house.

The passage of time also gives me a chance to thank you for your tremendous sense of responsibility to follow up on any issues that have arisen since the house was completed.  Although having the house part of the rental program at the Inn is an honor, the house has seen more than its fair share of use (and abuse) over the past year.  You and your team have been quick to respond whenever something has come up, and even when it was not a warranty item, per se, your tackling everything quickly but correctly has allowed us to keep the house consistently rented with no one the wiser that something had been amiss.

Above all, I have come to appreciate what a great partner I have in you personally and your firm.  While we have been involved in many projects, we have never had the trust or relationship in a builder that we do with you, and that is a testimony to your personal integrity and professional standards that sets the tone for everyone involved in your projects.

So, thank you, for building us a home that we will enjoy for years to come, and for building not just that home but a friendship that shall endure.