My husband Randall and I did a renovation project two years ago with a local contractor who went way over budget with stop-start delays—and then walked out mid-project.

It was awful. And now, we’ve been upstate for two months and can’t stop thinking about ways to upgrade our 70s bathroom in Brooklyn. But we’re desperate not to repeat our earlier experience.

We started with Angie’s List and yelp – with Angie’s List being easier to navigate. But it took a while to answer all the questions, and when we finally reviewed the contractors recommended, there were no images or website links. We wanted success stories, but there were none. Then we spent 15 minutes on yelp drowning in a sea of sameness and with little clarity on which companies were still even in business. Before even starting, it was clear there would be a lack of transparency in the bidding process and no way to tell whether the contractors were capable of delivering what we wanted.

That’s when we came across Block Renovation, a technology-driven company that’s in a class by itself. They offer gorgeous, high-end bathroom and kitchen renovations built by vetted builders at competitive prices, with a lot less stress.

With Block, we’d get the whole package – accurate home pre-construction, architect-grade designs & drawings, materials sourcing, and a vetted contractor ready-to-build – in one seamless, uninterrupted experience.

We entered details about our dream bathroom and received a ballpark estimate in less than 5 minutes! A Block Project Planner quickly reached out to hear our more specific goals and e-mailed us a detailed line-by-line proposal within 24 hours. We were really impressed because the last time we renovated, we had to nag the contractor for an estimate for weeks.

Then Block will play a key supporting role at each milepost so our renovation will come in on-time, in-budget, and with far fewer headaches.

Here’s how it will play out:

Unlike other tech-driven renovation companies, Block doesn’t merely connect us with a licensed builder and then disappear. They’ll help us tackle the bumps, blips – and our co-op board – that can make renovating in New York challenging.

Most people resist adding a designer to their renovation because it generally drives up the cost. Block has made design accessible through its Visual Planner tool. Randall and I went through their extensive catalog of materials, and by seeing them all come together onscreen, it was easy for us to select favorites. A project planner follows up within 24 hours to build out a complete scope of work and schedule home scans for accuracy.

While we’re confident in our choices, we also have the option of a design session with Block’s team of award-winning designers. Session or no session, the team will follow up with a package containing our designs and technical drawings. So there’s an exceptional level of craft and accuracy here and no surprises.

As a fast-growing business, Block has strong volume-driven relationships with the largest plumbing supply, tile, and fixture vendors. This allows them to procure the highest quality materials at a great discount and pass those savings on to us. Our package has a 22% savings off of the list price.

Beyond that, Block is also structured to stay on top of materials coordination with a dedicated team behind delivery. While this might not seem like a big deal, procurement coordination is the number one reason that projects fall behind – without Block, the average bathroom renovation takes more than 6 months! Rather than having our builder coordinate each and every delivery, Block expertly coordinates procurement and delivery of all elements before construction, ensuring a timely, uninterrupted build. The average Block bathroom takes close to 2/3rds less time than the national average.

Once the builder gets started, Block will support you and your assigned builder from start to finish. By controlling everything from design to the timing of fixture deliveries, they drastically reduce inactive time. The average Block bathroom takes close to 2/3rds less time than the national average.

Randall and I were super impressed with Block’s transparent payment schedule, especially since we can make easy digital payments. While we didn’t take advantage of financing, they do offer 0% options that are an obvious choice if your preference is smaller installments.

The benefits of using Block Renovation instead of a regular contractor are fantastic. Block is more convenient, more affordable, and, most of all, more reliable. They make high-end bathroom and kitchen renovations easy and attainable for everyone.

We’re looking forward to renovating our 70s bathroom – changing it into a light-filled, stylish space. We can’t wait to get back to Brooklyn and see how Block has transformed our home.

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