builders
Rock Crest Residence Completed: 2010 Location: Bryn Mawr, PA waverlycustomhomes.com
Waverly Custom Homes, LLC Elegant 20th-century remodel preserves the past by Jamie Farshchi Michael Haines and his staff have been known to shop for groceries for their clients. They have made dinner, picked up dry cleaning as well as assisted with the tasks that might be more traditionally associated with building a home, such as narrowing down tile samples. “Our clients are extremely busy,” says Michael Haines, owner of Waverly Custom Homes, LLC located in Bryn Mawr, PA. “We try and make it as easy for them as we can.” Taking cues from the hotel industry, the concierge service not only improves the efficiency of the building process, but it also betters the company’s relationships with its clients. After working in real estate development and residential construction, Haines established Waverly Custom Homes in 2003. The company serves greater Philadelphia and undertakes both remodel and new construction projects, with much of its work located in some of the most desired communities on Philadelphia’s Main Line. “Having grown up only a mile from our office in Bryn Mawr, the preservation of land in the area is important to me,” he says. “I want to make sure it’s there for my children. Even when we’re building a new construction you want to consider the surroundings. We always take into account the history of the area, the street, the site and the buildings that surround it.” Haines says maintaining the integrity of the
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area, both historically and environmentally, is a primary focus. “It’s not just a job for us,” Haines says. “We spend a lot of time at the initial stage of the project just to understand the client’s needs. There are thousands of decisions to be made and within those thousands of decisions there are thousands of options. We try and make the process as easy and efficient as possible.” That kind of consideration is evident in the firm’s work. A recent project featured a breakfast pantry in the master bedroom complete with freezer drawers so the client could easily fulfill her preference for ending the day with a frozen yogurt nightcap. “We really rely on that initial process,” Haines says. “This is the client’s dream home, the one they will raise their family in, [so] it’s important that they are comfortable telling you what they really want.” The company works extensively with the client in the initial stages of the project, assisting with everything from land acquisition to interior design. “We want to provide the client with what they’re missing in their current home,” Haines says. “That goes for the actual site as well as the residence; if they want more area for kids to play we consider that. We recommend architects that will work well with them based on their needs and
01 Painstaking efforts were made to restore the historic family residence while maintaining the integrity of the original 1928 manor home. 02 The newly constructed porte cochere and guest house feature reclaimed stone and roofing tiles and are in keeping with the original architecture. 03 View from under the porte cochere leading from the guest house to the main home.
FALL 2012