Distinctive Remodelers rejuvenates Tinley Park home from basement to roof

What began as a pesky leak in the basement soon snowballed into a major home makeover for a happy homeowner couple in Tinley Park.

Last year, Richard Kasper was eager to sell his 19-year-old three-step ranch, retire from his career as a pharmacist and relocate with his wife Marilyn to Florida—maybe even before their 45th wedding anniversary. Marilyn, however, had other plans. She yearned to remain in the abode they had called home for nearly two decades and continue living near their five married-and-moved-out children and 11 grandchildren. Unbeknownst to both at the time, their destiny was set in motion by an annoying trickle of water in their basement that Marilyn had recently noticed.

“My wife would pester me to get the leak fixed, and I kept procrastinating,” said Richard. “I called around to different repair companies and contractors, but everyone told me that it was too small a job for them to be bothered with.”

Richard was referred to phone Distinctive Companies—the homebuilding firm that had constructed his son’s new home in Plainfield and which had launched a renovation division, Distinctive Remodelers, in the last few years. A team from Distinctive visited Richard’s home within two days of the initial call and repaired the simple leak—for no charge, which thoroughly impressed Richard.

Not long afterward, Marilyn prompted that very phone call when she reminded her husband that their nearly 20-year-old home was overdue for a new roof. Reluctant Richard realized that his spouse was right and called Distinctive Remodelers. Soon, a crew from the firm had returned and replaced the Kasper’s roof.

“I said that I was only interested in a standard 20-year asphalt shingle roof,” Richard recalled, “but they insisted that an architectural shingle roof, designed to last 30 years, was a better investment. They ended up installing the upgraded roof but only charging me for the standard roof. I couldn’t believe it.”

Impressed by her home’s new sturdy and handsome crown, Marilyn took a closer look at their rapidly aging wood windows and encouraged her hubby to pull the trigger on yet another needed project. Richard shook his head incredulously but shrugged in resignation, as if to say, “why not?” Before long, the Distinctive crew was back, installing energy efficient vinyl replacement windows as well as three exquisite French doors where the patio sliding glass door had been. The couple was thrilled with the end results.

Surprisingly, Richard soon caught the remodeling bug from his wife and began assessing other areas of their residence in need of improvement, including the kitchen. With a vacation right around the corner, he thought it smart to turn over the keys to Distinctive’s trusted team while he and his wife travelled to Florida so that they could return, rested and relaxed, to a thoroughly revamped kitchen—no fuss, no muss. Sure enough, when the Kaspers came back, they were awed by the room’s transformation: Distinctive had replaced the worn laminate countertops with black pearl granite, swapped the older appliances for sleek new stainless steel substitutes, created a decorative new tile backsplash featuring a colorful fruit basket pattern, implemented new LED lighting fixtures, and installed attractive brushed nickel cabinet pulls, new hinges and other hardware.

But the Kaspers didn’t stop there. Richard gave Distinctive the green light to repair blemishes in and repaint all the interior walls and ceilings, install a new hot water heater and sump pump system, and, as if coming full circle, repair a second leak discovered in his basement.

“By this time, it was pretty clear that we had made our decision. We weren’t going to move. Instead, we were going to take that extra money we would have spent on a new home and put it into fixing up and beautifying our existing home,” said Marilyn. “And if you’ve decided to remain in place, why not spoil yourself a bit and make your home as nice as it can be?”

Richard, who said it’s very possible this may be the last house he and his wife call home, agreed with Marilyn that it makes good sense to invest in home improvements—so long as you do your due diligence and stick to what you can afford.

“You have to create a realistic budget, one that has a little wiggle room, without overleveraging yourself,” said Richard, who may again in the foreseeable future be enlisting Distinctive Remodelers to install low-maintenance siding on his home’s exterior and refurbish his English basement. “It’s also important to do your homework and research remodeling companies carefully. Make sure the business you choose has been around a while, and get referrals to customers whom you can call. Ask how happy they were with the finished project and the level of service they received.”

Additionally, Richard said it’s essential to meet and work directly with the owner of the remodeling firm and try to establish a healthy working relationship.

“Get a feel for this person and try to develop a rapport so that you’re on the same wavelength,” he said. “Be honest with the remodeler about what you want and what you can afford.”

Before embarking on a renovation project, “you should also work closely with your significant other to make sure you’re both on the same page when it comes to brands, finishes, colors, styles and other preferences,” said Marilyn.

What Richard has particularly enjoyed about working with Distinctive Remodelers was the high level of courtesy, neatness and professionalism demonstrated by their crew.

“Distinctive Remodelers isn’t pushy or inflexible with recommendations. They treat you like a true collaborator in the process, making sure your input and preferences are incorporated into the finished project,” said Richard. “And they created a terrific first impression on his first visit when, after entering our home, they took his shoes off without being asked. They do a neat, orderly job and don’t leave behind any mess or dust. It’s wonderful when you find a company like this you can trust and rely on.”

Distinctive Remodelers offers a diverse array of renovation projects, including kitchen makeovers, basement finishing, room build-outs, second-level additions, roofing, siding and window replacements, and home theater room installations —with no residential job too large for the firm to tackle. Also, all work is backed by a full warranty.

The firm draws on the built-in advantages of being a part of Distinctive Companies—a successful, established area business with 20-plus years of collective experience.

Distinctive Companies Chairman/CEO Bryan Nooner created Distinctive Remodelers based in large part on growing demand from past home buyer customers eager to upgrade and expand their existing residences.

“We’ve amassed a healthy base of satisfied, repeat clients from over the years who continue to contact for future jobs,” said Bryan. “In the past, we would often field calls and requests from many of these past purchasers who wanted to enlist our help for projects like building a room addition, completing a basement or reimagining a kitchen. Instead of turning down these requests, we launched Distinctive Remodelers, which provides partial or whole-house improvement services throughout the suburbs.”

“We’re familiar with these homeowners and we have an intuition for what they’re looking for. Plus, we know this territory we cover like the back of our hands,” Bryan said. “More importantly, we have a skilled, capable crew we’ve recruited, not to mention an unsurpassed reputation for exceptional value and quality.”

Distinctive Remodelers relies on the parent company’s skilled architectural design team and its computer-aided design (CAD) resources to ensure that the conceptualizing and planning of every home project goes smoothly and efficiently.

What’s more, Distinctive Companies boasts a 3,000-square-foot, full-service design studio, making it simple and convenient for remodeling customers to choose their exterior and interior product, finish and material selections. From cabinet pulls and plumbing fixtures to flooring options, door handles, appliances and trim packages, everything is there under one roof. Homeowners can browse through plentiful wall and floor displays, samples and swatches.

“When you hire Distinctive Remodelers, you can rest assured that you’ve enlisted the most knowledgeable, courteous professionals in the industry. Every person on our crew has been carefully screened and will treat you and your home with the greatest respect,” said Bryan. “And you can count on prompt, thorough responses to your questions and requests, too.”

To make an appointment for a free estimate, contact Distinctive Remodelers at (708) 479-7700. For more information, visit www.DistinctiveRemodelers.com.