Today we’d like to introduce you to Al Kelekci.
Al, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My father was a Civil Engineer with a U.S. Air Force Contractor and we moved all over the world until I was nine years old when we settled in Atlanta. We moved about twice a year, so I was always having to make new friends and adjust to a different school in each new location. My dad became a home builder in the late-1970’s and I worked for him during my summer breaks, beginning at the age of 13. My job was manual labor and I did not like it at all. However, it raised my interest in construction and building things, so I decided to study Engineering at Auburn University. After graduation, I worked in Commercial and Industrial Construction for 13 years.
In 2000, my dad found a few lots and asked me if I want to invest with him to build three speculative homes. After those projects, I was hooked! I loved building homes and everything that went with it. Soon after, I started my own company and have been building ever since.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. I thought I had everything figured out until the recession hit our industry hard from 2008 to 2013. My business nearly dried up during that time period. On top of my business struggles, I caught a virus that caused a temporary heart condition that required surgery. It was a rough time period.
As I look back to those times, I feel very blessed to have made it through. Every client who hired me was wonderful and helped me stay in business. I will never forget each of them. Also, my wife and three daughters were my inspiration to keep persevering.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Hask Custom Homes – what should we know?
Hask Custom Homes specializes in unique one-of-a-kind Custom Homes for our clients. We also do very large renovation projects where we sometimes save the old foundation or original framing and rebuild. We work with many different architects and designers who keep our projects new and interesting. Each architect and interior designer adds their creative touch to a house that makes it a “personalized home” for our clients.
My team takes a personal interest in every homeowner they work with. We get to know the entire family and how they will use each part of their future home. The children are always fun because they have their room picked out in advance. In many cases, this is the customer’s largest investment and it will be their home for many years. This is a big responsibility for us.
When I first started building homes, the goal was to build a great house with as much quality as possible and make the client happy in the end. This is still the goal, but what has changed in recent years is a focus on processes that make it more fun and exciting for the client along the way. For example, we take lots of daily photos of the home during construction and share them with the client online. Financially, there is total transparency of all the costs that go into each home. We also have separate checking accounts for each client, so there is no chance of co-mingling funds between projects. The systems we have created make the building process a “collaboration” with our clients rather than them worrying about what each item costs and how much it is marked up.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The most important thing in our business is trust. Unfortunately, there are many stories in the media of bad contractors. Therefore, a client ready to build or renovate a home can be nervous at the start. We have to let them know that we will be good stewards of their money. We also need systems in place to prove it. The biggest measure of success for us is that the client is so happy at the end that they will refer us to their friends.
Pricing:
- Our custom homes range in price from $800,000 to $4,000,000
- Our remodel projects range in price from $250,000 to $1,500,000
Contact Info:
- Address: Hask Custom Homes
2951 Piedmont Rd. NE, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30305 - Website: www.haskcustomhomes.com
- Phone: 404.250.3500
- Email: ak@haskconstruction.com
- Instagram: @haskcustomhomes
- Facebook: Hask Custom Homes and Renovations – Atlanta
- Twitter: Linkedin.com/in/Al-Kelekci, @AlKelekci
- Yelp: pinterest.com/agkelekci
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