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For professionals in the construction industry, there’s one client that inspires more fear, stress and aggravation than any other: the homeowner. But in the highly lucrative home renovation industry, the unpredictable, last-minute, over-budget nit-pickings of homeowners are just part of the job. At least, they were. Three years ago, Chicago-based home-rehab company Renovation Sells found a better way, one that focuses exclusively on partnerships with home sellers, making realtors, not homeowners, the brand’s primary client, and the business has seen explosive growth as a result. Now, Renovation Sells is opening up their innovative model to entrepreneurs in markets across the country with a new franchising opportunity.In 2017, Renovation Sells’ co-founders, Michael and Amanda Valente, were feeling burnt out. Michael, a general contractor and licensed Realtor™, had completed more than 500 client construction projects in his career, most of them on luxury homes that promised big payouts but consistently went over time and budget, eating into his profits.“I was sick of the BS,” Michael said. “I was tired of working on projects where there was always one more thing —&nbsp;one more change to the plan or additional upgrade that made it impossible to complete a project on time or make a decent profit.”&nbsp;That’s when Michael came across an article about how rental properties were undergoing renovations to increase rent prices, and he had an idea: the same principle, he reasoned, could be applied to the for-sale market to increase initial asking price.“Real estate agents’ goals are much more aligned with ours, so they are much easier to work with, and the projects become much more profitable,” Michael explained. Unlike homeowners, whose particular demands are based entirely on their personal preferences rather than market standards, sellers are interested in building the most desirable home to all potential buyers and getting it to market as quickly as possible.That means instead of focusing on a small number of large projects with unpredictable returns, Renovation Sells can take on a high volume of projects focused exclusively on attractive, high-quality cosmetic renovations, executed to maximize speed and minimize costs.Michael took his idea to Amanda, a career marketing professional, who confirmed that the model was not only innovative and potentially profitable but also decidedly scalable.“We are business people first and foremost, so we weren’t just looking simply for an upgrade to our construction and real estate business. We wanted something we could really grow,” Amanda said. “We saw this business as something that would fill a huge gap in the marketplace, and we knew that was a big opportunity.”By establishing a highly lucrative new service for real estate agents, Renovation Sells saw the potential to quickly sweep across the Chicago real estate market and beyond. With that growth potential in mind, Amanda says the business was built for franchising from the start.“We thought about expanding with a corporate model but quickly realized that was not the best route for Renovation Sells,” Amanda said. “Relationships are an essential element of the real estate business, and through franchising, we can have franchisees on the ground in every market, building relationships and working with realtors and home sellers directly through each project from start to finish.”That early clarity of purpose allowed Michael and Amanda to spend the past three years optimizing the business specifically for franchising. With the help of general contractor John Bura and interior designer Briana Gershenzon, the Valentes built a system that provides every resource a franchisee will need to grow their Renovation Sells business in a new market. That includes marketing, design, project management technology, and every other facet of the business.“All of the design is done by the corporate team, so our franchisees don’t need to have design expertise.” Gershenzon said. “By providing a customized design board for each project's target buyer, our builders don't have to waste time selecting materials. We develop the design on their behalf and they can simply present the options to the seller and get to work on the chosen model.”&nbsp;Amanda says the design is Renovation Sells’ secret sauce. “It’s what really elevates our value to realtors,” she explained. “They love it because it makes them look good, which gets them more clients, and keeps them coming back to us.”Crucially for new Renovation Sells owners, franchisees also benefit from the brand’s growing reputation as a high-value partner and innovative disruptor in home renovations. Independent contractors too often get edged out by competitors who offer more attractive quotes or deadlines, but Renovation Sells has established a reputation throughout the industry as the fastest, most reliable option for high-quality pre-sale renovations. Rather than shopping around for the best quotes, home sellers are increasingly turning directly to Renovation Sells, recognizing its value and making a quick decision to work together. In effect, Renovation Sells has no competition in most markets. And because realtors, not homeowners, are the brand’s primary client, franchisees don’t need to seek out renovation projects for themselves —&nbsp;realtors bring the projects to them.In Renovation Sells’ first year, its clients homes sold at an average of 97% of the asking price. In 2019, as word spread, the company saw a whopping 310% increase in sales. That growth carried over into 2020, when, despite a pandemic that brought the economy to a screeching halt, Renovation Sells still saw another 20% year-over-year increase in sales.Much of that growth, Michael says, can be attributed to a rising demand for pre-sale renovations.“With millennials turning home-buyer age, we have a new generation of buyers who mostly aren’t attracted to the larger, older homes the baby boomers are now trying to offload. They want stylish, move-in-ready homes, and that demand will continue to increase for decades to come,” Michael said. “That means a realtor with a stock of relatively drab or boring homes stands to make a killing with some key upgrades, and that’s where we come in.”Now, Renovation Sells is preparing to build on its substantial early momentum in Chicago by bringing on franchisees to establish the business in new markets.&nbsp;“For business-minded construction professionals who are sick of the headaches that come with standard renovation projects, or even for entrepreneurs who see the growth potential in the housing market but aren’t sure quite how to jump in, this is an incredibly valuable opportunity,” Michael said. “We’ve got the business nailed, we just need smart, capable people to step in and start working it.”The initial investment to franchise with Renovation Sells ranges from $78,208 to $101,142, including a $50,000 franchise fee. The brand is actively seeking franchise owners in Illinois. For more information on franchising with Renovation Sells, please visit <a href="https://www.renovationsells.com/franchise?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=chicago-business-owners-take-the-stress-out-of-renovation-process-with-new-home-remodeling-franchise-2714055" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.renovationsells.com/franchise</a>.

Chicago Business Owners Take The Stress Out of Renovation Process With New Home Remodeling Franchise

1851 Franchise

In just three years, Renovation Sells has grown rapidly, rehabbing more than 150 Chicago-area homes for an average of $20K per project. Now, the home-remodeling company is branching out into new markets with an innovative franchise opportunity.

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