The locally owned, design-build residential contractor S. Tanaka Construction specializes in tearing down and rebuilding homes, and has been doing so since 1984.
The company recently completed a multigenerational home in Hawaii Kai and one of the homeowners took some time to share her building experience.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO RE-BUILD YOUR HOME?
” My parents always wanted to build a second-floor addition, and as time went on, their dream of a remodeled home faded in the distance. At the same time, my husband and I were looking to buy a house near them. At some point, we decided to make both of our dreams come true and build a house for the four of us to live in.”
HOW MANY CONTRACTORS DID YOU MEET WITH?
“Before meeting any contractors, we spoke to several people about which contractors to avoid and which they recommended. We then met with a couple reputable contractors. One was too expensive for what we wanted and the other was too aggressive with their sales pitch.”
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE ON S. TANAKA CONSTRUCTION?
“The personality traits of the people that worked for the company. Ryan Tanaka (owner) and his team are honest and genuine people. They made this big and stressful process much more pleasurable and manageable compared to contractor horror stories we have heard from others.”
HOW WAS THE DESIGN PROCESS?
“Being that this was the first time any of us built a house, Ryan and his team did a great job working with us. They were very patient in educating us about the construction process, especially having to deal with the four of us, who have different personalities and particularities. They informed us what could and could not be done, and the risks and benefits of each of our design decisions.”
HOW WAS THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS?
“The initiation of construction was filled with mixed feelings. It was sad to see our home and all of its memories torn down, crushed and hauled away. Despite the decades of memories, we were so excited to have our new home to build new memories.
“The construction process itself took a lot of time, coordination and decision-making.
“When any issues came up, the S. Tanaka team never made excuses, but worked tirelessly to work with us to come up with viable solutions. They were a pleasure to work with and if we had to do it again, we would not hesitate to go with S. Tanaka Construction.”
S. TANAKA CONSTRUCTION
CONTACT // 848-5010, ext. 1