My family moved to Chico in 1974, when I started the second grade at Citrus Elementary. My father worked for Pacific Gas & Electric and was transferred to Chico to become the manager of their Customer Service Department. I feel very fortunate to have been able to grow-up in this wonderful town, and now enjoy watching my three daughters do the same. I moved away to attend college and received a degree in Environmental Studies & Real Estate and Land Use Affairs from CSU Sacramento. My first professional occupation was with a fast growing corporate home building firm, Lakemont Homes, which had developments in the Sacramento and Reno, Nevada regions.

I was hired to develop and implement a Quality Control and New Homeowner Service Department - from scratch! My responsibilities for each home started the day after drywall was installed. From drywall, to cabinet and trim, paint, finish electrical and plumbing, and lastly, flooring, I was responsible for performing quality control “punch lists”. Our goal was to critique each house as if we were the homeowners inspecting their newest, and largest, personal investment. Once we resolved and cleared each quality control report, I personally met with each new homebuyer the day they closed escrow and received their house keys. I then performed a “walk-thru” with each new homeowner, spending one to two hours teaching them about the many features and functions of their new home. I also detailed our company's warranty and service policies, and managed their warranty claims and service requests for the next one to two years.

I spent several years with this company, starting with the management of quality control and customer service for just three new home developments in Sacramento (when I was newly hired), to managing five Sacramento developments and establishing a brand new Reno Nevada district program (10 developments total) in my last year. I managed and supervised customer service for close to 500 new homeowners and supervised more than 12 detail/service crews. Over the years, I was exposed to just about every construction defect and service request imaginable. I gained insight and knowledge that takes the average tradesperson a lifetime to acquire. I learned how to problem solve various construction issues, communicate effectively with both homeowners and tradespeople, and to motivate people to get a job done, the right way.

Needless to say, the stress of dealing with construction defects, on a daily basis, began to take it's toll. In 1997, I decided to get my contractors license and go into business for myself. I knew that with my experience and personal knack at providing great customer service, coupled with my intense knowledge of how to “avoid” construction defects, would provide me a great opportunity to develop a strong and lasting customer base. I named my business “Home-Prep” for a reason. I was going to focus my business on helping homeowners “prepare” their homes for sale. It was a natural fit for someone who spent everyday, for three years straight, scrutinizing every little detail about newly constructed homes. I knew what home-buyers looked for, and I offered this experience to people who needed to sell their home.

From 1997 to 2001 (when I moved my family back to Chico) my “Home-Prep” service kept me busy everyday of the year. Back then, it was a “buyer's” market, and sellers were motivated to make improvements to their homes before listing them for sale. But if you recall, the home market swiftly embarked on an upswing starting in 2001. Homes began selling as fast as they were listed, and home-sellers no longer needed to make improvements, or prepare their homes to sell – it was now a “seller's” market. I was forced to change my business focus with this new change in the market.

The demand for contractors who could perform structural pest control repairs, and various other escrow repairs allowed my business to make an easy transition from providing great service to home-sellers, to providing great service to home-buyers and real estate professionals. Performing escrow repairs for several years added even more skills and experience to my service, as I was exposed to a wide variety of structural failures, and their many causes. This in turn provided me with the knowledge on how to avoid such failures from the beginning. Over the years, many of the homeowners whose home we repaired during escrow, eventually called us back to perform various remodeling and home improvement projects. As we complete each home improvement job with a strong focus to detail and customer service, we realize that more and more customers keep referring their friends and family to us.

Treating your customers with respect, listening to their ideas and concerns, choosing NOT to “cut corners”, and being responsive - even after the job is finished, is the best way to grow a business. I can vouch for this personally. And the best way to continue this process, is to only hire employees and subcontractors who are committed to do the same. That's my promise to you, and any homeowner who gives us the opportunity to improve their home.

Andy Willhoit

Owner/Contractor

Home-Prep