Michelle Gould wanted to transform the exterior of her Patchogue home.
She first tried calling some big-brand Long Island and New York construction companies for estimates.
But it all felt too sales-driven for her.
“I just didn’t trust it,” she told Greater Long Island.
Then she read about Kuhn Construction, a family business of nearly 40 years in Islip.
“I was very fortunate to have found them,” she said. “Jeff Kuhn [the founder] came in and I just felt so comfortable with him. I was confident.
“I knew they were honest and I could trust them. It just felt right.”
The entire experience turned out better than she could have imagined.
The job
Here’s what MIchelle’s home looked like in December.
Functionality wise, she didn’t like stepping into her ranch-style home without any sort of overhang — an issue she had dealt with for years.
“I would be carrying groceries in the rain, fumbling around outside and getting soaked,” she said. “Plus, the house started to look old. It was just time. I had painted when I moved 14 years ago but that was it.”
She had already updated the inside, including a new kitchen. The pool and backyard were done.
“I wanted to make the outside nice now,” she said.
Plus, she had a leak in her roof, which was a sign to get moving quickly with Kuhn Construction.
This is what the job would entail:
- A new roof
- New paver stoop
- New portico with columns and white vinyl railings
- Cedar impressions siding all around
- Versetta Stone stacked stone veneer in the front
- Update all trim
- LeafGuard gutters
- New screens
- New garage door in the back
- Light electrical work
Here’s the sketch Kuhn Construction worked up before the job started:
Curb appeal
What Michelle really wanted was curb appeal, said Zach Kuhn, Jeff’s son.
For that, she worked most closely with Kuhn’s lead designer, Danielle Marra.
“I was so happy with Danielle’s help,” Michelle said. “I would have probably chosen something different. Maybe something too dark or too light. She saved me so much time because she would go to the places and then bring the materials for me to look at.”
“What I was dreading most was having to go into a place and be overwhelmed with choices,” she added. “That’s when I go into shut-down mode.”
The project got started on Dec. 27. It was completed on Feb. 14.
“We stuck with Michelle from the initial preliminary designs and development to the finished product,” Zach Kuhn said. “We also made sure she got her certificate of occupancy from the village.”
So now that it’s done, what’s Michelle’s favorite part about her new home?
“Definitely the portico,” she said. “Love it. Love it. Love it.”
Watch the transformation in photos:
The recap
Founder Jeff Kuhn developed his design-build process starting in the mid-1980s, before it was really a thing.
“We embraced the concept early,” he said. “Our designer will hold your hand through the design and selection process. People really appreciate that.”
And Zach called Michelle the perfect fit for the program.
“Our clients have their own vision and ideas — along with some concerns, such as a leak — and then we come in and do everything from start to finish,” Zach said. “We guided Michelle with her wish list and selections within the budget and ended up with a number that worked for both of us.”
Michelle was also especially happy with the project manager, Dennis McDonough.
“He was diligent,” she said. “Kudos to Dennis and his team for handling pretty much everything. That’s what I truly loved about a construction company like Kuhn; I didn’t have to do anything.
“I didn’t have to worry about anything. It was perfect.”
Top: Michelle Gould and Kach Kuhn of Kuhn Construction. (Credit: Michael White)
