Excalibur Design & Construction has mastered the art of turning dull, dilapidated houses into bright, brand new abodes

A home transformation is a major decision. In fact, most homeowners would have likely remodeled their houses only once in their lifetime. 

But the end result is always the same—a property that undergoes transformation finds an entirely new look, vibe, and purpose. This allows homeowners to more accurately reflect their personality and style, as well as address their most pressing needs and wants.

More than just a cosmetic touch-up usually done in renovations, home transformations entail changes in a property's structure or layout. 

"Home transformations essentially breathe new life into a residential property," said Sergio Syjuco, who owns and runs Excalibur Design & Construction.

Headquartered in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Excalibur is a boutique firm that designs, builds, and renovates mid-level to luxury residential and commercial properties in Metro Manila. It has mastered the art of home transformation, with expertise gained through years of building and renovating a wide variety of homes and commercial properties.

Today, Excalibur has an excellent team of in-house architects, engineers, project managers, interior designers, and a highly skilled labor force that are able to deliver their signature design within the allotted budget.

More meticulous job

Syjuco explained that with home transformations, clients usually ask a combination of upgrades which more often than not include a revision of the current layout of their house, more modern interiors, higher ceilings, a different facade, or a new plumbing and electrical system. There are plenty of possibilities. It thus demands "more attention to detail. It's a more meticulous job."

"When it comes to home transformations, the first thing I ask the client is, what don't you like about your home," said the 34-year-old businessman. This is in contrast with the approach he takes with his clients looking to build entirely new homes—that is, he asks for a wish list that includes what they want to have in their houses.

An upside to a home transformation though is that it allows homeowners to save the shell of the house—a process that brings monetary savings of up to 30 percent, as compared to building a totally new house.

Syjuco also prefers to get to know his clients and their family personally, which helps in knowing their aesthetic tastes and the list of amenities they would most likely enjoy in their new home. This is important because what his clients tell Syjuco on their first meeting is usually what they remember towards the end of the project.

"Aside from the cost savings, home transformations allow homeowners to keep a semblance of the old house, which would be hard to do if they tear down the house completely," he added.

Execution is key

Suffice to say, a lot of work goes into designing, building, or transforming homes—from developing the concept, finalizing details of the design, to choosing what materials to use. But where Excalibur excels most is in the actual construction of their unique designs.

Syjuco said there are no shortcuts in making sure that what clients see in the renders are what they get in the real world.

"What we don't want to happen is to have a house that looks better on paper. That's why we go the extra mile to execute the plans meticulously," he said. "Hearing that WOW from my clients and seeing their smiles of satisfaction is the most rewarding part of my passion. It makes all the stress that goes into construction worth the effort."

As a boutique builder, Excalibur carefully selects and limits the number of projects it handles in a year so it can focus on each of them. Every project is managed by a member of the Excalibur team to ensure that quality is kept to a very high standard, while enabling the company to offer a more competitive pricing to clients.

Excalibur's value proposition is thus centered on telling clients to "come home to what you deserve." A simple, yet highly important statement, this is especially true for individuals who are planning on doing a home transformation.

"Home transformations are most often a decision that homeowners come up with after years of discussion. It is, after all, a huge commitment. And the end result is something you'll be living in for years to come," Syjuco said.

This is why Syjuco and his team at Excalibur employ innovative design and construction techniques that ensure that clients' expectations, budget, and timelines are met. 

Modern yet homey

When it comes to design trends for homes nowadays, Syjuco said his clients by and large prefer modern homes which usually are made up of open layouts, plenty of glass, high ceilings, exotic woods, and lighter color shades to add to a modern yet homey feel.

"There's also a crazy obsession with glass today," he said, which shouldn't be too surprising considering that glass tends to allow more outside light to filter in. Glass also works well in an open layout, which many homeowners now prefer.

More recently, Excalibur has dabbled on home transformations with Classic French Modern, as well as Japanese-, Scandinavian-, and Spanish-inspired modern homes.

"We're reinventing the classics. Clients want to retain the basic characteristics of these classic designs and add our signature modern flair to them which our clients are very happy with,"  he said. 

Syjuco said: "When my clients happily settle into their new homes, I want them to always remember the exceptional service we provided them. They will happily recall that they got more than what they paid for and we were there for them at every step of the design and construction process."

For more information on Excalibur's projects, visit www.excaliburdb.com or check out its Facebook Page: Excalibur Builders.