Customer floored by high-quality, low-cost upgrade

Harold and Teri Wesler are proof that selecting an affordable option for a home improvement project can still yield high-end results.

When the Weslers wanted to replace the carpeting in the living room, dining room and family room of their Great Falls, Va., home with hardwood flooring, they turned to ServiceMagic and found four local contractors to bid on the project.

After interviewing each of the contractors, the Weslers selected the lowest bidder, Cascade Flooring, to complete the work. Although Harold said price wasn't the only consideration, the low price helped clinch the deal.

"I always look at a whole bunch of different people" when starting a home improvement project, Harold said. "The Cascade Flooring people brought samples, and we had a long discussion with them. We liked them, and we liked the price and the product. So we said, ?Let's do it,' and that's what we did."

No middle man

The Weslers' project exemplifies the way Cascade Flooring operates, said Samantha Lee, who co-owns the Sterling, Va., company with her husband. Cascade Flooring sells and installs carpeting, tile and hardwood flooring throughout the Washington, D.C., area. They can offer lower prices than many of their competitors because they carry product samples in their car as opposed to maintaining a brick-and-mortar shop.

"Stores have rent," Samantha said. "Then they get a job and they give it to contractors. We are contractors. We are cutting out the middle person so the customer gets a better deal."

But, like the Weslers, Samantha said offering the lowest price is only part of the equation.

"I think customer service is really important in this business," she said, adding that she often meets with clients several times before starting a project, and seeks additional samples until she is sure the clients are completely satisfied.

"They are the owners," Samantha said. "They know exactly what they are looking for." In the Weslers' case, Samantha said she met with them three times to review samples and go over details before installing the prefinished, 3/4-inch oak hardwood flooring in their home.

The Cascade Flooring installers completed the entire job in about nine hours, Harold said, and he couldn't be happier with the results.

"I don't know that anybody else could do a better job, even though some of the prices were double what Cascade Flooring charged," he said. "The whole thing went smoothly from start to finish, and we were very happy at the end and happy with the price. What else could you do? We got a heck of a good deal, and I highly recommend them to anybody."