Golden Snail Builders

In the HGTV age, many of us feel pressure to be amateur architects and interior designers. Professionals are a waste of money! No one hates wasting shoe money quite like I do, so when the Mr. and I moved to Oakland, our plan was to get a fixer and fill it up with our amazing ideas.
Thank jeebus that didn’t work out.
Instead, we bought our home from Golden Snail Builders, a family-​run home renovation company that saved and updated our formerly run-​down 1920s craftsman. Some people call that a flip. But I think of flips as shallow makeovers that are meant to hide flaws and gloss over serious issues. Golden Snail preserves the character of a property while making it a pleasure (and safe!) to live in. Big difference.
We’ve been in our home for more than 6 months now, and as we live in it, we continue to find Golden Snail’s thoughtful touches. Could I have done this work myself? Hmmm… dig in a lower level, create proper drainage, build closets, restore matchstick floors, take advantage of every kitchen inch with tricked out cabinetry, and make sure everything is beautiful — with only my inspiration box and the internet to guide me? Hell. Naw.
In fact, we loved their aesthetics so much, we hired them to design and build a lovely custom fence around our property. And we (and our neighbors!) couldn’t be happier with it.
Golden Snail is very busy, so their calendar fills up fast. But if you have the good fortune to hire them or live in a home they’ve restored, don’t hesitate. As an aside, they’re just a super team and you’ll really enjoy getting to know them. Go Snail, go!