MASTERWERKS LLC BUILDING SERVICES Custom Home Building, Transformations, Renovations
TESTIMONIALS
CONFIDENCE WITH CHOPS TO BACK IT UP
Our home is beautiful – solid, quiet, and with the craftsmanship and character of an older home. The Replacement Housing (now Masterwerks) team is very skilled at their craft, the homes are built by the human hand in the way homes were built in the past, and they are backed up by dedication and commitment. A lot of builders have Lon’s confidence but not many have the chops to back it up. There’s never a doubt that he’ll come through.
CLIENT, NEW HOME
THE PROPERTY ADVOCATE WE NEEDED
While our house was being built, another one was being built next door. Because ours was on a lower grade, there were serious drainage issues. Lon stayed on task to make sure those issues were addressed appropriately, no matter how long it took. He was an advocate for us.
CLIENT, NEW HOME
CREATIVE, LIGHT-FILLED REMODEL
Our project was a basement remodel. Lon had some creative ideas that we appreciated, including removing our old 1940s pocket windows in the basement and replacing them with a huge, west-facing egress window. The room now has lots of light, and everyone says it feels like a living room.
Lon is a stickler for details and he doesn’t do anything that isn’t excellent quality and fitting for the neighborhood. The best materials and mechanicals certainly cost more, but at the end of the day, we’re very happy with the results.
CLIENT, RETROFITTED HOME
UNMATCHED DETAIL AND FOLLOW-THROUGH
Because I’m in the residential remodeling business, I see thousands of homes each year. The quality of craftsmanship in Replacement Housing’s [now MasterWerks] homes is second to none, and they bring an incredible level of detail to every single aspect of the home. I also appreciate that they don’t cut corners on the structure.
The company’s strongest attribute is that they stand behind their work in a way no one else does. Whenever I’ve called needing something addressed, he has handled it right away.
CLIENT, NEW HOME
MasterWerks
(formerly Replacement Housing Services Consortium) takes pride in putting an emphasis on service. By focusing on thoughtful, personalized outcomes, instead of the typically commercial approach to building, we earn the respect of clients like you, as well as our community, professional, and industry peers. The result is a highly successful business, built solely on word-of-mouth recommendations as exemplified by the testimonials on this page.
Presented annually by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC), sponsors of the Parade of Homes™.
The award honors this home's classic design, construction quality, and exceptional value within its price category.
REGGIE™
Award of Excellence
ARCHITECTURAL CHARM FOR YEARS AHEAD
The homes in Country Club were built years ago, but people still drive by to see them. Replacement Housing [now MasterWerks] builds homes that, in 70 years, people can still drive by and admire, homes that will be architecturally beautiful but still relevant to the times.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
ASSURED PROFESSIONALISM AND VISION
As a commercial real estate professional, I expect a high level of professionalism from builders – not just quality work, but meeting deadlines and providing accurate estimates. Lon was a complete professional from the beginning. He also had the vision and sense of assurance to see what needed to be corrected about our home.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
IMPROVED HOME, ENHANCED NEIGHBORHOOD
Lon cared deeply about creating a plan that worked for our family, but he was also sensitive to our neighborhood. Our home is larger now, but it’s still in keeping with the homes around it. We’ve actually had neighbors stop by and say thanks for making the neighborhood look better, because it’s adding value for everyone.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
If only one house in your neighborhood sells, yours will be it.
CLIENT, NEW HOME
GREENLIGHTING HISTORIC PRESERVATION
The construction process is never smooth, especially with an older home. The further you get into a remodel, the more unexpected things happen, like finding water damage and rotting wood. Our situation was even more complicated because the home we purchased was in one of Edina’s historic neighborhood, which meant every change in our design had to be approved by a historic preservation committee. Lon was able to explain to the committee how we would correct the flaws in the home while still preserving its historic look.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
WELL-MANAGED PROJECT BY A SOLID CREW
Our home is 30 years old, and we live there parttime. Rather than doing a remodel, we opted for an overhaul, including new moldings, trim, paint, and roof, that make it look like new. Lon ran the job well, even though it was a smaller project for them, and came up with some ideas we hadn’t thought of, including a remote lighting system. Replacement Housing (now MasterWerks) does high quality work with great attention to detail, and they’ve got a good, solid crew. You can count on them to show up when they’re scheduled and get the job done.
CLIENT, RETROFITTED HOME
BOLD RESTRUCTURING OF EXISTING SPACE
We had spoken with other builders, but the most anyone suggested was to fix some of the rooms, or create an addition. Lon had the vision and courage to ask “Why add space when you just need to re-orient the flow and direction?” The value he added was in developing clear vision for the space we already had in a way that allowed us to take advantage of it. The magic was in envisioning an end result that was bigger and bolder than other builders would have seen, one that created more value for us.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
PRINCIPLED ADVICE LEADS TO NEW HOME
We lived in St. Louis Park and loved our neighborhood, but we needed a bigger home for our family. We thought about remodeling, so Lon did an extensive market analysis and created two separate plans. The analysis showed that the amount of money needed to remodel couldn’t be recovered if we ever needed to resell. Lon walked away from what could have been a lucrative project because he knew it wasn’t a good choice for us. His honesty was refreshing and really helped establish our trust in him.
BECAME A CLIENT TWO YEARS LATER, NEW HOME
HONEST GUIDANCE AND HIGH STANDARDS
Lon takes pride in his work and never compromises his standards, even when a homeowner might want to for budget reasons. He’s very honest about what he thinks and so are we, which made for some conflict! But we made it through the process and we’re very pleased with the results because we got what we wanted—a cozy but high-end home in an historic area.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
RESOURCEFUL, RESPECTFUL, TRUSTWORTHY
The building process was new to us, and Lon was a trusted partner throughout. He had resources to call upon for every area—subcontractors, decorators, you name it. He had strong recommendations, but he also respected the decisions we made. Rather than buying a package, we felt we had the ability to put our preferences and personal choices into the home.
CLIENT, NEW HOME
HEART, VISION & ANALYTICAL THINKING
There are other builders who build high quality, but Lon put more of his heart into the process, right from the very start. He was able to analyze the home and see what needed to be done.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
MARKET ASSESSMENT BEFORE DESIGN
We loved our neighborhood, but our family was growing and our home didn’t meet our needs anymore. Unlike other builders we spoke with, Lon took a very rational, economic approach. We spent a lot of time assessing how much financial value our home could command on the market, before we even got around to talking about design. That approach made sense to us.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
Click here for an Artisan Home Tour interview with MasterWerks' President, Lon Oberpriller.
VINTAGE PROBLEMS, CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
Our house is older, so we wanted to preserve what was nice about it while making it a more modern, family-friendly home. We also wanted our home to still fit into our neighborhood in terms of size. We talked to several builders, and what was noteworthy about Replacement Housing [now MasterWerks] was that Lon was the first to come up with a plan that delivered on all our objectives while finding different, more creative solutions to our challenges.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
ENJOYING OUTCOME OF CAREFUL PLANNING
We spent an entire year working on the design, so when it was time to build, the process went very smoothly. It was more about realizing the plan rather than trying to figure things out as we went. And when we did need to make decisions during the process, it was much easier because we had the big picture in mind. I can’t think of anything significant that we’d do differently. The room placement is wonderful, the light is great, the flow is perfect, all because of the thoughtful planning process.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
Our processes were cited as an example of responible community rebuilding in this issue of Edina's About Town
ARTISANAL CRAFTSMANSHIP, SMART DESIGN
Lon has access to old-school craftsmen who will blow you away in terms of quality. We could not be happier with the craftsmanship and follow-through. The design of our home was very intelligent and the structure, from framing to HVAC, is extremely solid.
CLIENT, NEW HOME
NATURAL LIGHT REDEEMS WINTER DAYS
We feel comfortable in every room in the house—there’s so much natural light, even on dreary winter days.
CLIENT, NEW HOME
RISING VALUES AFFIRM PAST INVESTMENT
Because of his experience, Lon predicted that we were at the beginning of a major re-investment in our neighborhood. Over the years, he’s been proven right. A number of homes have been replaced or remodeled.
That means that the time, money, and resources we invested in our home appropriately reflect the rising value of the area.
CLIENT, RETROFITTED HOME
Our sustainability / durabiity philosophy and approach to building was cited in this issue of Edina's About Town
Our understanding and application of housing investment principles was highlighted in this issue of Finance and Commerce
HIGHLY REGARDED BY EXACTING LENDERS
The quality of service Replacement Housing [now MasterWerks] provides is outstanding,especially their clean accounting and cost verification for draws. They are well-regarded by even the most exacting lenders.
TITLE INSURANCE AGENCY VP
CREW IS KIND AND PATIENT WITH KIDS
Their work was spectacular, but what we really appreciated was that they were kind people. With four young children, there’s a lot of mayhem, and constant questions. The crew always took time to explain what they were doing. They were also careful about taping up work areas so we could live without dust in the rest of the house, and gave us advance warning when they were going to be doing work in the kitchen so we could prepare.
CLIENT, RETROFITTED HOME
PLANNING IN STAGES FOR THE LONG TERM
Long-range planning was particularly important to us, because we’re doing our project in stages. We started with the major structural changes, and over the next six years, we’ll complete the more cosmetic improvements. Taking that time to plan for the long term makes a huge difference. We also like that, with Replacement Housing, the relationship doesn’t end when you make that final payment. You don’t feel like you’re abandoned. When we have changes or need minor repairs, they’re always willing to help out.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
SENSITIVITY TO COMMUNITY CONCERNS
I am impressed not only with Replacement Housing’s [now MasterWerks] homes but with their awareness and sensitivity to larger neighborhood concerns. Their projects demonstrate their commitment to community objectives while their specific understanding of the dynamics and issues in revitalization is a resource for us all.
MEMBER, CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
APPRAISER COMPLIMENTS FIT AND FINISH
I was speaking with the appraiser today and I have to congratulate you on the compliment he paid to you regarding the quality of the fit and finish of the house. He said it was phenomenal, one of the absolute best he's ever seen.
REAL ESTATE AGENT
KEEPING ALL THE NEIGHBORS HAPPY
Replacement Housing [now MasterWerks] always has the cleanest job sites and the most courteous contractors and crew. I’ve never seen a company put so much effort into communicating with the neighborhood through announcements and signage. Their projects have also increased the value of the neighborhood exponentially. As a resident, the value of my property is rising.
NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENT
Top industry manufacturers and professionals routinely choose our homes to showcase their products and services.
IMPRESSING CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
I enforce code requirements so I see many projects both good and bad, I am continuously impressed with Replacement Housing’s [now MasterWerks] overall building excellence, quality standards and job site performance. They are clearly a cut above and make our jobs easy.
BUILDING OFFICIAL,
CITY OF EDINA
STEADFAST VISION OF A GRACIOUS HOME
The sun outside is streaming through our now 5-1/2 year old home, and I'm struck by how much I love it and how beautiful the craftsmanship is. I'm thankful for your vision and even your stubbornness, as you created this home for us.
CLIENT, NEW HOME
TESTIMONIALS
TRANSPARENT PROJECT COSTING/BILLING
Lon is a high-quality builder who takes pride in the work his company does. He has knowledge, experience, and high integrity and is a fair and honest businessman. As an example, he uses an open-book approach for project costing, which means clients write checks directly to the sub-contractors rather than a general contractor. That way, the client knows everything is on the level.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
Mpls St Paul magazine used our award-winning home to announce the awards program.
PREFERENCE FOR ANALYTICAL APPROACH
Our home was built in 1939, and we’d been thinking about renovating for six years. When it came time to get serious, we talked to Lon and another builder. The other builder basically said we could do whatever we wanted. But Lon analyzed our options based on what changes would create the most market value for our home in the long term. That made all the difference for us.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
NEIGHBORHOOD UNDERSTANDING
We were extremely pleased to return to our Todd Park neighborhood after a two year absence to find our home worth $100,000 more than we purchased it for – a direct result of Replacement Housing’s dedicated revitalization efforts in the neighborhood.
CLIENT, TRANSFORMED HOME
Strong relationships go hand in hand with superior homes.
That’s why MasterWerks earns comments like these.