Ann Arbor’s festival of home tours is alive and virtual! Acheson Builders joins fifteen other home designers/builders/remodelers to show off their work.
Victorian Dream
Homeowners of 221 South Rogers sought the help of Acheson Builders 20 years ago. This year, they returned for a second whole-house remodel.
Jim Acheson will conduct tours of the home on Saturday, October 16th, 2021, as part of the Showcase of New & Remodeled Homes.
Individual 15-Minute Q&A Sessions with Jim Acheson
Jim Acheson will also offer 15-minute Question & Answer consultations to individuals, between 2pm and 4pm** on Sunday, October 167th, 2021, for interested parties who sign up in advance. Please use the button below to email your request from Acheson Builders.
The Showcase runs from October 15th through Sunday, October 17th. Contact Acheson Builders to book an appointment for a private Zoom meeting for Sunday between 2pm – 4pm. Space is limited, so get your request in early.
This home, located at 617 Northside Avenue in Ann Arbor, will be available for an in-person tour during the showcase event.Provided by Siobhan Findlay
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI — From bungalows to historic designs, Washtenaw County residents have no shortage in the variety of homes they can tour this weekend.
The BRAG Showcase of New & Remodeled Homes., from noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 15-17, allows participants to explore 10 homes in-person with one $10 ticket.
Homes available to tour include a Summit Street Folk Victorian home crafted by Riemco Design + Build. The house, an updated 140-year-old home, features hand-crafted cabinetry, built-in bookshelves and Brazilian Cherry flooring.
Other featured design companies include Alpha Design + Build, Pulte Homes and Forward Design Build Remodel.
Tickets are available at any of the homes open for in-person tours and are valid for all 10 homes throughout the three days of the event. COVID-19 mitigation policies differ for each home, but can include social distancing, temperature checks and capacity limits.
In addition to the 10 homes available for in-person visits, participants are also invited to join five virtual tours from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 16. The tours, which take place on Zoom, include designer presentations and the opportunity to ask questions. Participants are encouraged to pre-register.
Some remodelers are also offering private showings to discuss remodeling plans. The showings, which will are on Oct. 17, can be booked online.
The homes available for in-person tours are:
124 West Summit Street, Chelsea: remodel by Riemco Design + Build
411 Chandler Street, Chelsea: new home built by Riemco Design + Build
4800 Chestnut Springs Drive, Genoa Township: new home built by Chestnut Home Builders
1025 Spring Trail Court, Brighton: new home built by Pulte Homes
617 Northside Avenue, Ann Arbor: remodel by Forward Design Build Remodel
6445 Ford Road, Superior Township: remodel by Alpha Design + Build
49420 Mapleton, Canton: new home built by Pulte Homes
2952 Timber Glen Drive, Ann Arbor: new home built by Pulte Homes
3229 Roslyn Drive, Pittsfield Township: new home built by Pulte Homes
4244 Rolling Meadow Lane, Pittsfield Township: new home built by Arbor Farms Development LLC
The goal for this project was to fully update the home and add features for aesthetics and livability. Twenty years earlier we had added to this home on two floors, and remodeled some of the rooms. At that time, this couple was young and, with limited resources, needed to reduce the scope of work to meet their budget. Now more established, they wanted to do some of the things they had set aside and upgrade other parts of the house that had been on the “hoped for” list for a long time.
The homeowners had ideas and inspiration photos. They employed an architect, Susan Haifleigh, of Diamonte Design, to help plan the functionality of the Kitchen and other areas. Interior designer Leah Raitt, of Leah Raitt Design, was consulted on style, materials, colors, and more.
Jim Acheson of Acheson Builders Inc. was tasked with synthesizing the ideas into concrete buildable drawings with all the details and proportions, and then getting the work done. Acheson Builders repaired, replaced, reconfigured, redecorated parts of every room and the house as a whole — from lowering a large section of the basement floor, to adding decorative cresting on the peaks of the roof. Some rooms and parts of the home had a total makeover, including a completely gutted and remodeled kitchen.
Here some of the details that you may need to take advantage of any of the five tours by Acheson Builders of the Victorian home that it has remodeled — twice!
Sorry, it is too late to schedule any additional 15-minute mini-consultations with Jim Acheson during the 2021 Showcase of Homes event. Please contact Acheson Builders ([email protected]) to discuss your needs and proposals for building and remodeling. Many thanks!
https://www.achesonbuilders.com/contact-us/
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We at Acheson Builders wish to convey to our customers, workers and staff, new and old, our sincere wish for a safe and speedy recovery from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. We are abiding by business shuttering and safer-at-home policies and trust that all of you are doing so as well.
Here to Help
During this ordeal, Acheson Builders is closed, except for emergencies needing the help of a builder — tree fall or lightning strike to your home requiring immediate repair, that sort of thing.
Please contact us as soon as disaster strikes and we will develop a plan of action.
Meanwhile, we wish you all well, and look forward to a return to normalcy for this region and the world.
And, as if the BRAG award was not praise enough, Acheson Builders has also been named a Best Business of 2019, one of Three Best Rated — third year in a row.
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Jim Acheson at the drafting table in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
A Builder is Born
Jim Acheson grew up in Michigan and developed a keen interest in craftsmanship from his jeweler father. This may explain how Jim developed his talent for meticulous attention to detail, while also learning first-hand what it takes to run an independent family business. As a kid, he wasn’t especially sure that he wanted to work as hard as he saw his family working — but of course no one would accuse the adult Jim of being anything less than the hardest-working builder/remodeler in town.
In Jim’s own words:
My passion for architecture started as a young child sitting on the porch of our family’s historic country home. I loved the intricacy of design and latticework on the porch filigree.
Fancy scroll work wooden post of front porch in winter.
White-painted full-width porch and matching blanket of Michigan snow.
Acheson house in winter showing side entrance.
Jim Acheson’s childhood house front porch.
A fancy welcoming front porch.
As I grew up, I’d frequently be found doodling architectural ideas on scraps of paper. I later went on to study architecture at the University of Michigan and worked summers for a local builder. After 3 ½ years of college, I had to break from school in order to earn more money to keep going. The builder I worked for taught me carpentry skills, but also was impressed by my eye for design. When that builder saw a commercial opportunity he wanted to pursue, he turned over his customer base in residential work to me, and I started my own company from there (way back in 1973!) I love bringing beautiful architecture and building to the Ann Arbor area.
— Jim Acheson
Jim and Marilyn Acheson (center) and children (l-r) Harvey, Kathryn, and Ross visiting Jim’s family home in 1999.
45 years later, Acheson Builders is still family-run, still making homeowners happy with its highly personalized approach to house building and remodeling. While contractors and builders in general have a sometimes shoddy reputation for leaving customers feeling underserved, Jim Acheson’s insistence on listening well, assigning an interior designer and lead carpenter to every job, and offering meaningful follow-through has helped make Acheson Builders a true standout in the field.
About Acheson Builders
Services Provided
Basement Remodeling, Bathroom Remodeling, Custom Home Bars, Custom Homes, Deck Building, Energy-Efficient Homes, Garage Building, Green Building, Home Additions, Home Extensions, Home Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling, New Home Construction, Roof Replacement, Siding Installation, Structural Engineering, Sustainable Design, Custom Cabinets, Remodeling, Residential Home Builds . . .
Certifications and Awards
Jim Acheson has been honored with the 2014 Keppler Award for Remodeling Achievement
Certified Graduate Builder, Certified Graduate Remodeler, Certified Aging in Place Specialist; Keppler Award for Remodeling Achievement 2014; Member of the Better Business Bureau: A+ rated.
Acheson Builders has been rated The Top 3 Home Builders in Ann Arbor by ThreeBest Rated two years running.
Michigan Areas Served
Ann Arbor, Barton Hills, Bridgewater, Dexter, Saline, Ypsilanti, Brighton, Gregory, Hamburg, Howell, Pinkney, Chelsea, Salem, Manchester, Plymouth, Northville, Whitmore Lake, Willis, Whittaker, Belleville, Canton, Dixboro.
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This event typically draws over 7,000 visitors from Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Ypsilanti and beyond. It features many examples of local remodeling and home & garden resources.
As in years past, Acheson Builders is pleased to offer you gratis admission coupons — get into the show free! All we ask is that you stop by the Acheson Builders booth and introduce yourself. (You’ll find us in the main building, right side. We’ll be the ones with the custom cabinetry and wall panel of featured projects! ) Just CLICK HERE to open a printable image for tickets OR download this PDF for printing — and we’ll be seeing you at the event!
Custom Cabinets with Alder Veneer — photo: Detroit Free Press
Custom Kitchen Cabinets and Island by Acheson Builders — photo: Detroit Free Press
Jim offers a homeowner remodeling ideas.
Custom cabinetry on display at Acheson Builders’ Home Show booth.
Whether building a new home or considering remodeling your existing abode, Acheson Builders has a time-tested design & build process for you to take advantage of. Come to the Home Show to see case study examples from the many homeowners we have helped!
Acheson Builders recently completed a major kitchen remodeling project for us. They work very hard to avoid surprises (some surprises are inevitable when remodeling an older house) and to stay within budget. The quality of the design and the work itself are exceptional. We are very pleased with the results.
Jim and Marilyn Acheson are great people to work with and the men who worked on our project, Kevin and Ben, are terrific people whom we would welcome into our house any time.
This most recent project is the third time (over a period of about thirty years in three different houses) that we have worked with Jim on a kitchen remodeling project. We have never been less than satisfied.
Here to Help
(734) 668 1941 
info@achesonbuilders.com
