Derek and Jennifer Kellogg talk Richland Renovations, Managing Successful Business and Home Life

Just one look at that before-and-after, and it’s clear something pretty special is happening here. This stunning metamorphosis in White Rock Valley is the work of Richland Renovations. And behind Richland Renovations is the husband-and-wife team of Derek and Jennifer Kellogg. With Derek at the helm of construction and Jennifer, a Realtor with Nathan Grace, leading their real estate efforts, they’ve been transforming homes and lives together for over a decade.

Currently, Richland Renovations serves three hot Dallas markets. On top of the exquisite renovations for homeowners like this White Rock Valley property, they also buy properties, renovate, and sell them. If doing flips didn’t keep them busy enough, they also help clients searching for a new home envision the possibility in older, imperfect properties, and then bring those visions to life.

We caught up with the Kelloggs to talk the business of transformation and balancing busy careers and home life.

Tell us about the name Richland Renovations – where did it come from?

Derek: It’s after the little community I grew up in in Richardson, called Richland Park. Lots of fond memories there. Twelve years ago when we started the company, I was searching for a name and that’s the one that stuck with us.

A Family Affair

Were you always in construction or did you come to it later?

Derek: I grew up with the do-it-yourself mentality of try to fix it first, and if you can’t, then hire somebody. I watched my dad stand over the shoulders of plumbers, electricians for many, many years, watching and learning.

I graduated college and got into real estate in national sales for big builders and I loved the construction aspect of that. In 2005, I decided I was ready for a change. I was tired of corporate America. I wanted to work for myself. We started by buying a house in Lakewood. Jen and I moved into the house, we bought another house to renovate and sell and the rest is history.

What about you, Jennifer? When did you get into real estate?

Jennifer: When Derek started his first house, we used someone else to help us find it. Then we decided I should get my license. My dad was a broker and a homebuilder for 20-something years, so that’s what I grew up with. It’s always been our life. So it just made sense for me. It started out with me helping us find and sell homes, but we quickly realized people were wanting to buy and renovate and that became one of our big markets. Derek comes with me on listing appointments and he can walk through and say really quickly whether something will work or not and talk about budget.

That must be extremely helpful to have someone knowledgeable walk through.

Jennifer: It’s very helpful, yes. So many people just walk in and they don’t see the potential. Having him around is very helpful to everyone.

In this market, it seems you have to be willing to buy a home you don’t love, or necessarily even like, to live where you want.

Derek: Yes! Find the location and then we’ll show you what’s really possible and work within a budget. We can’t change the location, but I can change everything else about a house. It’s a fun process.

What’s the range of projects you do now?

Derek: When we first started, I would build fences, I would paint a bedroom. I did it all. I honed my craft because I wanted to learn. Twelve years later, we’ve found our niche. Our specialty is taking a house to the studs and adding a bunch of square footage.

What’s your favorite part?

Derek: I love transforming [a home]. I love that. That’s the No. 1 reason I don’t want to build new. I want to recreate and transform it, to do what needs to be done to make it magnificent, and see to the excitement on clients’ faces.

You have a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old. Real estate alone is an 18-hour-a-day availability kind of a gig, and owning your own business, well that, too, you don’t really get to turn off. How does that work with a young family?

Jennifer: (laughing) We never turn it off.

Derek: It’s a struggle every day. I’m very accessible to my clients. Jennifer is extremely accessible to her clients. We’re doing a better job day to day, on hiring the right team, who help allocate those responsibilities. You’re right, it’s a 24/7 job, for sure. But I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Jennifer: Luckily, we’re both very flexible. Our girls attend a lot of walk-throughs with Derek and a lot of closings with me. They’re very used to it, and they handle it great.