Vic Fiore—A ‘Remodel’ Citizen Who Brings Home Visions to Life

By Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta

Many would agree with the old cliché, “There’s no place like home.” And many would also agree that most homes could use a bit of help. Whether it’s replacing siding, remodeling a kitchen, or finishing a basement, Vic Fiore and his team at Magnolia Home Remodeling are here to help.

Vic Fiore partnered with his brother-in-law Chris Fontana back in 1996, to get the ball rolling. Both gained valuable knowledge early in the game, as Fontana’s dad was an operations specialist at Con Edison; and Fiore has been around the family business since he was 13-yearsold. Throughout high school and college he gained working experience in home remodeling and feels that nothing is better than “on the job experience.”

Fiore studied at Rutgers University and graduated with a BA in Economics. “Business interested me, and it led me to this,” he said. Well versed in many phases of construction, Fiore shared that remodeling homes was at the top of his list when it came to potential careers. “I’m very happy with the decision to be involved in this business,” he said.

Now, with over two decades in the industry, Fiore enjoys taking a project from concept from start to finish. In order to help a client create his/her vision, Fiore explains that it’s all about having a stellar team that makes the process successful.

He said, “We have consultants and project managers that understand our clients needs, goals, and budget…They work towards a proposal that can check all these boxes and bring the project to successful completion. Permits, working towards an approved design, selecting materials, several walk throughs…Everyone understands from the beginning what the goals are. We learn what people are looking for. We have the whole package and we’re looking to build relationships with people. A large portion of our base is repeat clients.”

Though sometimes clients prefer aggressive timelines, Fiore and his team presents realistic completion dates. “We explain from the beginning that each task requires a reasonable time frame, form each phase to be succesful. We can approach it from a standpoint. If there are delays or changes, we let them know. We’re good about finishing jobs on time, and even ahead of schedule. The feedback people give us is that they are impressed with how efficiantly we complete. Its difficult to speed up a project and maintain quality. We want to minimalize stress and work carefully so attempting to get something done in a shortened time frame is never a good recipe.” Nevertheless, Fiore prides himself in that his team often finishes ahead of schedule.

When it comes to home transformations, many homeowners might be concerned about budget, but Fiore feels that even a small tweak such as new siding or a new walkway can create a refreshing vibe. “It just makes you feel good every time you pull up to your driveway,” he said. Or remodeling your kitchen could also amp up the atmosphere. “A new kitchen with an updated layout, beautiful cabinetry, that really brings a lot of value,” Fiore expressed. “Little things you can do to make the house look

However, if sacrificing quality for the final product, it may be better to wait until budget meets expectations. If a potential client needs another six months to be able to spend more money, that’s what Fiore’s team sometime encourages people to do.

Magnolia Remodeling also offers a finance program that allows people to do more work than they normally would and pay monthly. “That’s a nice feature not every continued on page 23

Vic Fiore...

continued from page 22 contractor offers,” Fiore said. Home Design Trends 2023

According to Fiore, multiple colors and tones is a trend that seems to be continuing. “We recently completed a project in Watchung with matte black and gold appliances against white wood and stained cabinetry,” he said. “People are taking risks and choosing exciting color combinations.”

Moving forward, Fiore’s vision for Magnolia Home Remodeling is to continue to grow organically. “We have a strong customer base,” he said. “We’re grateful to have the basis of customers we have and the opportunity we’re given.”

For more information, visit Magnolia Home Remodeling at www.magnoliahomeremodeling.com