WordPress Rebuild for Benchmark Custom Homes — Portfolio & Migration
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🎯 The Challenge
Benchmark Custom Homes had been running the same rigid grid-based website for approximately ten years. The layout was inflexible, visually outdated, and gave the client no ability to add or remove portfolio photos without developer involvement. Portfolio categories including Developments, For Sale, and Green Building were no longer relevant and needed to be removed. The site had no proper team bios page, no FAQ, no Testimonials, and no modern navigation structure. The client needed a full rebuild — not a patch — that would let them independently manage their portfolio as new projects were completed, while matching the quality of craftsmanship the business was known for. The project also needed to be built on a private staging environment before migrating to the client's existing GoDaddy hosting account.
💡 Our Solution
Built the complete site on a private staging environment using WordPress and Elementor Pro, delivering the first draft in five days. Created a tabbed portfolio gallery system with categories: Custom Homes, Renovations and Additions, Special Projects, Kitchens, Baths, and Outdoor Spaces. Installed a WordPress media folder plugin for organised photo uploads. Recorded a Loom video walkthrough covering how to add category tabs, create galleries, and manage images independently. Built the About Us page with full bios for Steve Frucht (President, licensed PE, GMB, CAPS) and Mike Sloane (Superintendent) with professional headshots. Configured each page as a self-contained section — Testimonials only on Testimonials, FAQ only on FAQ, no repeated blocks across pages. Removed an unintended CSS overlay causing a blue tint on the hero image. Migrated the completed site to benchmarkcustomhomes.net on GoDaddy hosting after client approval. Installed sitemap and SEO plugin for ongoing on-page management.
🏆 The Result
Site went live at benchmarkcustomhomes.net on WordPress with Elementor Pro. Portfolio is fully self-managed — client adds categories, uploads photos, and removes outdated work without developer involvement. Team bios showcase both principals with professional photography. Social media links connect to Instagram and Facebook. Fully mobile responsive across all pages. Client confirmed the end client was very pleased with the result. The project led directly to a second concurrent engagement — a private family office website built under NDA with a role-based login system and private member area — and a third project confirmed in pipeline. Tammie became a long-term client with multiple active projects running simultaneously.