House Calls Renovation Advisors

G&B – Toronto, December 2015

Unfortunately, our family home fell victim to a devastating electrical fire in the summer of 2014. Our family was traumatised by the event and did not know where to start.
Knowing how distraught we were, my husband’s Aunt and Uncle referred us to Jay Charendoff from Home Renovations after Jay redesigned their condominium when they relocated to Toronto the previous year.
During the first meeting with Jay, we explained to him what we thought the scope of the renovation and rebuild of our home would be. Two of the three floors of our home were gutted and we had an opportunity to make some changes to the original floor plan of our over 60 year old house. He was empathic and supportive and offered excellent suggestions and insights for us to consider. He was patient and understood how difficult it was for us to make decisions regarding the rebuild.
We visited the house on several occasions with Jay where he assessed the situation and provided concrete suggestions how we might proceed. We told him that we wanted to change the floor plan of both the basement and main floor.
Jay approached the project systematically and methodically. He asked pertinent and insightful questions regarding our lifestyle and how we envisioned utilizing the space.
We spent invaluable time on discussing the redesign of the main floor and kitchen. Jay provided numerous options/alternatives and design sketches to assist us in envisioning the end result. His drawings were detailed and with great accuracy making the main floor and kitchen almost come “alive”.
The design process was the one bright light in our lives during this difficult time. Jay mapped out how we could rebuild our house and in essence our lives.
We felt energized by the design process and looked forward to receiving the first version of the Scope of Work. Jay worked within our budget in developing this documentation. He took feedback and our input exceptionally well and really listened to what we were saying.
Jay provided us with the names of a few contractors and cabinet makers who he had previously worked with. We interviewed all of them and after checking on references chose Mike Ponte (Elite General Contracting) and Bill Dawson (Dawson Cabinetworks Inc.).
We felt blessed and respected by this dedicated team of renovation specialists who provided excellent service and quality. Throughout the process Jay was available for consultation and to assist with any problem solving. He provided upon request, ongoing creative feedback and ideas on how to address obstacles and or challenges. He provided clarity and information on a variety of issues during the process by being available for site visits, quality control and construction challenges. At all times we felt heard, respected and part of the rebuild “team”.
We are completely indebted to Jay for his professionalism, compassion and excellent architectural insights during this difficult time.

I am a new owner of a 5-unit, multi-use building. The basement residential unit configuration was a nightmare and there was moisture in the basement. A total renovation was required. Jay assisted in the re-design of the basement including the exploration of various options and alternatives; space planning; design sketches; and, related documentation for the basement. After developing a clear scope of work that could be accurately priced and tracked, he sought quotes from several contractors. Ultimately, he introduced me to Silvio Santos, and his dedicated team who completed the work. There were several issues that arose during the construction that could not have been contemplated and Jay provided helpful and timely advice throughout and worked with Silvio to find the best solutions.

I hired Jay because I am not very familiar with construction and I wanted someone I could trust to provide me with options and clear advice and to take responsibility for the overall project. That’s what I got.

We wanted to renovate our en-suite bathroom and our kitchen in the condo where we have lived for 14 years. I am challenged changing a lightbulb. My wife is little better with technical stuff. My solution: let’s move. My cousin is a neighbour to Jay and introduced us to him. Without Jay we would never have started the renovation projects.

To begin with, living in a condo any significant renovation needs to be approved by the Board of Directors. Jay has extensive experience with such submissions and has the equipment to draft and print the plans (before and after) as well as advise us on the wording of the submissions.

The renos were to be done in two stages to coincide with extensive travels plans. Jay managed the projects while we travelled. He managed the contractors, inspected the site from time to time, sent us photographs, handled interim payments to contractors and provided liaison between the contractor and the two of us. Without Jay, it would have been impossible to have the work done while we were travelling.

As we developed our plans, Jay kept us focused on what was required vs. what we were considering (in other words: don’t waste money); the classic need vs. want. We would have spent significantly more had Jay not provided this sense of focus. Once we had finalized the design, Jay helped us with Board approval, developed a clear scope of work (to send to proposed contractors) and provided names of potential contractors with experience in condo work.

Jay also helped with selection of materials (shower doors, plumbing fixtures, tiles, etc.). He was unstinting in his willingness to accompany us to showrooms and advise us on materials and fixtures. (We did not know, for instance, that if one selects natural stone for bathroom tiles, you have to seal the tiles every year or two. We certainly did not know that. We bought porcelain tiles instead.) Jay also suggested we request contractor pricing from the vendors. This saved us a lot of money (and more than paid his fees!!).

At the appropriate time Jay introduced us to two contractors with whom he had worked. Jay helped us analyze the bids/proposals and select the contractor. We have nothing but praise for the contractor’s work and the contractor’s willingness to go above and beyond without thought to additional charges to us. Without Jay’s experience and assistance we would have floundered on this selection process.

While we were away Jay resolved most of the issues arising during construction. We had spent enough time together that Jay knew what we would have chosen given the available options. Jay also stick-handled unexpected construction requirements which involved entering the condo unit below ours. Without his intervention this issue would have stopped the bathroom project until we returned (four weeks later).

We are thrilled with our new bathroom and especially the shower and with our new kitchen. Without Jay these renovations would not have happened.

We recently purchased a condo that was badly neglected. A friend of ours had mentioned that Jay Charendoff of House Calls Renovation Advisors had helped him with a successful bathroom renovation project. We called Jay prior to the purchase to provide an assessment. He immediately responded to our call and was an indispensable aid during the entire renovation process.

Jay outlined the scope of work required, drafted conceptual drawings and assembled a team to fulfill the various tasks required to renovate the condo. His experience and guidance were invaluable in so many areas. He is also excellent at reading client needs and avoiding unnecessary expenditures or providing guidance or referrals to resolve challenging issues.

We could never have completed this project so well without Jay’s contacts and wisdom. Through his arrangements and the skills of the team he assembled for us, the project was completed quickly and on time. Jay provided outstanding value throughout and it was a pleasure to work with him.

We called House Calls to come to our home and advise us whether or not we had a water leakage problem in our basement. Jay promptly came over and thoroughly examined the west basement wall from both the inside and the outside. He explained the type of construction that was used many years ago to build our foundation wall and advised us that we did not have as serious a problem as we thought. In examining our basement Jay was exceptionally thorough and showed us that we have asbestos wrapping around some of our pipes in the ceiling.
At our request, Jay referred us to a licenced asbestos removal contractor to help us with this issue. Without Jay's help we would not have found out about the asbestos problem in our house. Also we would not have the knowledge to know exactly what renovation work we will need to have done in the basement.
In the future we will definitely consult House Calls before we undertake any major renovations on our house.

We hired Jay Charendoff, the owner of House Calls, to help us best deal with a water/mold issue that we discovered in the basement.

Jay assessed the situation and devised a solution in the form of an underground drainage trough, which would allow water to flow away from our house. He also recommended re-directing our downspouts, and referred us to the excellent Blueline Contractors to do the excavation and subsequent waterproofing of the foundation walls.

Jay made numerous site visits and supervised the implementation of his plan.

We were very pleased with the end results and felt reassured that we had taken all the necessary steps to solve the water problem for the duration of our long stay in our home.

Well done, Jay. We will refer you with full confidence.

There is one word that comes to mind when I think of Jay Charendoff’s role in our renovation, and that word is “invaluable”. A friend of ours recommended Jay when we were starting out to renovate a condo we had just bought, as she knew I had previously always dreaded and avoided doing renovations.
To be honest, when I read Jay’s glowing reviews on HomeStars, I was a little afraid he was out of our league – both financially and in terms of the relative importance of our renovation to him. I couldn’t have been more wrong. He was completely invested in us and his price was more than reasonable, even though I know he was juggling several other clients at the same time.
What did he do for us? Because he is a trained architect, he actually designed the structural changes for us and it made a huge difference in the feeling of size in our condo. He also recommended a good general contractor and most importantly, I could email him and ask for his help if I had concerns about any aspect of what was being done.
Jay followed up with us even when we didn’t contact him, to make sure we were still happy and enjoying a stress free renovation, which is his stated goal for his clients. He also came to inspect the renovation once it was finished, on his own initiative. I feel extremely fortunate to have been in such good hands, and I adore our newly renovated home. I truly believe that hiring Jay was the smartest thing I could have done.

Finally I am in a stage to see the quotations of my renovation. When I started to plan our renovation last year I started to choose a kitchen company that referred me to a general contractor, but he
never took the business seriously. Waited, waited, waited for several months...all we had was a drawing of our house.(Although we knew we had to apply for a permit regarding our project.)
So I called Jay to help me out. I needed him to oversee our renovation process.
First, he told me to make my "wish list"according to my drawing. Written statements have to be presented. He made a nice coloured draft scope of work and general instructions on scope for our house. And he gave me a lot of advised when I decided to change contractors to start my search all over. Although this work was expensive, it was well worth it.
I chose one company to do the Phase 1 work which was only the design and a permit process work. Jay told me that I had to compare the quotations based on the same work, which is drawings stamped by the Engineer.( I lost my time again during this Phase 1 process because this company's sales person quite all of a sudden and didn't inform us for weeks and kitchen company was telling me that cabinets are ready...but I didn't have a contractor.)
But finally with Jay's direction and advise, we came to the point to compare the prices of total renovations. If we didn't ask him, we would probably have all kinds of estimates or quotations based on
only verbal, uncertain, forgetful promises based on inaccurate numbers from several companies.
Jay educated me a lot for this process without any charges. When it comes to a renovations, there are so many technical things we don't know and I strongly recommend a person like Jay to contact.
Renovation is not cheap, but investment to the good education will save a money in the end.

We have a driveway on a steep incline and after this past winter, started considering our options on how to make it easier to navigate. I had met with a few contractors but contacted Jay to get a third-party, impartial opinion. Jay was great at assessing the situation, listening to my requirements and providing feasible options to address the situation. If I undertake any renovations in the future, I will definitely call Jay first!

My house underwent a major renovation 8 years ago. Following the completion of the job, I was widowed. There are a number of house concerns that have developed over the last few years. Feeling insecure about how to proceed and not particularly savvy around house repairs, I was referred to House Calls Renovation Advisors. We did a thorough walk through both in and around the house. I felt totally comfortable when speaking of my various concerns! Jay asked thoughtful, appropriate questions. The issues were assessed and recommendations to appropriate tradespeople were provided. Jay quickly provided a written review of what had transpired and also contacted the recommended trades. He was extremely respectful, knowledgeable and an overall good guy!