Mat in North York

My chimney was falling apart and on the advice of my neighbour, I had Carleton Chimney give me a quote. They were very quick and provided me with advice of how to fix it. Their quote was significantly less than another quote I received, so I checked them on Homestars and decided to proceed. The crew was dispatched quickly and spent three days tearing down and rebuilding my chimney. They built scaffolding and protected my pool equipment and deck. Afterwards, they cleaned up the job site. The final price was exactly what they quoted and the quality of workmanship was excellent. For providing cost competitive, prompt, and high quality work, I am giving Carleton Chimney a top rating.

I bought a furnace and air conditioner from Direct Energy. I also purchased the extended warranties for both of them. The salesman indicated that the first year check for both units was included for free, which sounded great to me. What I didn't realize is that the "1st year check" means that you are signing up for Direct Energy's heating and cooling maintenance plans. I was never informed that I was signing up for this plan and the salesman left no literature related to it. After a year, Direct Energy automatically started charging $20/mth on my gas bill. When I called to enquire what this was, they indicated that I had signed up for their maintenance plans and they had sent me reminders and terms and conditions after I had purchased the furnace/air conditioner. To be honest, I can't remember if I received any of those, and if I did, I would have thought they were the normal junk mail that I get from Direct Energy and threw them out. They may even look suspiciously like their junk mail to fool you. I asked to cancel the plans since I don't need them for brand new units with extended warranty protection. They informed me that I would be charged a penalty for cancelling and that I needed to continue the plan until the annifersary, which is a year away. BUYER BEWARE! When the salesman offers you a "free" first year check on your Direct Energy units, it is a scam. Their sales pitch is misleading and they will never inform you that you are signing up for their monthly maintenance plan, which automatically kicks in after a year unless you cancel it.

Vince performed all of the measurements and design of our exterior renovation. He helped us choose appropriate colours and discussed the various materials to fit our budget. He also provided recommendations that would enhance the look and utility of our project. Envision This development {Formerly VPS Group} arrived in the spring, removed the old walkways and driveway, re-graded, installed flagstone, natural stone steps, stone driveway, plants, and sod in less than a week. The site was kept clean every night and we are very happy with the end result. We are planning to redo our backyard and will plan to use Envision This development for that project as well.

My garage door opener failed in the evening. I called the Dodds 7/24 hotline at 11pm and elected to use their call back option. They called me back at 8am the next day and had a service truck with two technicians at my door by 1pm (in a snow storm). They diagnosed the problem quickly and gave me the option of repair or new opener, both of which they could do on the spot. I decided to go with the new unit and had a new LiftMaster Professional installed with dual safety system for less than $400 (including installation and taxes) less than an hour later. The technicians (John and Rob) were very curteous and showed me all of the features, explained the warranty, and carted away my old opener and rail. I am pleased with the service that I received and I would recommend Dodds without hesitation.

We used Revi to help us plan and then execute a renovation of the interior and exterior of our home. She took the time to understand our personal style and objectives and then applied her many years of experience to offer us suggestions and advice. The end result exceeded our expectations and we are very grateful that we found her. Also important were the contractors, trades, and vendors that Revi brought in to execute the renovation. Each referral from Revi executed their work with high quality and professionalism. This definitely gave us peace of mind, knowing that they had all worked together before and truly cared about their mutual reputations. Finally, we hired Revi as our project manager and she was worth every cent. She calmed us down during periods of stress and managed issues along the way. The extensive project was finished on time and on budget, with any scope changes clearly explained and accepted by us along the way. I have no problem recommending Revi for renovations both large and small.

I contracted Moveworks, but after reading the reviews on Homestars, I called Anne to express my concerns. She explained the issues that some customers experienced and that they were not able to respond to other complaints because they couldn't match them up with previous customers. On move day, a three-man crew arrived. Moveworks supplied wardrobe boxes, used runners, wrapped all fragile furniture, and were very professional. The move included a complete move-out of one condo, one townhouse, a pick-up from storage and then a move-in of all the items. The crew was very courteous, followed our instructions, asked for directions as they unloaded our belongings, and were careful with everything. Only one wine glass was broken (which I packed myself) out of more than 75 boxes, furniture, and a piano. The whole move including travel, took just under 9 hours and the final invoice came in exactly what was estimated. I want to thank Moveworks for a job well done and for making our move a less stressful event. Hint to those moving: Moveworks sends a detailed set of conditions, tips, and instructions prior to the move. Follow the instructions and your move will go easier.

Encore was referred to us for our home renovation. Dave explained the various options and cost factors for each window. We decided to replace 17 windows, the front door, and garage door. The quality of workmanship and product is excellent. Not only do the windows look great, but our energy consumption will be reduced and we qualify for the energy retrofit rebate. Dave personally came by at the end of job to show us the features and explain the warranty. I would recommend Encore.

We are very pleased with the way our home looks. Mike and his crew stripped, patched, sanded, primed and painted the entire interior and parts of the exterior after our renovations. The quality of workmanship, the cleanliness of the job site, and the friendliness of the team were all excellent. I have no problems recommending Room at a Time and will definitely use them in the future. The cleaners we hired specialize in post-renovation clean ups and this was the first house they had cleaned that did not have paint splashes after extensive painting. They were so impressed that they plan to recommend Room at a Time to their clients.

Cleany and Shiny provided excellent service after our renovation. Oleg and Alla arrived right on time. The house was cleaned from top to bottom and looks fantastic. Both workers provided quality service and provided me with updates along the way. I would recommend this cleaning service for anyone wishing to get their house in move-in condition after renovations.