There are many home renovation horror stories ... this is not one of them.
We are very pleased with the work Elia and his crew has done in our basement. Elia was very professional and maintained a high standard of service throughout the whole project. We were very impressed even with how nicely the floor protection was put down on the first day by Chris (the carpenter) before any work even began. It was just one of many small details that helped put any worries about the level of workmanship that would be done.
The framers Christian and Rick, were always early, waiting outside each morning ready to start each day's work. They were very patient with us as they listened to our design ideas, and helped make them into reality. Every time we asked, "Can we add a...?" or "Is it possible to...?", there was never hesitation to make it work... unless of course it was just physically impossible. We love the in-wall shower inserts!
Not only great products were used, but the workers took the time to explain and educate us on what the benefits of using such products were. Abraham, the HVAC specialist took the time to explain the work he was doing along with the benefits and reasoning for sealing the ductwork. And when my father and mother came down to take a look, he didn't mind explaining it all over for their benefit again.
The electricians fully understood the budget constraints that we had, but did not compromise on quality. Because of the low ceiling in the basement LED potlights were suggested and strategically placed to maximize light while minimizing cost. It's difficult to know where and how many outlets are really needed, but Ozzie and his crew really helped us to decide the placement and quantity of switches, outlets, and fixtures. We never felt pressured, but appreciated the reasoning behind their suggestions.
Professionals just know where we will need outlets and jacks and switches. We appreciated how he even was willing to use an existing light fixture (located in an almost impossible to reach location of our stairwell). This gave us an opportunity to replace that fixture with a reachable chandelier. It was quite the engineering feat to make this possible. It was just another example of a demonstrated willingness go out of the way to help the homeowner that we greatly appreciated.
With the amount of dust that kicked up during drywall installation, Kyle and Raul were more than willing to take panoramic photos of the progress so that we would not have to go downstairs. They had asked if it would inconvenience us if they stayed longer to finish the drywall, and were willing to stay even longer to help us install some of the left over sound-proofing insulation.
John the plumber and Mark the tiler did an amazing job on our dream bathroom. Photos of the washroom attest to their workmanship!
We always felt comfortable to bring up concerns and questions with Elia. We were continually impressed with his outstanding attention to detail and total accessibility. Any time we needed a question answered or had a comment or concern, he was available. We really felt like he gave us his full attention and listened carefully. Nothing was overlooked.
We appreciated that as homeowners, we did not have to address the quality control issues with the workers ourselves, but Elia was always on top of the situation and took the responsibility correct and address any issues.
One last thank you to Haydee for being flexible with our payments. You know you are dealing with a professional company when they allow you to delay payments until you are completely satisfied at each point of the work.
We look forward in using the Home Improvement People and Elia crew again! Thank you. J & M