An assisted review is collected by a contractor on behalf of the homeowner after their work is completed. The homeowner must confirm the text of the review and may make any changes she or he deems appropriate. The homeowner then assigns the contractor a review score out of 10. Assisted reviews receive the same scrutiny as other reviews and must follow our review guidelines.
The main floor of our home is approximately 1000 square feet and for several years we have been contemplating a renovation to the main floor. With that in mind, we visited the Ottawa Home Renovation Show in the winter of 2014 and collected information from a variety of companies. In late spring of 2014 we contacted three companies regarding our renovation – two larger firms (including OGC) and one very small company – and had two of those firms visit our home for an onsite assessment. We had not previously worked with OGC but decided to sign with the company for a variety of reasons including the positive reviews we read while researching the company, a successful initial on site visit and the design/build option that OGC offers (plus the incentive that is offered to go the design/build route). Before approaching OGC, we could articulate our main objectives: open up the kitchen/living/dining areas, and take the space currently used as an office to (i) expand the bathroom and (ii) create a walk in closet. We had some idea of how this could be accomplished but we did not have a specific design in mind. That is why the design/build option appealed to us. There were several things we quite enjoyed regarding the design process. The first was working with our designer, Nooreen Haider. Her personality and client service nature made us feel very comfortable. We also enjoyed the software used for the design phase, and more specifically how it allows the client (with the designer) to play with the design in an interactive fashion. This is particularly helpful for clients who may have difficulty envisioning what a space could look like from a 2D rendering. With respect to improvements that could be made, we did encounter several challenges that, while they did not taint our overall experience, we did want to detail for OGC’s consideration. We would highly recommend providing clients with a full explanation when members of the team assigned to a project change. There was an unexpected, unexplained and rather abrupt change in our OGC contact just as we were signing on for the design phase. The initial meeting with OGC (at our home), and the first meeting at the OGC office, was with an employee named Nick Campbell. Both meetings left us feeling quite comfortable, and both meetings involved fairly detailed discussion regarding our ‘vision’. Although we understood the different roles played by Nick and Noreen, we assumed a transition would take place where Nick would relay to Nooreen what he knew re our ‘vision’. However, just as we were about to sign on for the design/build option, we were told Nick had been reassigned and we would be working with his colleague. Everything worked out in the end, and we enjoyed working with Ziad, however at the time the abrupt change and vague explanation did make us briefly reconsider. Similarly, Noreen left our project near the end of the design stage. In this case we were given significant notice/explanation, and the design stage was almost complete. However there was some frustration in that the last set of updates were not made to our design before the build phase started. We started the build without the correct/final diagrams, which had to be addressed after the build had started. Perhaps the biggest challenge we faced during the design phase was the difficulty we had in finalizing a Statement of Work that accurately reflected all of the decisions that had been made regarding the design. We often felt it was left up to us to assure that the SOW reflected recent decisions. Adding to the frustration was what we considered to be vagueness in the descriptions included in the SOW. Line items were sometimes lacking detail, which led to a lack of clarity in what was/was not included. On a related note, the delay in receiving revised estimates, once changes to the design had been agreed upon, was frustrating. Overall, we are very happy that we started this process with the design option. For anyone planning to build with OGC, we would recommend starting the project with your design phase.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $3,000.00
- Company Response
Thank you for your detailed review on our design process. The thought and time you put into this review is appreciated, both your kind words and constructive feedback allow us to identify and uncover potential areas for improvement. OGC is always thriving off of opportunities to grow as a company and this presents us with just that. We are thrilled to have created a design for you and your family that allows for a more open concept between the kitchen and living/dining room, it is perfect for entertaining guests and will marry the individual spaces to each other. We are glad we were able to transform the 3rd bedroom into the walk-in closet you desired and give you a larger bathroom layout that allows for two sinks instead of one. We were just as excited as you were about your design and are very happy you chose and entrusted OGC with your project. We look forward to seeing the final product.