Bathroom, built-ins, flooring, mantle
It is rare that a homeowner finishes a renovation loving their contractor - but we did and we do. Kaz is fabulous and we highly recommend - his area of expertise is carpentry, he has an amazing eye for detail, adds value with his perspective and has a memory like a vault. He is respectful of our home, our timetable and our budget. Kaz is easy to work with and takes a personal interest in the project. Highly, Highly recommend.
General Contracting - Residential
If you are considering using Precise Renovations - be careful. The gentleman that owns this company - Jamie is nice enough but his estimates and level of detail as it relates to the job are dodgey at best. He is difficult to "pin down" on costs, materials, time and/or labour which is essentially the backbone of his business. He is easy to talk to and friendly but refuses to provide proper breakouts, and details. As the job changes, everything seems to cost the same i.e. if you move to a less expensive option - it is the same cost as the more expensive option. Be careful if you are considering and make sure you get a full break out before you proceed.
It would appear that the client forgot to mention the number of hours spent with the client while change after change and detail after were reviewed. As to a break out of work to be done....well perhaps if there was of a firm decision process then it would be possible. Just because a material good may cost less to purchase doesnt mean that it may not cost more to install thereby offsetting any economic benefit! So as usual please do ensure that you do get a proper breadown from both parties involved.
Rugs for bedrooms, runner, and rec room
Dominion Rug - not the cheapest option but you get what you pay for and Ben is fabulous to deal with. Service was great! Highly recommend. DLM - Cricket Club
Exterior painting (portico, dormers, eves + doors)
I strongly recommend Pinnacle Painting - Mark the owner came by quickly and provided a comprehensive quote - the job started a few days later and everything went very well.
New Carpeting Throughout The House
Efloor is fabulous! Great carpet for less. We used them for our entire house - Aaron was easy to work with and went the extra mile to get us what we wanted at really reasonable prices. In the past, I have used two other very well known carpet retailers in Toronto - and Efloor is the best - I highly recommend them.
Have used Anna's Housekeeping for several years - the current quality of cleaners and recent "hike" in hourly rate has made this a poor choice for housekeeping services - recommend looking at another option or cleaning the house yourself (gasp!) DLM Cricket Club
If you are looking for interesting home decor items or hostess gifts this is a great little find on Aveunue Road - highly recommend. Owner is really nice and willing to let you take items home - see if you like them and return - prices are reasonable and fair. DLM - Cricket Club
Purchased sofa, bedside tables, coffee table
If you just rec'd the new Restoration Hardware catalogue and are thinking about ordering some furniture keep this in mind. I ordered bedside tables in November 2006 - one was delivered (damaged) and 7 months later I am still waiting for the second one (not to mention the repair for the damaged one). The sofa I ordered took 4 months to arrive and when it did it had a stain on the seat cushion (yet to be resolved - now 7 months from order date). The Toronto location is nice enough, but they have no US pull - there are a million excuses, and very little action to resolve. If you are ready to be frustrated - you'll love Restoration Hardware - good luck. D
If you are thinking about using Unlimited Reno you might want to reconsider. Peter essentially is very nice but the work is not great and attention to detail (expertise) was lacking. We called them back for touch ups and although they used a specific white for all trim when they were painting the house - the "touched up" with a random "stark white" that stuck out. They left their "paper sheets" behind for the homeowner (us to clean up) and used a tape on our hard wood floor that stripped it.
