Basement Renovation with new Addition
Jeff Hayes was fantastic from the very beginning to the very end of the project. Unlike many of his competitors, he sat down with me and asked probing questions about exactly WHAT I wanted to accomplish with this renovation and why. As a result of that conversation, I ended up revising the plans substantially and am happier with the final outcome than I otherwise would have been.
The job consisted of creating a new two-story addition to contain a heated side entrance into a basement apartment, and a complete teardown/rebuild of the basement to create an up-to-code rentable living unit that was completely separated from the rest of the house. Jeff created a rough-in for a future in-home elevator so that the unit could be easily upgraded to house a tenant with special needs.
Jeff is an excellent communicator, and is clear and prompt about bringing up issues as they come up so they can be dealt with. I was never left wondering "what is supposed to happen next", as Jeff led me through the project step by step and laid out each part of the plan.
Jeff has a wide range of experience and there are many jobs he is qualified to tackle personally. However, he also knows his limits and will defer to specialists on occasion when the need arises. He always maintains tight control of the project, and all his subcontractors were all very good in their own right.
Jeff is an extremely hands-on owner, and works alongside his staff at all times. You can be sure when Jeff is on duty the job will be done right.
The project only went around 15% overbudget, which as I understand it is very respectable for a renovation of this size.
Although the project took a few months longer than expected, I am extremely happy with the final product and would most definitely recommend Jeff to anybody considering basement renovations, especially the more complex jobs.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $80,000.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Better anticipate and communicate project delays so they are known farther in advance.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Interview many contractors, ask the right questions, make sure potential contractors are asking you the right questions, call for and check references.
- Company Response
thanks for the review miles. im glad you appreciated the effort we put in. there were unusual circumstances with your project that I will file in the business lessons category. I do not want to sound bitter but feel I should speak to those circumstances and the results of those.
although you were very laid back and receptive through the entire project, the fact that we had to finance the second half of the project is what caused the delays. the financing aspect meant we had to lay off a few guys to make sure we could cover the costs. that added about a month to our timeline. then things really slowed down once Lanark painting and renovations started the finishing. as they were the company that brought us in to work with you on your project, and we were to team up with them on the project as planned from the beginning, our fate was in their hands. once we got everything to the plastering phase, we were finished our portion and Lanark was responsible for the finishing. as the finance company required one company only on the loan, we took on the responsibility of the entire project. something I would do again in a heartbeat. I will however not be teaming up with another company to do a renovation any time soon.
as I said not usual circumstances. but a fantastic client.