Andrew in High Park-Swansea

This former High Park resident, yours truly, now makes his home in Atlantic Canada! But so that bio can read "Toronto, too," we recently found a small condo in the big city. Sunny west exposure means quality blinds are a must. I was relieved that Eko Couture specializes in condo installations, as the shapes and sizes and concrete drilling can be tricky. I dropped into their showroom briefly to make a selection, and then Viggo was charming and personable and installed the blinds expertly, as hoped. My wife jumped for joy when she saw that this task was finally done... and she's not easy to please.

Does this star system go to 11? Nestor and his team really saved the day by completing a lengthy to-do list in order to get our home in shape for sale. A full paint & patch job (including basement cleanup and paint for a very old basement) and two different kinds of floor installation, banister repair (with good craftsmanship), and sundry outdoor repairs were in the mix. Nestor's courtesy and clarity also made him a pleasure to deal with. The jobs were completed on a tight schedule. The cost cited above is only vaguely accurate, and includes materials including some hardwood flooring.

The two gentlemen were incredibly courteous and professional and took great care in protecting some of the furniture we wanted placed in storage. We also moved out a large number of boxes. When you calculate everything the price comes in on the high side, but they go through everything very meticulously and apply packing materials/wrap to chairs etc. as required. If your stuff isn't very nice it may seem over the top. Definitely not a low end service. Again, the professionalism and courtesy are pretty much the highest I've come across in the home service industry. Also, they and the company as a whole make it seamless, reducing the hassle factor to zero.

Based on its strong HomeStars profile, I went with this company. Unfortunately I had broken a key off in a lock on our storage shed on a Saturday night, and I needed a locksmith so I could go skiing Sunday, as my stuff was inside. We made an appointment for 10:30 Sunday morning, which worked great. George was courteous and professional and installed the new hardware despite the door frame being off kilter and the previous installation having been done poorly. Emergency hourly rates aren't cheap. But that's the locksmith business for you! The rate I quoted above included HST, labor, and hardware.

We procrastinated on this job, and as a result the pattering feet and scratching sounds of squirrels in our attic were emanating down into the bedroom, causing disruption to sleep, and stress. GTA Wildlife Removal guys (Troy) were great in explaining the scenario and unlike me, were very certain of the likely entry point. I really don't have an opinion one way or another as to whether the "one way exit door" methodology is good or necessary, but boy, was it effective. Friendly, helpful service, and most of all, 100% effective. It's been five weeks. The squirrels haven't been back.

The above-cited cost was to do two homes side by side (semi-detached). The job done was thorough, professional, and friendly. We appreciate going with a company that has a good reputation, and expertise enough to get to a "tall Victorian level" eaves.

Provided expert advice on paint selection for several projects including bathroom (mildew resistance), furniture, and walls. This is a specialty store that can offer technical assistance, advice on colour selection, and a range of home decor products, including wallpaper and window coverings.

Totally professional and courteous service. I wasn't too impressed with the pricing as a few bricks are considered "bedload" and trigger what I think is too much extra cost, but I was able to negotiate a small discount. This company is hassle-free and the service was friendly. The Vancouver office phoned a week later to ask if I was satisfied. I declined their request to put a lawn sign up for two weeks. I'm not sure why anyone would agree to free advertising, no matter how satisfied they might be!

Downtown Flooring is a custom shop who focus only on flooring jobs - and have been in business many years. As expected they were knowledgeable and able to help us select an appropriate product. Quality of installation, speed, and cleanup were all up to par. The price felt on the high side but everyone else we've talked to told us it's about right. There was extra work to repair the subfloor (which we found out about after all the carpet was ripped out) - we authorized this and had been warned this might be the case (very old Victorian home). Due to the unevenness of the rooms they had extra work to do and it was handled expertly. Finally - I received a call from Stephan regarding some sheets of plywood the installers had left behind. He apologized and arranged for pickup the next day.

I came home from a business trip and saw that our bedroom finally had a full closet system. Given our tiny previous closet and the disarray that led to, this is almost worth giving five stars for. But not quite. In dealing with Ikea, you really have to assess the whole experience. I think those who get the most out of Ikea are actively involved in the process and know what they want. But let's explore what went into getting this closet. First, we needed to select all the pieces ourselves. It's all totally self-serve. Then, we needed to haul those mothers off the shelves and onto dollies. These things are huge! When you're a guy, instead of asking for help, you're going to do it yourself in the store. But you're going to be sweating. The next headache is: yes you guessed it, not all the pieces are in stock. We have a small car, not exactly a minivan or truck. So... guess what, we're paying for delivery. There seems to be no sympathy for the fact that we wound up with two (OK, I'll admit it, due to a screwup on somebody's part, we wound up with THREE separate purchases requiring you guessed it, THREE deliveries.) Now: the huge closet pieces are in the house. Due to our need for a floor renovation, they sat there for four months. After that reno was done, Carolyn called the installers. That's when things took a turn for the better! They came out the next day and installed them fast for a dirt cheap price. Sounds like a pain but California Closets is like 4X the price.