Valerie R in Toronto

Searching high and low for a company to clean my dryer vent, I spent several hours on the phone yesterday calling what seemed to be every company in Toronto to clean my dryer vent. The challenge was that my dryer vents through the roof - and every company I called refused the job, because it would involve a worker going onto the roof to clean the cap. I decided to send the challenge out to the internet, and through the magic of HomeStars, Mark from Reliable Dryer Vent called me back (within just a couple hours of my post), and booked me for today! He said that a roof-venting dryer isn't a problem for him, and that my roof wasn't even that particularly challenging. He made my day! He just came out this afternoon, and went about his work. He told me that my roof cap was indeed completely plugged, and fixed the problem. Mark is so lovely and friendly to work with, encouraging (when I had nearly given up!) and accommodating (he fit me in the next day!). The job got done quickly, efficiently, and his price was reasonable too! I'm glad to be on his list for annual recall. Thanks so much Mark, I was so lucky to find you! See you next year!

What more can I say about Piero and his team from Valentini that hasn't already been said? My experience over many years with them has been nothing short of phenomenal. Our relationship started in 2011 with my 1972 formica nightmare of a kitchen. With a wave of their magic sledgehammer, we moved on in 2014 to complete my entire second floor, where my laundry area was relocated, and the size of my now spa-like bathroom was tripled. Its now 2017, and time for phase three - the final phase. Piero introduced me to Marty, and together they reconfigured my ground-level basement, which had previously housed the laundry area, and a large family room with wood burning fireplace. It was always cold and damp there and had turned into useless catch-all space. Enter the Valentini team, and in a day, demolition was complete, and the walls were stripped to the concrete. The plan was to install a 3 piece bathroom in the basement, so that the space would serve as a guest suite, as well as my home office. This involved cracking concrete, and installing entirely new plumbing. Of course when opening walls and ceilings, surprises abound, including the discovery that there was zero insulation or vapour barrier in the walls, and several other issues that were from the original build. The wood burning fireplace was removed, and replaced with a gas fireplace, also installing a gas line to my bar be que outside. The bathroom was roughed in by Yuri, walls were framed by Andrew, Joe and Sebastian, and finished meticulously. Frank the electrician (who also worked on the 2nd floor reno) not only completed the new installation of electrical, he identified several potential problems in the old wiring, and fixed them so that they were safe. We relocated the air conditioning unit in my yard, so that it was closer to the house, and he re configured the electrical outlets so that they were to code. Andrew finished off the ceilings beautifully, created a bulkhead with the ductwork and water/gas lines, and finished the basement off with ceramic tile at the exterior door, which continued up the fireplace to look like barnboard. The utility area was closed off into a closet (furnace and water heater), and the closet under the stairs was updated as well. The final touches were the custom vanity installed by Anthony, who, ever the perfectionist, made sure everything was finished on point. The basement is now very cosy, the drafts are gone, and my guests have a lovely private suite, with gorgeous ensuite bath to themselves. I'm looking forward to moving my home office to that space soon. I can't thank Valentini enough... and I tease Piero that I'm going to have to sell my house now, and find another one, as I've run out of spaces for him to renovate!

METICULOUS - that's the only word I can use to describe the Valentini group. Following the phenomenal job they did on my kitchen in 2011, I invited them back this summer (2014) to completely redo the entire footprint of my second floor. This involved complete demolition of interior walls, rerouting of plumbing and electrical, the introduction of new ducting, and immaculate finshing. The final product - nothing short of breathtaking. I went from a 1980's formica nightmare, to a spa bathroom worthy of a 5 star hotel. They also brought the washer and dryer up from the basement, and made a dedicated laundry area. I now have more space, a better layout, and gorgeous features and finishes. Piero and his crew are a pleasure to work with. His guys are friendly, highly skilled and take pride in their workmanship. Meticulous doesn't even begin to describe it. As I travel for work a lot, having someone I can trust in my home while I'm absent is a significant relief. In addition, Piero would provide me with email/ text updates on the reno progress, send me photos while I was working overseas, to help me to make decisions that would not only look great, but add value to my home. The renovations were not inexpensive, however worth every single penny. I'm looking forward to 2016, when Valentini will work on "phase 3" - my basement.

I purchased my downtown Toronto townhouse about a year and a half ago, and knew from day one that the 1970's plastic/formica kitchen with the awkward configuration would have to go. Valentini was recommended through a friend's contractor. From the initial introductory meeting, to the last drop of touch-up paint, Piero and the Valentini team made sure that my dream kitchen was designed, created, installed and completed exactly how I wanted it. Demolition took place on a Saturday, and being the family business it is, Piero brought his brother-in-law and nephews in. The crew of six had my old kitchen completely demolished to the studs in about eight hours. The wall between the kitchen and dining room was removed, and we found lots of fun surprises, like black mould, four layers of flooring and mouse nests under the subfloor. Most of the roughing was done in the first two days - all new electric, plumbing and framing were done - including rough-ins for a future upstairs laundry. The team had to drill a new hole through the brick to accommodate an exterior-venting stove hood. Framing, insulation and drywall were complete by day 6, and Raony did a phenomenal job first installing the in-floor heating, then the 12x24" slate-like ceramic tile. The custom cabinetry was well worth the very short wait (only about a week!) and looked AMAZING when it was done. Totally made the room look enormous, and the white of the cabinets really brightens up the room. The backsplash (aka Kitchen bling) tied the kitchen together, and the Cambria Quartz countertop topped it all off. The powder room was renovated at the same time, and though we ran into challenges only with the wallpaper, the finished product is elegant and gorgeous. I could only rate my experience a 10... but really it was a 15 out of 10. Piero estimate 8 weeks for the total renovation time, it ended up being done in about five. My biggest concern was disturbing my neighbours, as I live in a 22-unit townhouse complex. The workers that came in were very respectful of my neighbours and made sure that both my unit, and any common areas that were used were cleaned and swept every day. I've had many conversations about renovations with friends and neighbours, some of whom have had horrible experiences with their contractors. I would wholeheartedly recommend the Valentini kitchens team, and I can honestly say that the entire renovation process was an extremely positive and nearly effortless experience. Not only did the team make sure my kitchen vision was realized, Piero (and occasionally Anthony) called and/or emailed me daily, sometimes more, just to make sure I was kept completely up to date on the reno progress. On the rare occasion that something was delayed, I was notified immediately. My emails and phone calls were returned on the same day, and NOT ONCE was I ever left wondering what was happening. My neighbours were very impressed with the efficiency, and high quality of the workmanship in the kitchen. I have already been asked for contact information for Valentini. I very much look forward to using Valentini again when I install y laundry room on the 2nd floor, and a bathroom in the basement. They will be my first call when any renovations need to be done.