At the start of 2012 my husband and I knew that we would be embarking on our first full-scale home renovation, but when we found out that we were expecting our first child, we knew that timing was critical. We’d purchased our first home - semi detached in East York in 2007 and EVERYTHING needed fixing. There wasn't one floorboard that didn't squeak, there was barely any insulation and our bathtub's overflow was the ceiling of our kitchen. It was really bad, so we began the daunting process of learning how to find a contractor.
We poured over renovation advice blogs, collected references from friends and started to make calls. Many emails were sent and we lined up a few consultations. We began to consider one contractor who came to us on referral. Everyone says referrals are golden, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I got when they repeatedly were late for meetings and unclear on project scope and pricing. At this time we found A&R Renovations on Homestars. I emailed the owner Alex a project list of everything we wanted done (kitchen, bathroom, living room, dining room, staircase, baby room, master bedroom and hall) and booked a consultation and he got back to me the same day. Alex was on time for each meeting. He was always organized, explained everything clearly and was very professional. You could tell he knew what he was talking about. My husband and I then decided, based solely on our gut feeling and the reviews we read, that we would sign with A&R Renovations. We were filled with trepidation as we handed off the first cheque, but to our delight, as the project ensued, everything unfolded just as Alex said it would. The team was always polite and professional, and showed up on time each day. Alex was in contact with us day and night, weekday and weekend - letting us know how things were going or if he needed our feedback or decisions. He would give his advice when asked, and would offer his expertise and guidance when we weren't sure what finishes to choose.
Alex and his team worked tirelessly to give us our beautifully renovated home. He helped to ensure we stayed on budget, and he was cognizant that the longer the project took, the more it would cost us, as we were renting accommodations for the duration of the job. They finished in exactly 6 weeks to the day, and we were able to move back home. Since we've been home, we are delighted with the results and I continue to have to remind myself that this IS actually our house. Everything is stunning, from the floors, lighting, our beautiful new bathroom and kitchen and opened staircase and more – everything is perfect esthetically and functionally.
Alex and his team went above and beyond for us at every turn and continued to exceed our expectations throughout the whole project, and you have to understand how critical this was for us, with baby on the way, incomes cut in half and a new mortgage ahead. We can't thank Alex and his team enough. While other things in life fell through, our home renovation kept chugging along just as promised and that meant the world to us. We have developed a strong trust in Alex and the A&R Renovations Team, where we know first-hand that their clients’ satisfaction and quality work is priority number one. I feel very fortunate to have found A&R Renovations and would recommend them in a heart-beat. A sincere thank you for everything Alex and team!