Victor, of Home Improvement Source,
Our overall experience: Poor quality of work, unsafe (electrical not to code), not timely, not communicative, not clean, unprofessional and difficult to work with.
We hired Victor in Aug 2020 to renovate two bathrooms. The small basement bathroom was moldy and the upstairs needed a bathtub.
Financial: Not standard. Victor’s contract asked for 60% of the total contract to be paid by the first day, which we paid (Consumer Protections recommends 10-20%). He also required us to purchase items that were included in the contract and did not reimburse us.
Victor told us the project would take 6 weeks. Renovations started the week of Oct 26, and by Feb 22 (18 weeks later) we asked to sever the contract as the basement bathroom was still incomplete and the upstairs bathroom not started.
Quality of work: Tile work is crooked, uneven, and large grout lines throughout. Electrical was not to code. A GFI rated plug was not used by the shower and vanity which protects from electric shock in damp spaces. The fan would not turn on due to crossed wiring. The drain for the vanity was plumbed with a significant negative slope so water will have issues flowing out, increasing the risk of clogging. The wall hung toilet carrier was incorrectly installed in the wall. We called a professional plumber in to install the toilet so we would at least have a functioning toilet. They said the plumping and framing had to be redone due to improper alignment with the drain, all of which had already been drywalled.
Cleanliness: Victor’s team continued to leave construction waste in our backyard between Nov and Jan, they finally removed it once we asked.
Timeliness: Unreliable. Four different schedules over five months, always late and often unreachable.
We are a young family with two babies and new to home renovations and we feel Victor took advantage of us and put our family at risk.
We do not recommend Home Improvement Source.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $19,000.00
- Company Response
Jackie,
We regret you feel this way.
I am sorry the work did take longer than we had planned because of the difficulties we encountered in trying complete your bathroom renovations in the middle of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Getting our supplies took much longer than we were used to, and on top of that, a couple of our workers got sick and had to quarantine.
When they did return, trying to maintain 6 feet apart while working in a 3x8 foot bathroom, took an a huge amount of effort and time causing further delays.
We did ask you for an initial deposit of 10% and the items you mentioned as unsafe, where work in progress that had not yet been completed, such as installing a regular outlet temporarily instead of a GFCI to provide power for our tools. At the end of the job it is our practice to have our electrician come in and change it.
The Handmade tiles you choose for your bathroom came in different sizes, thickness and color and the grout lines reflect that, which is part of their charm.We truly regret that you did not allow us to complete the project to your full satisfaction and count you among our many happy clients.