Robin, Toronto

This was my fourth move using El Cheapo in the past five or six years. That probably tells you everything you need to know about them. They've always been friendly, fast, respectful of my stuff -- professional in every way, and affordable on top. Other reviews seem to suggest you need some luck with the crew you end up with. In my case I've had different crews for every single move and they've always been great.

I recently sold my house. Shay helped me stage it. She did a wonderful job. Shay has an amazing sense of space and decor, and manages to make rooms shine by the smallest of tweaks. I was very impressed by the major impact of her often minor interventions (an added plant, a different cushion, moving a piece of furniture from one corner to another). She seemed to bring out the homeyness I'd been going for all along. Her props, along with her clear instructions on how to prep the house for showings, without a doubt helped me sell the place quickly (within one day, in fact). I was a bit hesitant beforehand about the need for a stager, but her work convinced me of their usefulness.

I needed the parging of my kitchen extension redone after it suffered damage during last year's heavy winter -- the original parging job wasn't that well done to begin it. I picked Red Robin Masonry based on their Homestars reviews. Couldn't be happier. They were fast and friendly, knowledgeable, they always kept me in the loop as to what was happening (which is great for a layman like myself), and did an excellent job while staying within (a very acceptable) budget. They also managed to squeeze me in at short notice -- very much appreciated as I was on a bit of a deadline, wanting to put my house up for sale. Great company to work with -- I wholeheartedly recommend them.

Mr. Roof Repair initially came by to re-attach some shingles that'd come undone after a recent storm -- a job they did well. Their inspection also revealed that the shingles covering my upper floor outside walls (if that makes sense) were attached straight to the underlying frame, without being properly weatherproofed. (My terminology is probably off, but I hope you know what I mean). I was pleased with their service so far, so I had Mr. R-R take care of the permanent fix as well, at a later date. They replaced those shingles by proper siding -- another quality job. All throughout the process everyone I dealt with, repairmen as well as all the people in the back office, were always friendly, prompt, helpful, correct and professional. I don't know a thing about roofing, but Mr. R-R always made sure I knew what was going on. There were no nasty surprises come billing day (in fact, they subtracted an amount after it became apparent an expected step during the repair wasn't necessary) and I feel confident they expertly prevented a potentially expensive future problem by fixing my walls. I couldn't recommend these guys enough. So thanks very much, Pietro, Mike & Joe (and everyone else whose names I forgot).

I've called in Pest Solution Services once before, about a year ago, when I had the start of a bed bug infestation in my bedroom. Muhammad's service back then was exemplary (and 100% successful). I got in touch with him again when two bug bites suggested I might have brought home new critters. Muhammad was very quick to respond, as before, and dropped by for an inspection the day after I got in touch with him. He was quickly able to show I was worrying over nothing, and my bites did not come from bed bugs (huge relief). He actually refused to charge me for the inspection, considering it a follow-up visit to his intervention the year before. I already edited my first review, but I'm still so impressed with this free 'follow-up', that I felt it deserved a second review, just to point out what great service you can expect from PSS. So thanks again, Muhammad!

I discovered some bug bites that suggested I'd somehow brought home bed bugs. Online homework made it clear they're very hard to get rid of without the help of an expert, so I hopped onto Homestars and settled on Muhammad Akram and Pest Solution Services. Not only does he advertise himself as a bed bug specialist, but plenty of reviews suggest he's the guy that manages to get bug problems under control when competitors fail to do so. I can't comment on the quality of those competitors, but I can definitely say Muhammad gets the job done. He replied to my initial email pretty much immediately, and came out on a public holiday (!) for the initial (and very thorough) inspection of my bedroom. He discovered the early beginnings of an infestation in my bed slats. He then returned two days later to treat the entire room. Again, he was extremely thorough, making sure not an inch of my bedroom was left untreated. It's two weeks later now, and I've been blissfully bug-bite-free all that time. Muhammad's been round for a follow-up call earlier today, to verify his treatment was successful. By all accounts, it looks like it was! In the interval, I've annoyed him with countless questions (I was getting a bit bug-paranoid), and he always got back to me promptly, with solid info... I'm actually getting itchy reliving these past two weeks (all in my head, luckily), so I'll just skip straight to the conclusion: Pest Solution Services are absolute experts when it comes to bed bugs -- you'd do well to give them a call if you think you have a problem. (In fact, I strongly suggest you call them sooner rather than later. Read up on bed bugs on the web. You'll soon realise acting fast is key to keep both the bugs and the costs under control). Oh, on top of everything else: Muhammad's a really nice guy -- worth a mention! Edit: it is now almost a year later. I contacted Muhammad again after discovering two bug bites that had me worried I'd inadvertently brought home new bed bugs. He was very quick to respond, as before, and dropped by for a new inspection the day after I got in touch. (Looks like my paranoia got the best of me: no signs of a new infestation -- my sense of relief is palpable!). Once again great service. Thanks, Muhammad!

I contacted Pambis Appliance Service yesterday morning, and my washer is now fixed. It's 24 hours later. I couldn't be more happy. Peter Pambis' original quote over the phone (based on my fairly vague description of the problem) turned out to be accurate, so there were no financial surprises. He called ahead en route to me, arrived on time, immediately ducked into my basement only to emerge 15 minutes later having fixed my washer. He fully explained what he'd done, and charged me very reasonable rates. How could anyone improve upon that? Perfect service! Thanks, Peter! Edit: almost a year later my washing machine broke down again (different defect -- unrelated to last year's repair) so I called P.A.S. again. Everything in my original review still stands. Very happy -- thanks again!

Cozy World fully deserve their high Homestars rating. Everything I read about them beforehand on this website, proved true: their quote was highly competitive (in my case even the cheapest) and all-inclusive (no surprises), (owner) Boris' pre-sales communication was excellent (fast and to-the-point, no questions unanswered), the install crew (Fred and colleague) was punctual, fast (six hours start to finish), skilled, helpful and they respected my property. Suffice to say, the reviews are true. I could leave it at that, but there are a few things that deserve extra mention. First of all, the main competing quote also came from a Homestars top-ten company. Obviously, anyone topping those charts has an excellent track record. But unlike the competition, Cozy World accurately sized my equipment, while the other guys tried to push models too big for my (small 1,100 sq ft) house (and if there's one thing I've learnt, it's not to oversize furnace or AC). Second, Cozy World are the only ones to post prices on their website. That may not seem like a big deal, but I very much appreciate the transparency, and the confidence it implies (and once competing quotes start rolling in, you'll know why Cozy World can be that confident, unlike everyone else). Also, Boris is the least typical salesman I've ever had to deal with, and that's a big compliment. Like everyone else I reserve a healthy dose of scepticism for salesmen of any ilk. Boris, I trust. His answers to my (several) questions were so devoid of bloat or up-selling, he almost seemed aloof initially (which he isn't, to be clear). His candour is unparallelled. He'd consistently go for the cheapest option available that would suit my needs. Also, he made a point of fully explaining why they'd have to install a chimney liner (code requirements, which I was already aware of, so I knew he wasn't BS-ing me). I know I'm waxing lyrical in this review, but all for good reason. If a company can turn a potentially arduous and stressful experience into a pleasant one, they deserve a wholehearted recommendation.