Peter Ledwon from Toronto

The deadbolt front door lock in an older home malfunctioned. We wanted to keep rather than replace it, as it was an elaborate hundred year old mechanism that had features we really wanted to maintain. Radoslav's quote was very reasonable and he said he could do the work that same morning, so we agreed to his offer. Although the initial expectation was that the lock would require minor realignment and securing, it was a complex mechanism that eventually required more significant disassembly and repair, which he did on site. My initial concern was that it might have to be entirely replaced grew when I saw the lock in pieces on the floor, but my fear proved to be groundless, as it worked beautifully once the repair was done. I was very pleased with his work, his demeanour, and his attention to detail. The required additional cost was quite reasonable, and I will definitely call him again for any future work needed.

I was greatly appreciative of the time taken for the initial on site assessment. The advice proffered indicated the company had my best needs in mind, and I felt very comfortable with my decision to use them. Our Mulberry, tall and sprawling, untended for too many years, had multiple issues. Some of the branches needing to be trimmed arched over power lines to the house. Others reached over the second story roof of the house. Still others hung over an access to a busy laneway used for delivery vehicles for several retail outlets - not the easiest of circumstances. Ricky, and Kimberly, were amenable to scheduling the work in accordance to the need to cause the least disruption to all parties concerned. Once on site, Rohan and Derek, mindful of all the above, did a masterful job of clearing out a myriad of small side shoots that had sprouted along the main branches, along with the necessary trimming and cutting back of the larger ones. They were attentive to my concerns, knowledgeable in what could be accomplished while ensuring the health of the tree, and open to my requests. I was especially impressed with how open and well-balanced the tree looked once the work was done. Beyond my expectations. I will definitely use them again when the need arises.

John gave us an estimate for the replacement of the basement bathroom shower faucet by phone, but indicated he would have to see the issue with the leaking galvanized water heater pipes before committing to a cost. We accepted the quote for the shower faucet and head replacement ($350.00). He asked whether he would be supplying the fixture, or if we were to supply it ourselves, the brand that he recommended. that small detail , and the choice, was appreciated. He and Andre arrived as scheduled, having texted that they were on route and giving an approximate arrival time, which also was appreciated. On arrival, John had a look at the work involved for the water pipe replacement. We agreed with his determination that a new line would have to be run from the water heater to a non-galvanized portion of the piping (approx. 8 feet), and a new line would have to run from that junction to the connection for the new shower head (approx. 12-15 feet). The total for both aspects of the job would be $900.00 excluding the fixture, which we supplied. He and Andre then did the work in the time anticipated. John and Andre were amicable, polite, and professional throughout. John made us feel very comfortable with the process and, as there will be further work to be done replacing the old galvanized, when our budget allows, we will ask him to do the work for us.

Joe answered my HomeStar request to look at our gas oven, which emitted a faint, but noticeable odor while preheating. We talked in the morning, determining in the conversation that he might be able to fit our schedule that day, so we booked him for that afternoon. Asking questions pertaining to what the issue might be, he gave us a good indication of the potential problem, and outlined what he expected the costs would be under the circumstance. He arrived exactly when said he would. He assessed the problem as being a faulty igniter, as he had anticipated, and proceeded to replace and test the oven. He was quick, efficient, and very knowledgeable, explaining the peculiarities of the problem we had been having, and how the unit itself functioned. Moreover, he was very personable, and we wound up having a great conversation in the bargain. The final cost was precisely what he’d suggested by phone, so we were quite pleased, both with his work, and his demeanor. As this was a rental property appliance, and as we have a gas range at home, he will definitely be the one we call for any future needs.

Ashok came to the house to provide a cost estimate to put in a gas line for our stove, and an optional extension to run a pipe to the back deck for a bbq. The house is 100 years old, with a clutter of wires and pipes, both used and unused, installed by many owners, renovators and diy’ers over the years. He spent the time to determine what the best route options would be to run the gas pipe from the west to the east side of the house through the basement ceiling, as well as the requirements to run the extension to the deck. Ashok was professional, and very helpful, in his suggestions.The quote was within the same cost range of the other estimates received, but AccuServ was the only company offering to inspect before quoting. That left us much more comfortable that the scope of the work and the resulting costs would be reasonably accurate. I had multiple conversations with office staffer Amanda, to finalize a date and time for the work. She was very pleasant and helpful on each call. Ashok showed up on the promised date, on time, with helper AJ. Both men were polite, conscientious, unobtrusive, efficient and cheerful as they proceeded with the work. They cleaned up after the job was done. As this was our first gas range, Ashok spent the time to run through it’s usage and procedures, which was much appreciated. Overall, we were very pleased with the entire process. For budgetary reasons, we needed to postpone the extension to the deck, but the means for the connection from the current installation was put into place. We will definitely call AccuServe for that job when the time comes.

We contacted KNT after reading the HomeStars reviews, asking to have a new circuit put into each of two second storey bedrooms in a century home. Bill contacted me by phone for initial information, and when I told him the location, he said a crew were working nearby and suggested I come over to have a talk and to see their work. Thereafter, he and an associate came to our property to assess the particulars. Bill provided a very thorough and detailed explanation of both the requirements, and the options for the anticipated work, making making sure I was comfortable with their undertaking of the job. That evening, he emailed me their quote, which was agreeable, and we arranged a date for the job. The work was done very personably and efficiently by Leon, who kept the required work areas contained and uncluttered, and cleaned up thoroughly when the work was done. Bill arrived during the job, making sure I was satisfied with the work, and answering any questions I might have. In our agreement, we decided to do the followup patchwork ourselves, so we were both pleased and relieved, having had this type of work done before by other contractors, how little there would be for us to do. The quote given was exactly what we were charged. I’ve already recommended them to a neighbour considering having work done.

The windows in our 100 year old home had been nailed, screwed, and painted over so many times, they were badly in need of replacement. Ralph was recommended to us by a trusted contractor friend who used his services for her own company. Ralph turned out to be another win for us. His quote was reasonable, he completed the work in the timeline set up, and the quality was first-rate. We had seven windows replaced at the front of the house, five in a rectangular bay and two on the front porch. He and his assistant showed up at 8:00 AM, as promised, and had the old windows out (no small job, all things considered), and the new ones installed, by mid afternoon. All the old windows and debris were cleaned up and taken away, so all we had to look at were our beautiful new windows. Ralph and his assistant were very personable, concerned, and considerate. Apart from having no windows for a few hours on a very blustery October day, we weren't in the least inconvenienced by the work, or their presence. We are so pleased with the work, we immediately asked him to quote on a further installation.

George Kent Home Improvements, contracted through Home Depot Installation Services, did a great job installing the blown-in attic insulation. The admin staff at George Kent were polite and helpful. The installers were courteous, efficient, and clean, even clearing out debris from a long-past install. Full marks, and no hesitation to recommend them.

We needed two trees trimmed. One 40-45 foot tree had several branches overhanging the house roof (above the second floor), and a branch that had split along the limb on that tree, making it very unstable. It rested on a lower limb, but was still bearing leaves. It also had branches that reached across an adjoining lane-way to overhang a business on the other side of that lane-way. We wanted all offending branches trimmed back enough, that nothing overhung either our roof, or the business. Another tree, 25-30 feet high, with a trunk diameter of about 10 inches, had many branches overhanging a power service line from the street to the house. That tree was to be taken down to ground level, although we did not request removal of the stump. The lane-way was an access route for deliveries to several stores, which would make the job somewhat inconvenient for the work crew, considering the size, and frequency, of delivery trucks coming through. I called for four estimates, which ranged between $550.00 and $900.00. We chose Central Tree Care, which came in at $700.00, because of both price, and a third party contractor's recommendation. I needed proof of insurance for one of the neighbouring businesses, as well as for ourselves, and were duly supplied. When they came, the crew, cheerful and considerate, were efficient and fast considering the lane-way impediments, finishing the job in a couple of hours, including cleanup.

We knew that our lathe and plaster, knob and tube supplied house, built in 1918, needed a complete rewiring, along with additions and upgrades. We also knew that the work would be daunting, considering successive homeowners, obviously trying to cut costs with DIY electrical installations and repairs, had left the home with a rat's nest of faulty or unusable circuitry. Ken Lam of Bastone Electrical Contractors came in, inspected the house, and, as noted in a previous review, provided several well-reasoned alternatives to our own lighting and socket placement proposals. A few days later, he emailed a quote, along with a detailed mapping of the expected work, in spreadsheet format. He asked for a 10% deposit fee, and gave us a payment schedule that coincided with work completion points. He arranged for, and followed through with, all necessary permits, inspections and certifications. The final payment was not expected until the work was completed. Ken and his work crew were always polite, considerate and, as much as possible, accommodated our needs. As example, Ken, noting my love affair with my coffeemaker, made sure, no matter what else needed to be disconnected, that particular circuit was always available. In spite of several obstacles to completion our house provided, the work was done as promised, with professionalism, on time, and as quoted. In the final analysis, all of our expectations were met. I came by this company through a word-of-mouth recommendation, and gladly pass the recommendation along.

Installing an additional circuit in an older home with a massive, ancient main breaker box, I inadvertently touched a ground wire to the hot bar in the back of the main breaker panel. Oops!. Half the panel was functional, the other, not. Unwilling to deal with the large, cylindrical 100 amp fuses of the ancient main breaker box, I got on the phone to find a nearby electrician. Steve, from Rosedale Electric, answered the phone. I told him what I'd done. He asked me to take a photo of the panel and breaker box with my phone, and send it to him, so he could diagnose the problem before estimating type of diagnosis that might be necessary, in order to set up a service call time. I did. He called back immediately, queried me further about the genesis of the problem, and told me someone could come by that day. As the landlord, I did not want to lurk in the tenant's basement in the meanwhile, and wanted to know if he could give me a specific time space for the call. He did so, telling me it would be not quite two hours later. That alone made me somewhat relieved. The electrician, Scott, arrived promptly (a welcome relief, considering scheduled repair and maintenance calls made with other contractors), and cheerfully, patiently, answered all of my questions as he worked. The repair was effected. When assessing payment, I was told he could not take a credit card payment (a minor blip in the process), that it would have to be either cash or cheque. Fortunately, a bank machine was close-by, so the transaction was made with little delay. I asked for an invoice, and was told it would be sent by email. Happy I did not inconvenience the tenant any longer than I did, I hopped in the car and made my way home. The invoice was in my email box by the time I got back. The one upgrade to their service that I would appreciate, would be an option to pay by credit card, or direct deposit.