I was referred to Nostco by a co-worker who had their kitchen done with them. I visited the house and was really impressed with their kitchen. The quality was some of the nicest work I've ever seen. Pictures didn't do it justice.
I interviewed 3 other contractors. They were pretty much in and out in about half an hour and gave me a price on the spot. When Peter came by (the owner of nostco), it was a completely different experience. We spent almost 4 hours going over the basement and he came up with a design on the spot that was very thoughtful. I was really impressed with his professionalism and you could tell he knew his stuff inside out. We spent a month designing the basement and selecting materials with Peter and he didn't proceed and made numerous changes before actually starting construction.
The actual construction went fairly smooth and we made very few minor changes from the original plans. During the construction, what really impressed me was the service. They were very nice people to get along with and treated my home with a ton of respect, which I really really appreciated. In addition to that, they are very skilled in what they do. I knew to expect very good quality work from having seen my friend's kitchen and they didn't disappoint.
Peter banned me from going into the basement for the last week of work. He explained that the last week was when everything goes together and the basement gets finished and isn't a work-site anymore. I'm glad I didn't peek, I literally cried when he finally took us down to show us the final product. I couldn't believe it was our home. I still remember the feeling. I get so many compliments from everyone who has seen our basement ever since. I loved it so much I slept in the basement for the first few nights. It is so beyond what I expected.
Peter really loves his work and is an utter joy to work with. The people he works with (electrician, plumber, carpenters) are very very skilled as well. I can't say enough good things about them.
Our basement is the nicest part of our house and I'm really glad I hired them for this job. It really exceeded my expectations. I think I have a duty to tell everyone about them.
Good luck Peter on all future work! You're invited over anytime!
Ariel.