Complete home renovation with second floor addition

November 7, 2012
To Whom it may concern:

 

The intent of the renovation was to convert a two bedroom bungalow built in 1941 in the Toronto suburb of Leaside. We set out to achieve the additional living space that a second floor in the home would provide and to renovate the existing main floor to alter the use of that level. The house originally had hot water heating and while this was efficient and clean, it did not permit the addition of things such as air – conditioning. The other issue was outdated electrical wiring throughout the house (including original knob and tube wiring) that limited what could be done with the current (i.e. pre – renovation) electric wiring. In short, there were several challenges which faced us, and we came to the conclusion that a full – scale renovation would be required.

 

After a search of potential alternatives and contractors, we identified Sandra Baldwin’s Lifetime Contractors as a possible choice for the work we contemplated. For one thing we wanted to engage a design/build contractor who strictly did renovations (not someone who is a new house builder that also does renovations). We wanted some level of confidence that our chosen contractor will have ‘seen it all before’ in terms of the things that can arise in a renovation. Also we wanted someone whose passion was in seeing a home transformed from a ‘before’ to an ‘after’ to fit the tastes and needs of its owners. This passion was definitely there, not only in Sandra but with the entire crew’s engagement in the project.

 

After an initial meeting with Sandra, we were provided with several references to contact and assist us in determining whether Lifetime was a sensible choice for our needs. One reference, in particular, impressed us. When I asked them the question about whether they had received any comments or complaints from their neighbours about the work Lifetime had done on his property, his answer was a definitive ‘no’. This impressed me because I know what it is like to live next to a construction site. Another one that impressed us was one that did not have much time to talk but offered to cut to the chase by saying they were very happy with the work and would not hesitate to work with Sandra and her team again. Enough said, which was great because this allowed us to move on with the job at hand.

 

As we entered into the design process we were impressed with the attention we were given and the interest that Sandra and her architectural designer took in the helping us through the process. For one thing the house had certain original features which we wished to keep, or at the least keep in essence, and they were very supportive and helpful in this regard. Of course there were a few back and forth attempts to get it the way we envisioned but Sandra guided us well on what could be reasonably accommodated by the budget, our needs, structural requirements and good design principles.

 

Energy efficiency is a core priority that Lifetime brings to its jobs and given the age of the house there was a lot of room for improvement that we were very interested in achieving. One of the suggestions made by Lifetime was to apply an integrated design process with specialists in the energy field to advise on the use of new technology and methods of construction. Again, we were always offered practical suggestions in terms of meeting both our goals and our budget. We were regularly consulted on our needs and what could be offered. The results surpassed expectations – we expect to use less energy in our new home despite a doubling of its size.

 

Lifetime took the lead in dealing with the City on our behalf which was a very nice responsibility to have someone else shoulder, especially as it was at a time that a city strike threatened to hold things up. Because of the nature of the project we did not need to obtain planning exemptions. Nevertheless there are many steps to getting a permit approved and Sandra made the process as easy as possible for us and kept us advised at all times as to the status. It obviously pleased her when they were successful in obtaining the required permissions and this was demonstrated by the way she delivered the news.

 

When it came to creating and managing the actual contract throughout the project Sandra showed the utmost in professionalism. She was open with us about questions and issues that arose of a contractual nature and ensured that our understanding was accurate and our expectations were realistic at all times.

 

Sandra treated us and everyone involved or close to the project with respect and this was carried through on-site by her crew at all times. At the initiation of the work, Sandra and Vaughn (Project Supervisor) went to the adjoining neighbours and informed them of the project, and made sure that they had the right contact information should a situation arise that they needed to reach someone with a concern. This, for me, reinforced the comments I had solicited when speaking with one of Lifetime’s references (see above). It is worth noting at this point, that, to my knowledge, not one neighbour has raised any issue of concern about the work and its progress. I have spoken directly with my neighbours and none of them has expressed to me that any problems have arisen (other than true curiosity about what was going on inside that house!). In fact, we actually received unsolicited comments from neighbours that all the workers were courteous and that they did a good job of keeping the area clean as possible.

 

At the commencement of the construction phase, Lifetime gave us a targeted time line as to when we could expect the work to be done. From everything that I have seen, that time line has been strictly adhered to, to the point that workers have been in on the weekends to ensure that the work remained on schedule. We visited the site on a regular basis and have noted two things. First, on each and every day there has been someone on site doing some work. Second, and more importantly, there has been demonstrable progress on almost a day – to – day basis. Every time we have visited the site, progress has been noted.

 

Sandra gave generously of her time to help with the selection of building finishes. Her advice and her wealth of sources was very much appreciated and there is no doubt that her assistance in these selections helped our decision-making which in turn helped the project keep to its timelines.

 

During the course of the construction, Lifetime maintained regular communications to keep us up – to – date with respect to what was happening and what was projected to happen the next week. It is important to note that these updates were accurate and adhered to, and if not, full explanations were given for any shortcomings. We never had to question if the dedication was there to get the job done on time, as targeted. This was worth a great deal to us as we were living in temporary quarters that we didn’t want to have to extend.

 

I can’t complete this letter without mentioning our great satisfaction with the results. In many ways our new home actually surpasses our hopes and expectations and we put this down to the high standards that Lifetime Contractors work by – they would see the things that could be done to produce a better result, even before we saw them. It was just part of the doing the job right. It was also evident in the other tradespeople and suppliers Sandra brought on to the job which is testament to her strong cultivation of trusted working relationships over the years.

 

In closing I just want to say that without exception, one of the questions that everyone asked when they found out what we were doing was ‘How do you find working with the contractor?’ Answer: We couldn’t be more pleased – with the people and with the work.

Best Regards

General

Dear Sandra,

just a quick note to say what a pleasure it was working with you on our recent renovations. After so many disappointing experiences with other tradespeople, I am delighted to say you have found a lifetime customer in us.

You and your team are the holy trinity of contractors – on time, on spec and on budget. Your personal attention and the absolute professionalism with which all of your people approach every task are a credit to your profession.

Thank you and we look forward to working with you again.

Landscaping

I am delighted to recommend your work to anyone. Last summer, you took my outdated house frontage and gave it street presence and made it sale-able. And it was a practical, smart and reasonable cosmetic design. It changed the house.

And then there were two emergencies, the broken stone step and the rotten deck boards, all done in a matter of days. You can be counted on–dependable, reliable, nice to do business with.

Veranda and waterproofing repairs

This summer we needed to have the area around our front veranda waterproofed. Lifetime’s President, Sandra Baldwin, and Alex Clegg arrived at our house and after checking out the problem area, we agreed to have four stair treads replaced as well. When the work was underway, it was discovered that the leak was the result of the weeping tiles around our house not being reconnected to the city line when the south side of the house was waterproofed by another company several years ago. It was then decided to hook up the new weeping tiles to the surrounding ones and have Lifetime supply and install a sump pump.

All employees, plumbers and electricians who completed the above work are very polite, hard-working individuals. They obviously enjoy and take a great deal of pride in their work. Please pass on our special thanks to Peter and Vaughn for their knowledge/expertise on this project. It was also a pleasant surprise at each day’s end to see that all of the debris from the job site was cleaned up.

Sandra and Alex took the time and patience to answer our queries and assist us with the paperwork, etc. and this was very much appreciated. We are impressed with the quality of work performed and, when needed in the future, will definitely call upon the services of Lifetime.

Once again, thanks for a job well done and we have no hesitation in recommending Lifetime Contractor Ltd. for repairs/renovations.

Basement & Landscaping

Lifetime’ says it all,

We had the pleasure of employing the skills of Lifetime Renovation’s crew for several projects over the past few years; the first being our basement where they installed a beautiful and functional bathroom – which included a wonderful heated floor. An adjoining family room was re dry walled, painted and new carpet installed. As we own an older home, this was no easy task, but it looks amazing.

After the great work inside, we asked Lifetime back to work their magic on our garden. Not exactly sure what we had in mind for the garden, but with the help of the imaginative design team, we ended up with a fantastic red cedar deck, complete with wrought iron railing, wood and natural stone steps, a unique rock garden completed by a surrounding cobblestone wall.

We had many compliments from friends and neighbours on the great work and we would not hesitate to recommend Lifetime Renovations to anyone who wanted something special. The Lifetime team, including office staff, were courteous, punctual, helpful and very tidy on the job site. Again, they come highly recommended.

Bathroom Repairs

I found A. Lifetime Contractor to be very professional, helpful and trustworthy. Hector was able to fix plumbing issues that 3 repairmen from other companies could not. Had I gone with A. Lifetime Contractor to begin with I think I could have saved a lot of time, money and aggravation.

I also had A. Lifetime Contractor several years ago to redo my house’s retaining wall. Although the company is not the cheapest, I have always been very satisfied with the work done and the service provided.

Kitchen Backsplash

Nice personal touch by their employe Vaughn. He took the time to help us pick out a suitable tile explaining the pros and cons of each one. His knowledge and experience were obvious as he quickly educated us on the various products and made our decision easy.

The job was finished on time and he took great pains to communicate to us the steps he took throughout to ensure that we would be happy with the final appearance. We will be using them again and will be sure to ask for Vaughn, as he truly did them proud with a professional effort from start to finish.

Bathroom Floor

Hi Sandra,

We just want to let you know how pleased we are with our new bathroom floor and Lifetime Contractor. We found both yourself and your workmen to be very pleasant and professional.

You provided us with a very competitive quote and also gave us suggestions on how to enhance the look of the bathroom. This was a breath of fresh air, since other contractors just looked at the job and only provided a quote. We welcomed your personal touch.

We would also like to note that your workmen were pleasant and professional throughout the whole renovation work. They treated the job as if they were working on their own home. They always cleaned up at the end of the day and always had quality in mind as they completed the renovations.

We will certainly be calling Lifetime Contractor again for our next project.

Bathroom Renovation

For three years, Doris and I continue to enjoy working in our kitchen where we greatly appreciate the maximization of space, the attention to detail evident in the cupboard and floor and the variability of the lighting.For three years, Doris and I continue to enjoy working in our kitchen where we greatly appreciate the maximization of space, the attention to detail evident in the cupboard and floor and the variability of the lighting.

Kitchen Renovation

For three years, Doris and I continue to enjoy working in our kitchen where we greatly appreciate the maximization of space, the attention to detail evident in the cupboard and floor and the variability of the lighting.

Downstairs Powder Room

Last Fall Lifetime Contractor built this for me. They were on time and budget. They were courteous and clean. They discovered knob and tube wiring while doing the job and I chose not to use their electrical sub-contractor for this electrical work. Most impressively they came back on the day promised to complete the original job. I am now talking to them about other work. It was a pleasure to use Sandra and her team.

Multiple Projects

Our projects with Lifetime Contractor have been a rewarding experience. We have always explained our project goals to Lifetime Contractor and we have seen results almost immediately. They are clean and efficient and each tradesperson has been courteous and polite as they worked in our home.

Lifetime Contractor provides us with clear explanations of costs and schedules prior to project start up and subsequently completed our projects on time and on schedule. They have acted as consultants as well as contractors as we have made improvements to our home, making recommendations and providing experienced advice for the most advantageous outcome. In the event that a sudden repair was needed on our home we trusted Lifetime Contractor to provide immediate service. Their prices were fair and the work was excellent.

Lifetime Contractor has been our contractors of choice for almost 10 years and we will continue to use them and continue to recommend them to our friends and neighbours. The burdens of home ownership have been eased and new projects and improvements are only a phone call away.

Renovate Two Bathrooms & Kitchen

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for the excellent work that Lifetime Contractor has done for us over the past few months. Even though it has been a long and complex project, it was completed to a high standard of workmanship in a very reasonable amount of time.

Please give our thanks to Rob and Dave, Peter, Vishnu and the wall crew, Salvatori, and all the trades who were polite, professional, and did a great job renovating our home. It was a pleasure to deal with them.

We still have a fair road ahead of us as we’re doing many cosmetic finishing jobs ourselves, but it’s good to know that the structural, mechanicals, carpentry, trim and millwork underneath are all top-notch.

Thanks again for a job well done. We would definitely consider Lifetime Contractor for our future projects, and would not hesitate to recommend your company.

Several Projects

Lifetime Contractor has been an important part of our lives since 1990, when we wished to renovate or rather reconstruct our basement. We got three estimates then chose the one which paid the most scrupulous attention to what we wished, which was Sandra Baldwin’s Lifetime Contractor. This was a major undertaking which involved lowering the concrete floor by 38″ and making an elegant suite out of what had been a storage area so low and cluttered that we once lost a bicycle in it.

Since then we have had many other projects performed by Lifetime Contractor, from putting in skylights and garden windows to repairing the roof and reflooring the bathroom. Throughout we have been enormously impressed by the reliability of may different workmen, the care taken to make sure that the results were just as we wanted them to be, and the accuracy of estimates both of money and of time needed.

On numerous occasions Sandra has spent most of a day with us going round to suppliers looking for materials, marble for the hall floor, doors, and windows. Once she found that a glass shower door installed by Lifetime did not close quite securely, and she insisted on having it rehung, though we were content with it.

The single touch that impresses us most of all, small but surprisingly significant to a householder who thinks that disruptions will never end, is Sandra’s insistence that her workmen shall clean up the premises every day – and at the end of the workday she comes round to make sure that they have done so.

We heartily recommend Lifetime Contractor, not only for the quality, efficiency, and economy of its work but for charming Sandra Baldwin, its President.

Landscaping

To Nick & Sandra and all the employees that worked on our landscape job. We are thrilled with the result and we know it was because of your hard labour. Our friends and neighbours are also impressed.

We have and will continue to recommend you. We want to thank you especially for the railing and the tile work. It puts a crowning touch to your work. Thanks again from very satisfied customers.

Follow Through

We appreciate you having all the items attended to on the follow up list. We now feel more comfortable with the year round covers over the 2 external outlets as well as having them caulked and working. Of note, the 2 electricians were very pleasant, accommodating and good to their word in returning to do the caulking. It is reassuring to deal with a company that stands by their word and guarantees.

Sunroom Addition

Hi Sandra,

I realize it’s been a while since I’ve chatted with you and I wanted to let you know how pleased I am (and continue to be) with the work that’s being/been done on my new Sunroom.

When I got back from Tennessee (April 22nd), the windows were in and they look GREAT!!! I understand it was quite a job to get the northern most window in as it came as one piece and weighed over 1,000 pounds!!! I’m glad you were able to rally the troops to get it installed! I love the built in venetian blinds and how easy they are to operate. I also love the way they open up for easy cleaning (which I hope I won’t have to do too often! :-)).

The yard looks much better with the removal of the tree-protection and related mulch. I encouraged the guys to deliver it to City Hall as my special gift to the City, but I think they showed more restraint and it ended up in it’s proper location. With the removal, you really get a good view of the addition from the outside and it looks exactly like we had hoped — as if it has always been part of the house!

The inside looks great! You did a fantastic job at selecting the proper stain colour and Hector has been doing a wonderful job of applying it — he’s so patient and a perfectionist! I admire your ability to select the right colour as I tried to do that from the paint chips that were left for me to select the colour of the inside walls. It was impossible to get the right match — but you did it! I hope you heard that I was able to pick up a ceiling fan / light fixture in Knoxville that has 36 inch blades which I think the colour of the blades will match very well with the colour of the ceiling and floor.

I understand that the plan is for the heated floor to go in this coming week — I can’t wait to see how it looks. We’re definitely on the homeward stretch of completing the project and it looks even better than I had originally envisioned it. I really am so pleased with the result.

A huge THANK YOU Sandra for all your help and also for the wonderful work of your team – Vaughn, Rob, Tom, Peter, Brian, Hector and Alex (I hope I’m not forgetting anyone — if I am, my apologies!). I’ll be sending a more proper thank you at the end of the work. I can’t wait to move-in and enjoy this wonderful addition