For those interested, here are some comments about our recent experience withe The Home Improvement People (THIP):
- the kitchen renovation (including removing a wall, new cabinets, an island, new countertops and new flooring) ended up taking over a year to complete after signing the contract. (For some reason still unexplained it took over 3 months to get the building permit from the City.)
- project schedule, tasks and timing were never provided (despite repeated requests)
- status updates from the contractor seemed to be limited and generally were responses to our requests for "what's happening?"
- understandably, work was performed by different trades who appeared to be sub-contractors to THIP, however not all of these trades appeared to take pride in their work (e.g., sinks improperly installed, cabinets dented / dinged, floors uneven and glue tracked liberally over floor etc.)
- we had to spend an inordinate amount of time pointing out unacceptable defects in workmanship (which I thought would have been caught by the contractor)
- when pointing out deficiencies we were told that we were making THIP jump through hoops to get paid (there was a pervasive attitude that THIP should get paid for work that was poorly done)
- although promised before the contract was signed that any issues discovered during the renovation would be THIP's risk, this turned out not to be the case (we were asked for more money once demolition had been done)
- mistakenly, we thought drawings of the kitchen cabinets (part of the contract) would be adequate - in hindsight it would have been better to have complete design drawings created (this would have highlighted some of the missing design elements, e.g., no handy power plugs on island)
- it would have made sense to clearly articulate make/type of all products to be supplied and used by THIP rather than the "standard builder's samples" referred to in the contract (e.g., had never heard of Embassy Hardwood and was a little concerned by spelling mistakes on the packaging)
On our renovation, we spent, what is for us, a great deal of money, only to have a kitchen that (admittedly) looks nice but on further review is below expectations (e.g., floors that are un-even and squeak more than before, a "Caesarstone" countertop that sits on plywood that is clearly visible etc.). More troubling is the feeling we ended up with that THIP were much more focused on their money than on understanding our requirements and delivering a quality job.
So after our renovation would we use THIP for further work in our house - absolutely not.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $50,000.00
- Company Response
Derek,
I am sorry that you feel this way. However, your version of events is inaccurate and is duly unfair and harsh.
We wish the job didnt take the length of time it did. Ours never do. But, the reasons it did were due to items out of our control. Firstly,the job didnt take a year as your posted. As per the agreement, it wasn't scheduled to start until weeks after you signed. Secondly, we do not control how long the City takes to grant a permit. You are an intelligent man. You know this. Thirdly, you kept us waiting a month deciding on a stain color for the island. We patiently awaited your decision. The tiles you chose for the backsplash werent in stock at the place YOU ordered them from. We patiently waited another month. YOU had a flood in your home (completely unrelated to the work we were doing). This cost us more time while you sorted that out. Again, we patiently waited. All of this is logged. All of this is noted. All of this is fact.
Our trades take immense pride in their work and would be offended to see your comments regarding that. Feel free to contact me and I will come to your home with the trades in question and discuss any issues with the workmanship or their pride in it.
We dont control the spelling of other people's hardwood products packaging. I dont even know how to respond to that.
"More troubling is the feeling we ended up with that THIP were much more focused on their money." - Again, I dont know where that is coming from or how to respond to that. We awaited for final payment patiently for months due to the items listed above which were beyond our control and effectively cost us money due to the delays.
You admit that you are happy with the kitchen and I am proud to say that we overcame all of these irregular obstacles to deliver. I wish you and your family well and I hope you use your kitchen in good health and to host memorable events. All the best.