The Reno Coach

We are planning a massive renovation - tear down our existing house and rebuild everything new. We found Reiner on Homestars after speaking with a number of design/build firms and contractors, and we're so glad we did. From his pool of resources, we have used an architect and an interior designer who have saved us lots of money and definitely have the right skills for the job. Because of his previous experience as a contractor, he keeps other contractors honest and protects homeowners from being overcharged. On top of that, Reiner has guided us through the maze of dealing with the city for permits and working with our neighbours to get their support. We have no doubt that we've made the best decision by having Reiner on board. We can't imagine taking on this renovation without him!

We were first-time renovators. Exactly a year ago, we asked two contractors to come and discuss our interior/exterior renovation job. By complete fluke, I also happened to just visit the Reno Coach (Reiner) website. So I asked Reiner to meet with us as well. What an eye-opener.

Both contractors has perfect “10” rating here on homestars. But we quickly notice that neither wanted to discuss detailed pricing of anything. We could not move forward because for us, everything was about whether we can afford it or not. We quickly realize we needed someone “in the know” on our team. Reiner’s first contribution was to make sure the job is being priced right on the basis of the scope (and not according to the neighborhood we live in).

As we moved through the renovation, I can tell you Reiner can solve ANYTHING the house throws at him. He is that good. He is also prompt in getting back to you. You and your house become his priority #1.

Reiner helped in countless ways. But something else that stood out looking back: we eventually learned there are always 5 ways to do something – some requiring a little more work, a little more finesse. Without Reiner’s knowledge, we would pretty much have to accept what the contractor or the trade tell us. I can tell you we would not have got the house we wanted if we had left it to the contractor or the trade to guide us.

All in all, we had a difficult, roller coaster of a project given its massive scope. Wonderland’s Behemoth does not even come close. We don’t want to even try to imagine where we would have been if I did not happen to visit Reiner’s website. Actually I know. We would probably be calling Reiner today. We are glad we called him a year earlier. Reiner – thank you and all the best – you saved us.

I found Reiner via Homestars a few months back and engaged him to assist me with a multi-unit reno. The process in ongoing, but my experience to date has been excellent.
In summary, the key items I like about the Coach are as follows:
- He is methodical
- Always provides timely status reports and updates. You will never need to chase Reiner or his Team
- Always keeps budget vs. requirements in mind and offers sound guidance to ensure you are not overspending
- All the resources he brings into a project are diligent professionals that deliver

As well he is a great person and easy to get along with.

This was my first reno in my first house. When the contractor that I had lined up for the job pulled out at the last minute, I knew I was in big trouble. A co-worker told me about Homestars, and after a bit of digging, I found a number for Reiner, the Reno Coach. His reviews seemed positive, I figured I had nothing to lose, so I gave him a call. We set up a meeting to meet at the house the next day.

I had just taken possession of the house, and we had set aside 45 days before moving in to complete (or mostly complete) the project. The contractor that gave me the original estimate had just pulled out, so the clock was running. My bank had financing for the renovation conditional on project completion, making my budget planning a bit of a challenge.

Reiner and I had a long talk about the seriousness of my situation, and he talked me through exactly how we could solve the problems and get my family moved into the house on-budget and on-schedule. We formulated a plan, and Reiner got immediately to work interviewing contractors, and getting estimates. What struck me immediately about the Reno Coach is how well he communicates. Emails, SMSes, phone calls were returned promptly, I was kept up to date on the progress of contractor schedules, engineering drawings, the status of all permit applications, etc. Things went smoothly, things went quickly.

We (ie. Reiner) found a contractor that could start the job with only a week notice. The contractor turned out to be excellent. He had a well run crew, he completed jobs on time, he asked the right questions and helped make decisions that kept the project on track. If there were any problems, and there were a lot, I could count on Reiner and the contractor to come up with excellent solutions. I could trust these guys.

Reiner took care of the rocky road that is engineering / drawings / permits / inspectors. Surprises happen in any project and mine was no different. When we got the news back that we had to beef up a beam in the basement, Reiner had already got the costs and schedule by the time I talked to him about it. He laid out all my options clearly and always had my budget in mind. We found reasonable trade-offs, made informed decisions, and got the project quickly back on track.

The job is now complete. We moved in on-time, as planned. The total cost of the project was right on, and we are more than pleased with the work of all the tradesmen and contractors that were involved in the project. I estimate that Reiner saved me at least $10,000 and god knows how much time. I recommend the Reno Coach, without reservation.

Ours is a detached 2 storey house with a problem - the upper floor heated up during the summer months causing the a/c to run constantly. Although it ran constantly, the upper floor was never comfortable, and was sauna-like causing us to decamp to the basement. We had several suggestions to "fix" the problem, including a roofing contractor who convinced us to add 5 more vents to the roof to vent out hot attic air. Several hundred dollars later, there was absolutely no change.
Reiner the reno coach then came in, measured the temperature in the attic on a warm day (65deg C, unbelievably), looked at the size of the a/c and the ducting system as well as the attic insulation before advising us to invest in reinsulating the attic. He provided a number of pointers, things to watch out for and companies for us to discuss with as well as an approximate cost.
We took a leap of faith and engaged a contractor to insulate the attic (separate review follows) using eco-friendly foam. The results were night and day. We were so convinced we had to add additional airconditioning, it was amazing to solve the problem the "right" way that improved the value of the property as well as kept our energy bills down both in the summer and in the winter. Thank you Reiner!

Quite simply, Reiner Hoyer is the best friend a homeowner or renovator can possibly have.

Our story appears to be fairly common. Tired of losing bidding wars over almost 2 years trying for a ready-to-move in house we purchased our home in May 2009. The house required a massive renovation, both 2nd and 3rd floors and basement, along with remodelling the kitchen, replacing the HVAC and doing the entire exterior. Entirely unprepared for such a massive project we took several months on our own replacing the roof, eavestroughing, interior demolition and engaging an HVAC contractor.

However we had very little success on our own meeting and finding a suitable renovator who could bring the whole thing together into a finished livable home worthy of the substantial investment we were making. We had quickly reached a cross-roads and continuing on our own was becoming very difficult as we had neither the expertise nor the ability to oversee the numerous trades required to complete the job. Indeed, the HVAC company we had hired and were overseeing was in the middle of committing several mistakes (without permits) that would haunt us for a couple of months.

We contracted with Reiner Hoyer in November after finding him on Homestars and thinking that taking him up on the 1 hour free visit was worth the risk. This was clearly one of the smartest decisions we ever made. Reiner was able to come in and help us avert potential disaster. He got 6 quotes from reputable renovators that we were able to compare and eventually made the decision to go with North Bay Kitchen and Baths Inc. Reiner helped us get our building permits very quickly and far more cost effective than anyone we had contacted. And whenever there was a problem he was always there with a plan B or C in his back pocket.

Reiner is an easy guy to work with and having someone who had our best interests at heart was a real refreshing change. As we progressed through the job with NBKB it became clearer and clearer how important Reiner's contribution had been. When I see our house today I have no qualms in stating that I could very well have paid twise as much for half the house I currently have.

We whole heartedly recommend Reiner for any project that you may be undertaking and hope it is as successful as ours.

We hired Reiner to help us evaluate a potential in Danforth. He was extremely helpful and was able to provide very valuable advice. He came out to the property to help us with the following: - Provide expertise / vision for the renovation He gave us great tips on what we could do with the space in order to maximize our return on investment. - Provided detailed and conservative estimates on costs, helping us prioritize the job to stay within budget.

Prior to Reiner's arrival we were struggling with getting plans for a potential major renovation off the ground. He was extremely helpful in quickly marshalling resources so that we could get a clear cost estimate of the time and money required to get our project to the finish line. Although we opted to not go forward with the project I would use Reiner's services in helping to coordinate large renovations at our next house.

We hired Reiner to help us evaluate a reno potential in High Park. He was extremely helpful and was able to provide very valuable advice. He came out to the property to help us with the following:
- Provide expertise / vision for the renovation
He gave us great tips on what we could do with the space in order to maximize our return on investment.
- Provided detailed and conservative estimates on costs, helping us prioritize the job to stay within budget.
- Even went above and beyond his duties to offer advice on handling multiple offers, purchase price, conditions in our contract, etc.

Although we did not get the property in the end, we were very comfortable with our offer as we feel we made the most educated decision on the value of the property, with Reiner's help.

Will definitely use his services again on future Reno projects.

Will give Reiner another 10/10 to add to the other reviews.

My first home purchase was a 4plex. I am doing an extensive reno to two of the units that would become my living place and future rental apartments down the road.

5 months after closing, I was still without a building permit although coming close to signing with a GC. I went from being a renter to organizing a large construction project. I did not feel good about things. I came across Reiner and figured I had nothing to lose and set up a meeting. We met at the house and after listening to him, it was a no brainer to use his services. His experience as a former GC was easily palpable. That I was way over my head became obvious. He pointed out the contract I was planning on signing was GREATLY in favour of my selected GC being highly front loaded, without a holdback and without any real detail.
After hiring him, we started off trying to get my selected GC to make the necessary changes. When that didn't happen, we started over.

Reiner got more done in 3 weeks than I had managed in months. It is clear he enjoys his work and it seems easy as 2 plus 2 for him.

I realize Reiner gets involved with Renos at various stages. Thankfully, this was before work got started in my case. His approach with my home was to define the scope of the work in as much detail as possible so that all costs are in the contract and there are less surprises during the reno which are inevitably more expensive at that point. He achieved this by getting a separate contract for the demolition to identify issues that needed to addressed. This worked out well. He got his hands dirty with regards to existing permit drawings and discovered: 1) A beam in new kitchen was structurally not feasible and suggested a much better design. 2) Engineer did not actually enter my home! 3) Determined that plans to remove dry wall to expose brick would lower fire rating. (to name a few)

An excellent design suggestion was made to install a new staircase that will lead to a much better layout. Other practical advice was given from his perspective as a landlord knowing that my renovated space would be future rental units.

If one is has no background in construction, you are forced to take the word of the GC, architect etc. on everything. There is great value in having Reiner in the picutre acting as a medium and levelling the playing field.

Communication is also excellent as emails are generally returned in no time.

Renovations are costly and hiring a consultant may seem like just another expense. However, the service Reiner provides is invaluable. I have no doubt his oversight to this point will lead to cost savings, better final product, and a smoother renovation without my reaching into my pocket constantly for surprises.

Things are finally underway with my renovation and I have a level confidence that I would never have obtained doing it on my own.

If you are planning a renovation, give Reiner a call as your experience will be as satisfactory as the other reviewers here.