When my husband and I decided to embark upon finishing our basement, we had no idea that everything would turn out the way it did. We had a completely different vision of what we thought we wanted, a different contractor in mind and most importantly, a misguided budget.
In short, it started with the Covid-19 lockdown and we had begun to collect fitness equipment in the unfinished basement. We wanted to give the gym "toys" a home and had a completely blank canvas to work with. We envisioned an enclosed glass and mirrored gym space, a minibar and theatre area, a 3 piece bathroom, and storage spaces for our things.
However, we had this jaded idea that we could do everything we wanted for an obliviously low price. We had been advised before that all we really needed were materials and quickly felt defeated when we started shopping around on Homestars and saw the going rates.
However, then we came across Michael's company - Level Up Basement group, and were immediately intrigued by his outstanding reviews. We reached out and he was very prompt in responding to set up a meeting the next day. When Michael came over, we were very impressed by his background knowledge. His ability to immediately showcase examples of his work related to what we wanted, generate a realistic quote that didn't make us run away and most importantly, his genuine personality.
Michael made sure to get to know us first and then helped to build a basement "narrative" that fit our lifestyle. Once we signed off on the quote and contract Michael's guaranteed timeline began.
His partner Ludmila was amazing in making the basement vision come to life. When she arrived we had already made sure the basement was emptied of its contents so that she could properly draft a blueprint. She listened to our requests and suggested some necessary pivots to maximize on the basement space. We really appreciated having multiple basement option layout designs to choose from. However, the best part came when we chose all of our design esthetics such as flooring, tiles and paint colours. Ludmila walked us through everything and helped us choose items that had great flow, especially in the 3D design.
On December 1st, everything began in a whirlwind. Framing, electrical, plumbing and drywall were completed less than 4 days! We were amazed at the efficiency of Michael's team of workers. They all had skilled expertise in their specific jobs and never cut corners. By the end of the first two weeks we were already in the taping phase with a completion goal of December 30th.
Even with the holidays impacting some work days, Michael's team worked around the clock, sometimes even on Sundays to get the job done. We built some genuine relationships with them, which made the "full house" days positive as well.
Overall, this experience is one that we will never forget and are grateful we took a chance on this company. Michael is not only dedicated to his craft, he is 100% committed to his customers in ensuring they are satisfied with all work done. He was visible throughout the process and responded to questions and calls promptly, without hesitation.
We highly recommend and have already praised Michael's services to many of our peers. If you want quality work completion, attention to detail, luxury appeal and most of all - long term peace of mind, then we suggest you Level Up!
Amanda and Elton
