For the last 3 months we have undertaken a massive basement remodel at our home here in Vancouver. We had started out with getting quotes from a few construction companies off of Servicegems.com, along with about three architects and designers. We had decided on a local company that had built a lot of the homes in our area, but about a week before the job started, his project manager had a heart attack. We eventually went with a local company based out of North Vancouver called Naikoon; for the construction and management portion of the project. We chose them based on their commitment to sustainable building practices, and that they operated on both a cost plus and fixed price system.
The designer that we chose for our basement remodel was also a local company from Vancouver, called Synthesis Design. Curtis and Ken were great from the start, and provided exceptional attention to detail and client satisfaction throughout the entire project. We had run into some structural and city issues throughout the different stages, but both Synthesis and Naikoon were able to work together to achieve the look and feel that we desired. We soon found out that Naikoon and Synthesis had worked together on previous projects before, so that also made for better chemistry than you’d expect to find from other companies.
Our original completion date was supposed to be for the end of May, but we’ve encountered a few delays. The city had a couple issues with our proposed patio area, but that was resolved, and our permit was approved later than we’d have liked. We also had some delays in regards to trades and equipment, but that is to be expected in every construction project. Having a general contractor was good in that the delays were kept to a minimum, and the quality of work was very good. Had we have sourced all the trades ourselves, we would have been much further behind in the project then we currently are.
The agreement with Naikoon is that we would have them manage the trades and the project up until the drywall stage. We decided that we would purchase the plumbing fixtures, appliances and lighting fixtures ourselves. We were able to find the plumbing and lighting fixtures for a cheaper price through a different supplier, saving us a decent amount of money. We had also decided that we would source out the cabinetry, countertops and millwork ourselves off of Servicegems.com. Joe from Naikoon has been a great help throughout our entire project, and even offered any of his sub-contractors for us to use. We will definitely be using both Naikoon and Synthesis when we begin the next portion of our major home remodel.
As I mentioned, having companies like Naikoon and Synthesis really makes the basement remodel process easier. If you are looking for top rated home remodel contractors in Vancouver, Seattle or any surrounding areas, look no further than Servicegems.com. Servicegems offers service providers and contractors for numerous service categories. Each contractor profile allows you the view their project photos, licensing and liability credentials, along with reviews and any other awards or accolades that contractor may have. Make the informed choice when hiring a contractor, and use Servicegems.com.