We purchased our 1960s Cape Cod style home in 2011. In the months following the purchase, we decided that we wanted to take the house from the 1960’s to the 21st century and create a more modern, stylish and functional family home.
In preparation, we interviewed a number of renovation companies including Shakespeare Homes & Renovations. As busy working professionals with a young family, we wanted a renovator who had the team, talent and project management skills to complete our project in a timely manner. After many discussions with Mark and meeting a number of his previous clients in their homes, we were confident that Mark and his team would do a professional job for us. Mark also introduced us to Susanne Doise, of Sensitive Design. Susanne’s combined talents in both architecture and interior design truly came together to turn our vision into a reality.
Our renovation began in late November 2011. The demolition phase was very extensive taking the main floor of our home completely down to its studs. As in a lot of renovations, once the demolition phase was underway we encountered a number of unexpected challenges which Mark and his team handled in their stride. The scope of the renovation was extensive and included the removal of three interior walls as well as a fireplace and chimney. Mark’s team dealt with this efficiently and also completely overhauled all of our old plumbing, electrical and heating systems system as well as installing an instant hot water system. The ceilings and walls throughout the main floor were also levelled to give our open plan design a clean modern look.
Mark and his team also helped us deal with a number of structural issues that demanded innovative and cost effective solutions, and these have made a huge difference to the overall layout and flow of the house. Another aspect of this renovation project included updating the dated exterior of the home. Mark’s team replaced the original stucco and red brick with red stained cedar shingles and natural stone which really brightened up and refreshed the exterior. We also had Jeff, Mark’s stone mason, replace our cracked walkway with slate, and repoint and reinforce some of the granite retaining walls.
Mark was excellent at keeping us informed about what was happening throughout the entire renovation, and he constantly provided suggestions and offered various effective and efficient solutions to all of the issues we encountered. Mark and his team were able to address every issue we encountered effectively and with great attention to quality and detail.
The entire renovation took less than 4 months and meant we were back in our home in mid-March 2012, which was an amazing achievement considering that we basically rebuilt the house from the inside out! Mark’s team was always professional, courteous and helpful throughout the entire renovation. Each of the subcontractors working for Mark displayed the same level of professionalism at all times. Mark was always on top of every issue and managed the entire project personally which contributed to the speed and overall quality of the project.
To sum up, some of the comments we have had from friends and neighbours since we moved back in have included “Wow, Awesome, Amazing, ‘’is this the same house?’” and so on. We think that these comments are the greatest testament to the work that Mark and his team have done and we have been totally blown away by the transformation.
We would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Shakespeare Homes & Renovations to anyone who is contemplating a renovation project. Their professionalism, expertise, attention to detail and total focus on quality is second to none and they can be trusted to take bring a new dimension to any home.
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