Home Renovation – Help is On-Line
When we moved into our newly “renovated” bungalow in the fall last year, our very friendly new neighbours pulled us aside to warn us that the contractors were rather lazy and spent many a day in the summer in the back yard chatting and smoking the day away. At the time we moved in, they were still finishing off the basement and the finished result was much below our expectations (eg. the light switch in the laundry room is behind the door, beside the hinges). They also didn’t clean up very well, which included leaving a film of construction dust downstairs. All in all it was not a very good experience and got to the point where we just wanted them out of the h ouse so that we could enjoy our new home.
This is just one example of the kind of problems that surround home renovations and I am sure, as spring approaches and homeowners are looking to renovate their homes (whether to prepare them for selling or just for basic upgrades), they would appreciate having some sort of resource available to help them find a reliable contractor.
Fortunately, this much needed resource is available in the form of a new online directory HomeStars.ca which is aimed at “keeping the trades honest” through consumer reviews of trades people in the Toronto area. This site is more than just a list of contractors, trades people and suppliers who have paid a fee to be listed in the directory - on HomeStars.ca consumers can read and write real reviews on renovators, retailers and repairmen. This gives consumers the opportunity to access real information from other consumers before making the decision about which trades people to use for a renovation or building job.
HomeStars.ca is beginning to be noticed. The Globe and Mail did an article on the site in July last year, and Chatelaine magazine referred to the site in the November 2006 article “How to Hire a Contractor”.
HomeStars.ca is an invaluable resource for the home-owner consumer, so spread the word.