La Belle Living

Certain aspects of the project such as paintwork and cabinetry were done to perfection while items such as window grills were installed in a slip-shod manner. Customised barn doors were promised and guaranteed, but in the two weeks before they were to be installed the contractor suddenly said that he was unable to do it and we had to scramble to find our own supplier. Project was delayed 2 weeks as the project manager "forgot" certain design/item decisions we already had made i.e. design of wrought iron gate, colour choices etc. All the information was provided to him via phone, text message as well as email. However, no attempt was made to retrieve information until the item was due. We would then get panicky phone calls from the project manager. Hence the delays. Project oversight was lacking and we literally had to get on our hands and knees and point out many aspects that were done badly, left out or still executed against our clear instructions. Quotation was very messy and they did not keep us posted on certain additional costs till the renovation was completed. Project went overbudget by $10,000, but I have to admit we did ask for a couple of additional items. We literally had to inspect the property every day to ensure that the project kept moving forward. Apart from that the contractor and his employees were very nice people and easy to talk to and did hold our hand through the process as we were renovation virgins. We were very pleased with the end results. While painful to achieve, they were worth every drop of sweat and tears. Friends, other contractors and even delivery men who have been to our house have all sung praises about how the interior looks.