In the beginning both my husband and I were above excited at the prospect of finishing the basement in our dream home on the beach. We moved to Wasaga Beach on August 1st, 2013, a long time dream of ours, or perhaps I should say my long time dream. I have been searching for a Gilmore Girls kind of town since watching the show. Wasaga Beach is not quite as quaint and trendy as Stars Hallow, but the nine mile beach and the friendly people certainly makes up for it.
On October 22, 2013 we hired a contractor to finish our lower level. The work, as per the contract was to commence on or before Nov 3rd, 2013. That right there should have been my first clue that perhaps Town & Country Contracting Services was not detailed oriented. Nov. 3rd was a Sunday. However all was still good, Tom Sollis showed up with his assistant on Nov 5th 2013, to commence the sub floor installation. However beyond his control the material bought and to be delivered by Havens Home Building Centre in Collingwood did not arrive. By the time the material arrived it was too late to do any work. The following morning Tom Sollis and again his assistant arrive and commence the installation of the sub floor system. On this day Havens Home Building Centre is scheduled to deliver the 2 X 4 Spruce studs and again fail to show up with the materials. In error the studs we paid for and purchased for our renovations, the same location they had delivered the flooring system on the previous day, was delivered and dropped off on Tom Sollis driveway. After a lengthy phone conversation, between my husband and a representative from Havens Home Building Centre, the studs were picked up from Tom's driveway and delivered to our driveway.
In all fairness it was not Tom Sollis' fault with the delivery issues incurred, but this instance should have been clue #2, that Tom Sollis lacked managerial abilities and that perhaps Town & Country Contracting Services operating out of Collingwood Ontario, was not qualified for such a large project. My husband should not have been the person to spend over an hour on the telephone trying to track down the missing construction material.
Our solution was to instruct Tom Sollis that we would no longer do business with Havens Home Building Centre out of Collingwood and switched all our major construction materials purchases to Home Depot Collingwood. Every item purchased and bought at Home Depot Collingwood arrived on time and damage free. Clue # 3, he was not happy that we would no longer do business with Havens Home Building Centre, as he had a contract with them.
I must give points to Beach Builders Home Hardware in Wasaga Beach who helped out in a tight pinch to supply us with last minute materials; Castle Building Centre, also out of Wasaga Beach Ontario. The staff at Castle is above reproach, they are patient and take the time to help out and advise an inexperience client like myself. I purchased 14 prehung doors and veneer stone for the fireplace from them. They actually held the doors in their warehouse for almost a month because Tom Sollis was over two weeks late in the construction process and there was no room to accept delivery of the doors. The doors are currently in our garage waiting to be installed. They were delivered on Saturday Jan 4th, 2014, as scheduled.
The doors were scheduled to be installed on Monday Jan 6th, 2014 by a subcontractor hired by Town & Country Contracting Services. However since Tom Sollis from Collingwood walked off the job on Jan 2nd 2014, the sub contractor never showed up and the doors are now sitting in our garage.
Also sitting in our garage are; the veneer stone for the fireplace, the tiles for the shower and shower base, the vanity for the bathroom, the faucet for the vanity, the vanity mirror, the shower panel and the sink for the laundry room.
Work left to be done, some paid for and some not, I thank the greater power that is, that we have not paid for everything up front. All the baseboards, window casings and trimmings, hanging of the doors, finishing the bathroom, installing stone and mantle on fireplace, shelving for linen and laundry closets, shelving and hanging rods for the two bedroom closets and finishing the under the stairs closet.
We are now taking quotes to have the job completed and looking into what our next steps are legally. I have the feeling I will be writing daily, as I said I need a place to jot down my thoughts. I will attempt to keep you updated on our progress. I would also at this time like to thank all the people that are coming forward to offer assistance, be it advice or actually giving us a fair price on getting some of the work completed.
If you are reading this and are considering hiring a contractor and want to make sure they are licensed in Ontario please contact this agency, prior to giving them any money or work http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/
If you need electric work done again please contact http://www.esasafe.com/ Insist on having your electical work inspected prior to sheet rock going up, some Master Electricians are part of a special group, whereby they can issue their own inspection certificate. I know go figure, I think it is pretty much a license that allows them to do as they want. I currently have a hole in our finished master bathroom where an electric heater was to be installed.
These organizations are there to help use them, do not do as I did and just totally trust the well spoken British dude.
