House Calls Renovation Advisors

We are planning a full main floor renovation which includes removal of several walls, installing a structural beam, re-working the kitchen, and other odds and ends.

We hired Jay to help us get our project off the ground. We had never done any major renos before, so short of having a so-so proposed layout (done by someone else) we didn't have a clue of how to get going.

Jay immediately took our project as though it was his own house. At our first meeting he really took the time to get to know us and our needs, he reviewed the design that we had come up with and helped us identify the problems with it. He then helped us come up with an awesome layout that we feel is really going to work well for our family.

Once we were happy with the layout, he helped us put together a scope of work. He brought in a structural engineer (Amir) who drafted all the blueprints and got a permit for us. We are now in the process of interviewing potential contractors, and Jay's feedback and support have been invaluable.

Thanks Jay, we are looking forward to our continued working relationship.

UPDATE: Our renovation is complete, and it is stunning! The new layout is perfect. On Jay's recommendation we added 5 (!) sun tubes and now have a tun of much needed natural light throughout the house.

Jay helped us find the perfect contractor - Hossein from Ideal Dream Homes - and we couldn't be happier with his workmanship and work ethics. We also asked Jay to do regular house visits while we were away. He came regularly to check on the progress and sent us detailed reports. The contractor was amazing, and Jay's presence gave us additional security that everything was going well.

All in all, we have been extremely happy with every stage of this project, and we wouldn't have done it any other way.

Due to poor drainage in the pre-existing retaining wall it had become necessary to replace it entirely, and took the opportunity to fix up our front walk as well. Jay provided not only suggestions about where we could look for the pre-fabricated materials we needed, but also advice on how to save money by doing things like moving the excess soil onto other parts of our property rather than paying for it to be disposed of. This is the second time we've used his services, and look forward to working with him on future renovation projects. Definitely recommend!

Jay was great to work with. He was fun, experienced, and we ended up with a design which we absolutely loved. When we started the process, we were pretty set on what we thought we wanted, which was demo'ing a small existing addition, and building interior stairs. Jay made us think about the cons of that design (namely giving up square footage) and asked us to trust him as he thought could re-envision the small addition into something usable, attractive, and which didn't eat into the backyard too much.

We decided to trust him and let him run with the design, which ended up paying off. What Jay come up with was something we could never have envisioned on our own, and we're glad we allowed him to pursue his idea. The final design is simple, functional, elegant, and not cost prohibitive.

Our basement had already experienced one serious flood a few years ago.

The insurance company grudgingly provided assistance, but we knew they would be very difficult if we tried to claim damages from another basement flood.

Last Summer, after another period of severe rainfall, our basement was once again flooded, as surface water from our backyard poured over the edge of the window well, and into my son’s bedroom.

At this point, we felt we needed professional advice, so we called Jay at House Calls for his opinion.

Jay helped us understand the problem and suggested a solution. He also recommended Victor Raschilla Drain Cleaning to do the work.

We are very pleased with both Jay’s help and Victor’s work in rectifying the window well, and connecting the drain line to the sump pump.

I was about to embark on a house renovation recently when I was called away for an emergency literally 2 days before the work was to begin.
As anyone knows who has ever hired a home renovation contractor, once you have everything in place the job needs to proceed as rescheduling is not an option.
Not having anyone to help oversee the work, a friend recommended I called Jay at House Calls. He agreed to take on the management of my project on very short notice. He made sure that all the contractors showed up as they were supposed to, and that the work was done properly.
The reno turned out great. Thanks Jay!

This is my first large home renovation and I really had no idea where to start, so when I came across House Calls Renovation Advisors, I thought that this would be a great way to obtain some guidance and ideas. Jay was absolutely amazing! He is kind, patient, knowledgeable, and really took the time to understand what I was looking for in my project. He helped answer many of my questions, provided drawings to help re-design my spaces, provided many helpful suggestions, and connected me with helpful resources. I would definitely use him again and I highly recommend him.

My wife and I are very happy with Jay's support in renovating our basement. We just finished.

He worked with us to determine the best layout and helped in getting a good contractor and good pricing. The work has been well done and well within our pricing and time line expectations. Jay and the contractor were both helpful, and they were full of common sense and good guidance on the decisions we needed to make. Professionals.

We would do it this way again for sure!

Thank you.

I recently purchased a house that was in dire need of repairs and renovations. I was able to project manage most of the renovations myself, but my front porch required a complete demolition and replacement, as well as a brand new design. I reached out to Jay to help me with the design work, as well as in getting a few quotes. Jay surpassed my expectations in almost every regard. He took the time to listen to my needs, and then completed some excellent designs. He also connected me with a few quality contractors. Overall, I have nothing but positive things to say about Jay. He’s attentive and professional, and I look forward to working with him again as I continue to improve my house in the future.

From the outset Jay was highly motivated to create the best designs and had the architectural knowledge to support his ideas. He is easy to work with and takes a personal interest in the project. Jay was responsive to my preferences and took the time to analyze them and discuss the impact they would have on the whole project. He was reliable and accessible and always returned calls and messages promptly. He took the time to explain complex ideas so that I could fully understand the pros and cons of various design and reno options. Jay recommended an excellent contractor with whom he had previous experience and has remained in close touch with him as the project has taken shape. He has kept close tabs on the progress the workers are making and has discussed design options with the contractor when new choices have come up. Jay's invoices were fully explained and itemized. There were no surprises with respect to his fees. I highly recommend Jay to anyone who is looking to do any type of renovation.

Jay helped me re-design several areas of a small downtown loft. In particular, a tiny kitchen. He helped me understand what the kitchen needed and how I might achieve that. A suggestion, for instance, to move the fridge and create a separate cupboard for it, completely opened up the area and actually made the space flow like a much larger kitchen and increased the workspace amazingly.

Another idea to partially open one wall made an incredible difference that I couldn't have imagined and never would have thought of doing. The kitchen is now modern and open and extraordinarily functional for such a small condo.

He also helped me word the condo renovation application and made some wonderful suggestions for work throughout the condo, particularly with increasing storage without losing valuable space. His ideas always kept my budget in mind, but reached out creatively to add interest and fun with functionality in spite of tight funds.

I had some visions of my own but no clue how to apply them successfully. Jay listened completely and helped me realize those ideas, generally with additional suggestions that made them much more practical. Jay let me run with my creative dreams, but always added in that one more thought that made the condo work more usefully as well as more aesthetically

Throughout the project he supported me when I struggled with the contractors and communication. He returned to the site whenever I needed help or had a question. If I'd had the budget, I would have had him oversee the whole thing and stepped aside, but since I didn't, it was such a relief to know I could call him for help and advice. This was a small budget project to him, but not to me yet I always felt he would do whatever was necessary to make it work out for me. Initially I was going to do this on my own. I am so thankful I turned to Jay and House Call Renovation and could not recommend him more highly.