Making a way-too-small bathroom into a 21st century bathroom!
We had our bathroom renovated by HSG in the summer 2013. We were very nervous going into this renovation because we were trying to find a way to make a really tiny bathroom in a small, old post-war home into a modern 21st century bathroom. The problem was that we had almost no space to expand because the house was already very small to begin with and that I did NOT want it to be the same size (about 30 sq.ft?). I wanted an actual countertop with the sink to put things on and storage space! Drawers, under sink cupboard, the like! As it was - there was ZERO storage and a small pedestal sink. We also didn't want a bathtub. And to top it off - it was an old home and it needed someone who could do things carefully and RIGHT. We sat down with Richard and Jennifer with our impossible needs and they surprised us with a design plan that actually addressed everything!! We took out the closet in the hallway that was next to the bathroom and made it into a niche right in the bathroom for the dream vanity/sink area with TONS of storage beneath. We had custom cabinets made from the floor to the ceiling with deep pull out drawers and big cupboards with shelving. I used to complain that I didn't have a place for even a tooth brush or ONE towel. Now I can't even fill the storage space up there is so much of it! They put in a high quality brand of toilet that was small and compact that made the space look even bigger. And to finish it off, they built us a dream walk-in shower that is so airy and seamless looking (no door needed!) that complete with our bluetooth shower head speaker that I play classical music on, I often feel like I'm in a spa! I love the bathroom. Now as for the job itself - HSG are very professional with having a lll floor plans/designs/documentation written up and maintained. They are very busy, however, so to get the best results - it really is a must to be active in communication. We had a few hiccups that could have been avoided. The quality of shower tiling was a bit off - uneven cuts etc - and while they did an awesome job of making it work out with the quality of installation - you can still notice the awkward cuts and we wished we could have avoided this. It could have been avoided if we had all inspected the quality of materials before installation and discussed them. So this is what I mean by: be active in the renovation. If you pick materials, take the time to schedule an inspection with HSG. I am not sure if they do that now or not, but that is the only thing we were a bit disappointed with. It was fault on both sides for assumptions. But as a client who has no background in building materials/renovations - it should be a given that if we pick out the building materials - it is based purely on aesthetics and definitely needs consulting advice as to whether it is the right materials for the job! The project also took a number of weeks longer than stated - but I guess that is very common. It did not cost us a dime more because of that. So overall, our renovation ended up with excellent craftsmanship and quality and was fun to work on with HSG. And despite the minor hiccups I mentioned, they were really, really good with working on that together as a team. So if you want to have a good renovation process, good craftsmanship, and a team that you can actually work with (as opposed to fighting against or having no idea what's going on), hire HSG. The pictures attached are of our bathroom almost 1 year later.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $18,000.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Ensure client is satisfied with quality of materials before proceeding.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Have active communication.