I bought a 1947 ranch in Montclair in Denver, but it had sat empty 3 and a half years before I was ready to move to it. And I was NOT going to enter it before a ton of work needed to get done. I had hired 2 contractors to do some needed work, and both were liars and cheats, who did nothing and charged for it. One actually stole one of the kitchen appliances! To say the least, I trusted no one and was disgusted by the industry.
When I came across Kevin, I noticed something I had not found before: brain cells that actually fired! He moved quickly, he analyzed quickly, he didn't waste words, energy, time, or most importantly, my meager resources at the time.
I had been in the remodeling business for 9 years before moving to Denver so I am well-acquainted with decent work and sloppy work, and Kevin's workmanship is old-school, true craftsmanship. Edges meet, things are level, not left tilted, when something was fixed into the wall, it did not wiggle.
He went from my crawl space to my attic to my roof to make sure everything was in order for me to move in without little or large problems showing up later.
I trust him and his work implicitly. So glad I know him! My house feels like a home because of his excellent and conscientious work.
UPDATE END of 2011:
I used Kevin again on a large remodel project recently. I do not want to detail the stresses of that project, but the last sentence of my first paragraph above has proven true. Kevin outlined the payment schedule: 25% up front, 50% halfway through, and the last 25% to be paid at completion. I do not know if it was because we were friends or what, but he asked for half of the last payment to be paid ahead of schedule, and then he asked for half of the remainder to be paid ahead of schedule again (because his ex-wife was having financial difficulties, he said. Was that MY problem?), and after we both aired our frustrations with the project one evening, he declined to come back and finish, texting me to find a handy man to do the unfinished work. My fault, since he had little financial incentive to come back, I suppose.
He also took $2,000 for supplies and materials, and told me many times that he had the receipts for the items he purchased, but when I asked for the receipts I received silence on his part. Previously, when he worked on my house and bought supplies, he used his money first and had me reimburse him once he produced the receipts. Again, I guess because we were friends, he felt to do differently on the second project and asked for $2K up front (and all payments in cash, please!) yet has not produced a single receipt.
Just use your judgment. Many workmanship problems with work in second project (slanted shelving installed, constant doing and redoing of the same items by Kevin and those he hired because they did not remember verbal instructions or look at WRITTEN instructions. Spackling that was painted over but never smoothed down first, nail heads that were left exposed on trim work. Damage to property, etc, etc...
Kevin told me I was responsible for 2 of the 7-weeks delay; and the other 5 weeks??? His exact words were, ""You were subject to my availability!"" He would not show up at the job site for days on end, and more often than not when he did, he came late in the day and left early. So different than my first experience. Sadly, can not recommend him as I once did.
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