Sweet Home Design company

The first thing I should say is that I love my bathroom. It was horrible and ugly and hadn't been renovated since the house was built in the 60's and now it is gorgeous. However...I had some concerns with the experience and am left feeling ambivalent about whether I would use this company again for any future renovations. While the work done was mostly quality, there were times we felt we had to argue - sometimes strongly - for our requests to be honored or for mistakes in workmanship to be redone. I haven't had a lot of contracting work done so perhaps this is par for the course, but it felt exhausting to have to fight for what we want when we are the paying customers and when it is ultimately work being done on OUR home. The price was about 7,000 over the estimated budget, which was $15000. One of the selling points this company uses is that the homeowner is in control of the material costs - you contract only for the labor and "shop" on your own so you have control of your bottom line. However, the estimate the company gave me for what this "shopping" would entail was grossly under budget (and we weren't trying to go with expensive taste - but we weren't going to flea markets either) even on things like the materials such as drywall or lumber at Home Depot was 25% more than quoted. Second, several of the purchases went through the company's contacts and even when we - the homeowners - initiated contact with these companies (for countertops, glass for the shower doors, etc) - somehow the response regarding price came through the company - leaving us to feel unsure about whether there was actually a markup going on behind closed doors. If we contract the company for labor and pay for the materials ourselves out of pocket, it seems to me we should be the people in contact with those materials vendors. It was a bit unclear when work would be going on in our home and when it would not - the actual workers seem to be pulled in several directions on several jobs and in multitasking, sometimes aren't around when they estimate they'll be. Aside from being over budget, this project went about double the time originally estimated - it took about 4 weeks of working days rather than the estimated 2 weeks. Larry is the head guy, but Branko is the main worker/craftsman. They're both nice, but I'd make sure o meet with both of them prior to signing a contract for work. At least with us, what was promised as possible in the bathroom was not what was ultimately able to be done. Larry has ideas, but Branko can tell you whether those ideas will actually work in your space. There were some changes that felt major to me that had to take place after Branko actually saw our space, but we had already signed a contract. It made me feel the project was a little misrepresented prior to that. (I HAD asked to meet Branko before signing but they couldn't make it over on the date they said they'd come and I took a leap of faith). All of the specialists - tile, electrician, plumber, etc - are courteous, knowledgeable, and kind. As are Larry and Branko. But again, both are somewhat stubborn at times and want to get the work done quickly...and well, but not as well as you will want the work to be done...so you have to be willing to hold your ground. This just felt...tiring. I come from the standpoint that the customer should be treated as if they're always right (well, if that customer is not being totally ridiculous and unreasonable) - I felt that some reasonable requests were points I had to fight. These weren't requests to redo work or be very time intensive, but to do things in a way I'd prefer as the homeowner - whether that be adding insulation or putting electrical outlets where they'd be best for me - and that was sometimes met with resistance. Overall, as acquaintances I liked the personalities of everyone in this company. But as hired professionals, I have to say that they often acted like they were doing me a favor rather than acting like I am a paying customer whose choices and preferences should be respected. I've heard contractors are always a headache, and the quality of the work is mostly excellent (but at our expense of extra materials, redoing work at times, etc) so I am not sure if my expectations were too high, or if in thinking that I am cutting these guys a break...I think the work is ultimately good, but you'd better be ready to supervise and fight for anything that is unsettling.

The project started on schedule and almost the entire job was completed in 3 1/2 weeks. Branko, the general contractor, did excellent quality work, gave good advice and communicated very well throughout the job. All of the workers were courteous and respectful.

The entire experience was fairly simple and painless. I got three estimates. Larry and one other estimate were a bit higher than a pretty low estimate that I had. We chose Larry because we really felt like his standards were similar to ours and I was very impressed with the way that he stood behind his price(not being the lowest) and explained why he was worth paying a little more than the other guys. The communication was excellent through the whole process. Mine was a small job, but Larry didn't treat me like a small customer at all. I felt like I had full access to him throughout the process and he even came by my house while the folks were there doing the work. Bart, his granite guy, did a very impressive job measuring and cutting the granite to exactly fit our space. Exactly. Larry as well as the members of his work crew were happy to explain what they were doing as well as offering suggestions along the way and allowing me to be as involved or uninvolved in the process as I wanted. In the end, the job was done very well, on time, and for the exact price quoted. His electrician and plumber did a good job and was personable and friendly. And they cleaned up after themselves as well as could be expected. The only bad part was how I found Larry - through Home Improvement Network at the Chicago Flower & Garden Show - I gave them my name and they overwhelmed me with contractors calling wanting to set up estimates. Out of the whole mess of people that called me, Larry at Sweet Home Design stood out for his politeness, professionalism, and no-pressure perseverance. I would definitely hire Sweet Home Design again, and would tell anyone who asks the same.