1st Impressions Landscaping

Met w John Shuleva, president - to get an estimate & some ideas on how to improve landscaping in back yard area. John arrived, but didn't seem too interested. I asked him to provide an estimate w scope of work, but he never provided this. When i followed up w him, he said they were busy & needed a few more days to provide estimate. They never provided an estimate, given the lack of interest I decided not to follow up a 2nd time. Not sure what the issues were, but given my experience I would not recommend them for landscaping services. Bottom line, I was disappointed in lack of interest & no follow up. Ernie Kulik

Very well. Mr. Shuleva took a whole year before the project was started, but once he got his workers in place, it went very well. In addition to creating a swale that directed floodwaters away from our house, he tied our drainpipes into a drain that took the water away from the house and installed a french drain (I think that's the correct term) around the retaining wall under our prized back porch. He also did some extras, including giving me two nice shrubs (some sort of hydrangea, I forget the name), replanting a dogwood and some heritage lilacs that he had to move in order to do the rest of the work, and reseeding another part of the yard. We get compliments on the work. Looks great, and the grass is coming in nicely.

They proposed a rough plan for redoing a garden bed which didn't match what we wanted so we didn't go ahead with having the landscaping installed.

They do a great job and and are very professional and good with our tenants/customers. They are not the cheapest but worth the extra $$.

John and his crew were right on the ball.....this is our second time using them and I would use them again in a heart beat. John looked at what needed done (fill and seed), told us what he recommended and then fit us in his schedule within days (just like he did the first time we used him). His crew worked quickly, efficiently and did a great job. They spoke with us to make sure they were doing what they were supposed to and went above and beyond. They were here for a very short time but took care of everything we needed, cleaned up after themselves and then left. Every guy on his crew was friendly and they all worked....no loafers here. The grass came up when John said it would and we now have a beautiful back yard.

Jake and John came to our home to assess our needs and desires and truly listened to our vision for our landscaping. They provided careful attention to detail in terms of types and colors of flowering plants to insure blooming throughout the summer season. Evergreens were planted to provide foliage throughout the year. They are very knowledgeable and understood the design that was in-keeping with the style of our home. The work was performed timely and has given us exactly the look we were hoping for. Clean up was excellent. The crew has been back this spring to check on the plantings and discuss maintenance of our beds, etc. I couldn't be happier and will continue to use them in the future. They are now renovating the plantings at the rear of our yard. I give them my highest recommendation.

It went fine. We had many compliments on their work and we are very pleased. I hope the harsh winter hasn't been to h****** our new plantings. I am anxious to see the new landscaping after the snow melts.

They were pricey and I was disappointed the work wasn?t completed until October. I never knew when it was going to take place. Ultimately, they did a nice job with the pavers but the vegetation planted that was supposed to be deer-resistant; within two days deer had gotten to those plants. 1 st Impression indicated they would not replace these when I called them. Also, they removed 25 bags of mulch and they removed these after consulting with my Wife but not me.

John is one of the most knowledgeable landscaping contractors I have met. He does not sub out any of his work and treats every job as though it is his own property to ensure the utmost quality outcome. We met with John with a blank slate and a few high level ideas and he helped design a front yard that met all of our needs to create a high quality, low maintenance and high curb appeal design. He provided a drawing of the project and several pictures of the various vegetation - while taking into account the amount of shade, irrigation and potential seasonal affects to ensure our front yard looks its best year round. Several times John came out after the initial spraying of the lawn to ensure the grass was coming in as expected and fix any small problem areas as the final grade continued to settle after initial erosion. We loved his design and work on our front yard enough to engage him for the construction of our backyard living space this summer. I would highly recommend John and his team; he helped design and construct our dream front yard and we look forward to working with his team to finish our backyard this year.

i1st Impressions leaves a lasting impression. I seldom take the time to provide this type of feedback, but the astounding work done by 1st Impressions in providing me with a new patio for my property has left me beyond satisfied and has exceeded every expectation. I thought I was bargaining for a pleasing and functional extension of our landscaping. What I got was a well designed and beautifully built masterpiece. Even in the bid process, 1st Impressions immediately took the lead over their competitors. This was the only company that really looked at our existing structure and outdoor space, and offered us an overall design with features that incorporated the right pavers, and design elements such as a sitting wall, flower beds, and built-in lighting, that resulted with a strong architectural addition to our home.. The staff was consistent in their approach. We were given guidance and provided with options, so that we got as much help as we needed, but we always were left with a feeling that we were in charge. While we were in the design phase we had the opportunity to benefit from computer modelling, and ample exposure to samples of the material options. Any detail we needed while we were in the decision making process, was deftly provided by knowledgeable and engaged personnel. Once it was time to come off the drawing board, we felt that the construction process yielded a result that was not only beautiful, but would be around for a very long time. Our backyard was regarded, solving some problems we have had for a while. Then came the laying of the limestone, followed by a full concrete slab, to establish a solid foundation for the Unilock pavers. With the structure, thoroughly supported, the staff laid the pavers. They worked like true artisans Every miter cut and curve was done with expertise so that no detail was neglected. It is wonderful to walk around the patio and see each piece that so carefully cut and laid. My strong recommendation for this company is not for their benefit. I hope that other consumers and homeowners will give themselves the opportunity to share the happy result we have achieved.

We didnt get to use the deal because they advised us since we weren't going to buy their pavers, they couldnt provide us with the service. They didnt deliver on their product.

John was right on time and responded quickly to my phone call. He kept in touch via phone and email through the whole process. His crew fit our job in earlier than we anticipated, which was great. They cleaned up an existing bed, cut in a new bed and provided the plants and a tree. They worked quickly and all were professional. Small snafu was resolved efficiently and the house looks great.

Being a do-it-yourselfer I decided to remove our deck of 25years and replace it with a stone-paved patio, something akin to a courtyard. The carpentry skills I had, so I removed the old deck myself. The patio, however, was clearly beyond my capacity so my wife and I contacted 1st Impressions for an estimate. John and Jake came to the house and provided us with an in-depth plan along with an explanation of the hows and whys of its implementation and cost. After two competitive bids, we decided to go with 1st Impressions, not because they were cheaper - they weren't - but because their plan was aesthetically appealing and structurally superior, which lent credence to their 10 year guarantee. Following a few unpredictable rain delays the work finally began. The assigned crew of Keith, Adam, Johnny, Chris and Michael arrived on time each day. They were polite and efficient. They had the ground prepared and graded in short order AND cleaned the work area at the end of each workday without fail. All through the project, they listened to our suggestions, which were many, and altered the project and plan accordingly. As requested, they left to me what work I could do for myself. All and all, it was a great experience coupled with a good value provided by a great company and crew. A solid "A" from this old do-it-yourselfer.

The company mad one communication when the dates provided did not work for them. I sent additional information and did not get another response.

It was fine, both parties just agreed not to use the service.

1st Impressions Landscaping were very good. He did a very good job. I'm very pleased with him. He seemed to know what he was talking about. He was prompt. He came when he said he was. The price was what he said it would be, and it turned out the way he said it would.

We contacted John at 1st Impressions as well as a few other providers for a quote for a large patio project. We were really looking for someone who would complete the entire project - design, installation, electrical, water/sprinklers, landscaping, etc. John was prompt in his response to our initial request and came back with design plans within a week. We negotiated a few things and got to a price-point and design that we liked. Work began a few months later - however we were kept informed on the projected start date from the beginning. John's guys (led by Keith) who performed the work were prompt and clearly knew what they were doing. John's process for installing pavers consists of pouring concrete to create the base of the patio rather than using sand like many other contractors do. This causes his work to be more expensive when comparing to others, however we have no concerns about it shifting after seeing the process they went through and the footers that were put in under the concerte slab and pavers. We had some issues with pooling water in our yard after the job due to the run off from the patio. John came back to fix this and installed a drain that ties into an existing drain our yard. We were very happy with the work and the follow up and recommend John and his team to anyone who is looking for a patio!

1st Impressions did a terrific job, and we are very happy with the result. The crew, led by Keith, were very professional and meticulous. They take a great deal of pride in their work. They were able to adapt and make a few changes that we requested once the job got under way, and they did a couple of custom requests for us. And they worked through some difficult weather at times. The owner, John Shuleva, is very enthusiastic about his business and is dedicated to doing things the right way. All in all, we are pleased to recommend them without reservation.

This is the 2nd time we have used John Suleva and 1st Impressions. They originally did a stone paver patio for us 6 years ago below and existing deck. We love the patio so much, that when our poorly constructed deck failed, we had John come back and replaced the deck with a raised paver patio using the same pavers to match the previous patio they had installed. They once again did an incredible job. They are meticulous in their work. They leave the yard and surroundings as clean and undisturbed as possible. They pour a concrete pad and lay the pavers on top of that. This process may cost a bit more, but it is SO worth it. These patios will last a life time and never move or have weeds grow up between the pavers. I'm sure you could find someone a little cheaper, but you get what you pay for. They do superior quality work and are a pleasure to work with. They were actually done a week earlier than we had expected too! The best contractor we have ever dealt with.

The person we hired (not 1st impressions) did not do a complete job, and then upped the price on us to finish the work. I really regret not having 1st Impressions do the work. I just have to be more patient next time.

Someone from the business came out and looked around and chatted for quite some time and told us he had to have his hardscape guy come out. When I didn't hear from them for a week I called to see what was going on. They said they would come a few days later. That appointment was cancelled and postponed for a few days, it was very hot and they said they were a bit behind. Finally Rick came out, looked around, measured and took some photos. He said his hardscape guy had heat exhaustion. He also said he'd be on vacation for a week but would get back to us. We discussed doing the work in August which would have been 3 weeks later. I emailed once about an Angie's list coupon he mentioned and he responded. After that, I never heard back from anyone. No estimate, no call, and no contact. I called other landscapers the first week of August and we had the job done by one of them starting August 17. I think we gave 1st Impressions plenty of time to turn down the work instead of leaving us hanging. I mentioned on the phone that we lived in an old, 1847 home that had never had any previous work done, so it was not a surprise. Often work at older homes is harder and we understand that it can be difficult. I was assured it was not a problem. Apparently, it was.

Rick was always prompt returning our calls, and came when he said he would. We are having him come back in the spring to do the plantings. We are very pleased with the work done by this company.

We called 1st Impressions Landscaping to come over and give us a design & price on excavation & erecting a retaining wall, as well as a paver patio, stairs, lighting, and a walkway. John from first Impressions met me during my lunch hour the next day to see what we wanted done and to see what was the "nice to have' versus the "absolutely had to have" features or components of this project. It was raining when he came out and tried to listen intently while writing down some of the information I was telling him. John actually came back the next day because he wanted to meet with my wife as well to make sure that he had her thoughts in mind of what this project should look like and to show some pictures that he didn't have with him the day before.One thing that I did want, was to have the project to be finished by Memorial Day (a little over a month away). During the initial visit John told me that was absolutely not possible because he already had over a month and a half of work in the pipeline and if he would understand if that was a deal breaker. He also expressed that he wanted the job and if I was open to the time frame, I would not be disappointed. Luckily it was not a deal breaker and we were not disappointed with the design. I have to say that when he came back a week later with a drawing, there were a couple things missed from what I initially talked about but were not really a big deal and totally understandable how it got missed during the initial visit in the rain. I will say straight up that of all of the designs and prices I received, 1st Impressions Landscaping was not the cheapest of them, but when he presented the design, it accounted for a lot more things that we really hadn't considered for ourselves in the overall thoughts of what would take place and things that other people giving us a price didn't consider either. Unfortunately for us, we wasted time by waiting for a couple more people get back to us with pricing, and that ended up pushing the time frame out another couple of weeks more because another job fell in line before we committed to 1st Impressions. The job started a few days late but within the window of when John said it would start. They had everything excavated the first day and the yard was already taking shape. John was in contact with me almost daily and FREQUENTLY stopped by (sometimes 8 or 9 at night) to make sure that what was being done during the day was to our satisfaction and expectation. As things were progressing we had a few minor changes of what was being done and what was expected. Everything was taken care of in stride without any fanfare. At one point during the wall construction I called John and said I didn't agree with the wall block placement, he came over that evening and explained why it was done the way it was. We talked about what the options were and the next day it was corrected to my satisfaction and the job kept progressing along. Even though 1st Impressions tried to keep the yard as clean as possible, there was still quite a bit of dust from all of the construction. But by now it had been 2 and a half weeks and I for one was glad that we had a little rain to wash the dust down a little bit. But even though we had a little rain, the job finished on time and within the exact cost of what was quoted. To be accurate I did add some items that added to the cost, but that not part of the original discussion and was on me. We had a lot of heat the last week of the job and these guys just persevered and finished on time. The job is now done and I would hire these guys in a heartbeat. John even came back when I called him to ask about some ideas on plantings while we are waiting for the grass to come in. He offered a lot of good ideas and low cost / low maintenance ideas as well. Everyone we had contact with from 1st Impressions Landscaping was professional and courteous. If I had to do one thing over again I would not have dragged my feet by trying to get some more quotes in, instead of waiting for the grass to come in right now, I would be having grass to mow. But we are very happy to say the least. We have gotten a lot of neighbors stopping by to see how it all looks from our side. And the lighting is very dramatic, everyone that sees it, is in awe as are we.

I cannot give them enough praise! Their workers were fast, efficient and polite. Of all the contractors I had to deal with for the renovations which consisted of redoing everything, they were the best!

I am very pleased with the work and the design that John came up with. It really improved the curb appeal of our house. I have received complements from my neighbors. John is willing to listen to your ideas and put a plan in place that will me your needs and budget. He does not try to over sell his ideas. He will work with you to complete the project in phases. He will deliver what he promises and will keep you informed if the start date is delay because of weather conditions. His work crew was very good and answered any question or concerns I had. I would recommend anyone to get a quote from John, before a decision is made.