We are a 40’s couple with no kids. We work in external workplaces with a bit of working from home, and some study on the side. We are in and out a lot with sporting interests, camping and other social endeavours. We have one active coolie dog, and a very sedentary geriatric cat.
In our renovation with Smith & Sons, we demolished an outdated uninviting concrete and aluminium deck and replaced that with a dining room which increased our living area space. We also removed the whole similarly outdated kitchen and while not greatly increasing the area of it, made it much more modern and user friendly, opening it up a little to the new dining room. We also added a new inviting wooden deck onto the back of the new dining room.
One of us loves to cook and had outgrown the old kitchen. That same person also wanted to have a living space that didn’t have a television in it, plus a deck that was pleasant to sit on and double as an entertainment space. We previously were completely unable to host any more than 2 guests for dinner with any practicality due to a lack of space. This new living space has met all these needs plus more – home is a relaxing refuge now and a pleasure to be in and cook in.
To be honest, we chose to renovate with Smith & Sons because there was no-one else who would come and quote in such a busy time for builders! But Smith & Sons gave an informative and professional quote and seemed like a good option for our needs.
With all projects, things can go wrong, unexpected hurdles are discovered, and accidents happen. Of course, as with all building projects, the cost increased but that was not through any fault of Smith & Sons. We were given clear and accurate information of what was needing to be done all the way through and we always felt in control. The only errors that occurred were very small and from subcontracted work. Smith & Sons made sure all issues were rapidly resolved without a fuss. We always felt that problems were never going to be a problem while Smith & Sons dealt with it.
The kitchen is stunning to cook in and simply stand back and admire. We didn’t have to make too many decisions, just describe our must-haves and make a few choices between options, and it was like they then knew exactly what we wanted. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
The staff were so friendly and easy to get along with, and always communicated extremely well. I would call it friendly professionalism. The project took longer but that was not due to Smith and Sons – it was COVID supply issues as well as lead times with all contractors being in high demand. That’s life.
The cat approves of the deck wholeheartedly. Every day after the builders left, she would go out to inspect the latest work, balancing on the beams. Now she won’t leave the deck except to eat. She’s also a very happy customer. The dog misses the builders’ company, but she likes the deck too.
The best thing about renovating with Smith & Sons Ashgrove was their organisation when it came to making decisions about things at the right times, the pleasantness of the builders – professional friendliness, how easy they were to talk to both about the build or just to chat, their attention to detail and thoroughness, the way they advised on what would or wouldn’t work well but still giving us the ability to choose when options came up. Everything really!
We would absolutely recommend and/or renovate with Smith & Sons Ashgrove again. While we don’t have a comparison, I’d find it hard to believe you could top their professionalism and workmanship.