Michael, Markham

I have a Dell laptop with Windows 10, a touch screen and an i3 chip. It's performance has always been sluggish. It can take up to 5 minutes on start up and the measured internet speed with my mesh network was 6 mbps - and I have Rogers Ignite 150. Even my cell phone gets 80 mbps from the same location! I took it in to Joseph for an evaluation and repair. It turns out that it only had a single channel internet card with 2.4 ghz and, of course it was not an SSD drive. It cost me more than $600 at the Microsoft store. So I arranged for Joseph to provide me with a dual channel internet card with also 5 ghz and to install an SSD drive. A day later, I picked up the laptop. It is now what I intended to buy. It is giving me internet download speed of 80 to 100 mbps and it starts up very quickly in 30 seconds to a minute. What a great result. Many thanks again, Joseph.

We have used Dr. Green for more than 10 years, and we are very happy with them. We get their best service which includes aeration and overseeding. And we take advantage of their early bird discount each year.

Our gas fireplace stopped working. We do not use it often. After checking that it was not a fuse, we contacted Mr. Heat Mechanical. They were able to send a technician from their offices in Richmond Hill that morning. He (Nima) came and confirmed that it was a power issue which he managed to quickly fix. He also showed us how to maintain the fireplace (cleaning, dust, etc.). We were very pleased with the prompt and inexpensive service.

We have been customers of Dr. Green for more than 10 years and have been very happy with their services. During 2017 we moved to Markham from Richmond Hill and they made it very easy for us to continue our service with them without any interruption. Due the fact that we have been happy with their services, both our neighbour in Richmond Hill and our daughter in Markham are also Dr. Green Customers.

Contacted Action Home based on their reviews on Home Stars. Spoke to Kyle who explained the work they would do and the cost ($0.25 per square foot). He offered to do the work the next day but this would not work for us. We agreed that he would do the work the following week and would phone the day before to confirm (including re the weather). Kyle and a co-worker came on the day arranged and completed the work within two hours. The driveway looks really good and I was very pleased with the work.

We contacted Adan through Home Stars to get a quote for some custom improvements to the "rather plain" deck at our new home. We wanted a 3 plank (6 inch boards) step around the entire 20 ft by 22 ft deck and some decorative aluminum railings at the edges on two sides of the deck. We were very impressed by Adam's knowledge and experience. The quote appeared reasonable to us and the work was to be completed within a week or two, so we asked him to do the work. Adam arrived on the arranged day with two of his staff and the work was completed as scheduled - and they returned to fit the railings when these became available a couple of weeks later by special order. We would be happy to recommend Adam to our friends (and have already done so).

This was ever so easy. Found The Cedar Guys on Home Stars. Contacted Matt by email and received an estimate from him within 24 hours. Scheduled the work for 3 weeks later. Chris and Paula arrived that day as promised and phoned to confirm they were coming. They planted our 25 6-7 foot cedars for us in a trench with manure and fertilizer, and left us detailed instructions for their care after planting . Could not have been better/easier. Many thanks to all.

We recently purchased a house which had some roofing issues including a lack of proper air flow into the attic space. We tried contacting several companies, but the first and best reply came from Mr. Roof Repair. They sent out an inspection team to review the problem, did a careful inspection and gave us a detailed report of what we needed to do. They were also happy to explain to me why each item of work needed to be done and had taken photographs to support their findings. Many thanks to Melissa and to Julian

We selected 416-So-Clean based on their ranking on Home Stars. We were not disappointed! They did two staircases, one landing and one bedroom. They arrived on time at 8 am, discussed the job with us, adjusted the price downwards (we overestimated the size of the carpets on line), successfully removed some spots on a bedroom carpet (make up) and on the staircase, and were done by 9:30 am. They even gave us plastic bag slippers so we could walk on the carpets till it dried in 6/7 hours time. Did a wonderful job.

We are redoing our kitchen and wanted 4 new top of the line s/s appliances. We visited CAR and met Adib. He very efficiently and effectively showed us the relevant choices and allowed us to select which ones we wanted. We were done in an hour and got what we believe to be a great price on the 4 appliances. Delivery and installation were quickly and easily arranged. We would definitely go to CAR again and buy appliances from Adib.

We selected Hercules because of their high rating on Home Stars. Walter came out to visit us, assess the extent of the job and provide details of their service, etc. On the day of the move, the 3 guys arrived on time and meticulously packed and wrapped all of our furniture in a way that it could not be damaged during the move. And then they delivered it all safely and placed it in the rooms we instructed them to. It was ever so smooth and well organized. We'd be happy to recommend them to others.

This is the 3rd occasion we have used Frontier Flooring. This time it was to put down engineered hardwood flooring in our master bedroom and closet. First I contacted Lupe and she arranged for Peter (the estimator) to come out and measure so as to give us a quote and an installation date. It all went very smoothly. Then Peter (the installer) came out as arranged and did a great job of the installation. He was most efficient and professional. We continue to be happy to recommend Frontier Flooring to our friends and family.

I contacted Kwik Closet and arranged for a quote. Brian came to our home shortly after this and discussed our needs. He showed us several computerized designs and gave us a quote. He was very pleasant and capable. We decided to have the work done (very straightforward design; nothing very expensive or custom) and arranged a suitable date. Brian arrived on time, was very organized and completed the work (as per the design) in say 5 hours. Essentially it gives us double the storage space compared to our old "builder" format. We were very pleased with the results, and would be very happy to recommend Kwik Closets and Brian to others.

We wanted to upgrade our main bathroom and master bathroom. First, Dan came out, made several suggestions about the redesign, and gave us the quote of $20,000. Next we liaised with Charlotte, their interior designer, to decide on tile, fixtures, paint colors, etc. She gave us very good advice. Then Kris, Sanka and their team came out to do the work. They were very professional and experienced. In particular, they discussed each stage of the work with us and took our input. We are delighted with our new, modern bathrooms and are happy to recommend The Home Improvement People Inc. and their contractors to others.

We bought our high efficiency furnace and air conditioner from Spring Home about 5 years ago. This year, we arranged for them to service both units, one in the spring and the other last fall. Their service was great. The fee was agreed in advance each time for a multipoint check up. The technician arrived on time, and completed all of the work very professionally. We were very pleased with the work.

We wanted to install laminate flooring in our basement which is 3 rooms and a corridor measuring some 600 square feet. We had used Frontier Flooring in the past to install hardwood flooring in our living/dining room and carpets in our bedrooms and they had done a great job, so we were very pleased to find that they also did laminate flooring. I contacted Lupe and made an appointment to select some laminate samples. There were plenty to choose from and Lupe was very helpful re advice and providing me with a rough quote (which was similar to several other quotes that I had obtained). Subsequently, my wife and I visited the showroom and selected the specific laminate we wanted. Frank was also helpful with technical advice on the flooring. Peter then came out and did the exact measurements for the job and we finalized the price quote, paid a deposit, the laminate was ordered and the dates for the installation scheduled. I particularly appreciated being able to have the installation done in 2 phases (which made moving furniture easier) and being able to schedule the installation dates a couple of weeks in advance. It all went very smoothly and Lupe kept me informed of the progress by email. The installation was done on schedule on the days arranged. The installers were at our house for 8:30 am each of the 2 mornings, were very polite and were careful to put down cardboard to keep our floors clean. They vacuumed and tidied up at the end of each day. The flooring looks great and was very well installed. We then paid the balance outstanding including a small charge for cutting our doors so that they were a proper height above the sills and the laminate flooring. Overall, we were delighted with the work, and are happy to recommend Frontier Flooring to our family and friends.

Joseph has repaired our computers before. Our laptop would not connect to the internet. I took it over to his store, he looked at it and confirmed that it had a virus. He took the computer for a day and called me to confirm that it was working properly. I picked up the computer the next day. It cannot be simpler or better. Joseph's service and skills are just great!

Ambia were wonderful! They were very professional , experienced and knowledgeable. Our windows were skillfully installed on a timely basis and look great. We could not be happier with our experience in replacing most of the windows of our home (11 windows in all). Everything went according to plan and we were kept informed throughout by Ambia. I had arranged quotes from 3 companies, based on their ratings on Home Stars. They each visited our home for a couple of hours, did preliminary measurements, and gave us a quote for the work – including Michael Radocchia from Ambia. He was very professional and very informative. He brought samples of the Vinylbilt windows with him and explained the process to us. The Vinylbilt Platinum Series windows that he recommended to us include a number of upgrades over builder’s grade windows and he carefully explained the various features - and also the options available to us. Their quote was very comparable to the other 2 quotes in price but we were convinced that both the quality of the Vinylbilt windows and the quality of the installation were better and, thus, Ambia represented the best value to us. Michael was also excellent in replying promptly to various questions that we had after receiving the advice and quotes from the other 2 companies. Shortly after re-contacting Michael, Omar and Alex (who would be our installers) came to our house to do the exact measurements. They were both very professional and efficient. Based on their advice, we made a couple of minor changes to the draft contract before signing it and paying our deposit. We were told it would be 4 to 6 weeks before the windows would be custom manufactured and ready for installation. Sure enough after 4 weeks, Tony, the manager from the Ambia office phoned to schedule the installation and sent us details by email of what we were to do ahead of the installation, including removing curtains, etc. On the scheduled day, Omar and Alex arrived at the arranged time to commence the installation. They were very polite and efficient. Drop cloths were put down to protect our carpets, etc and they very professionally installed our windows in accordance with the Window Wise approved quality standard of installation (See attached link http://www.windowwise.com/about.htm) . They were happy to explain the process to me and why this was the proper way to install windows. When they finished work on each of the 2 days, they carefully tidied up afterwards, including using a commercial vacuum cleaner. Frankly, the whole process could not have gone better! Our windows look great and I would happily give Ambia a rating of 11 (rather than 10) if I could. I am also happy to recommend, Ambia and Michael, Tony, Omar and Alex to my family, friends and neighbors should they need to replace any of their windows.

We have used Valentin's services before and had no hesitation in asking him to do this work. He is great! We booked him to come two weeks before the installation of our new countertops, and he arrived early on the morning of the countertop installation as required. After the countertops had been installed, he returned later that day/the following day to install the faucets in the kitchen/bathrooms as arranged, so we were only without water in the bathrooms overnight. He was as professional and capable as always. We would be happy to use his services again and to recommend him to family and friends.

We selected Toronto Granite based on Home Stars reviews. We were delighted with their work. It was very professional, well organized and went as planned. Many thanks to Vlad for his extensive help in the showroom selecting the quartz countertops, which was great. And to Mark who came out to our house and made the exact measurements. And to Stipo and Dino who installed the countertops, measured for the backsplashes and then came back again to install them. We would happily purchase from Toronto Granite again and recommend them to our family and friends.

Our previous window cleaner stopped business. We needed a new window cleaner and found Prestige on Home Stars. We phoned and spoke to Sergio. He said he would visit our home and give us a quote in the next couple of days. He did this. We then authorized the work. Two young men came a few days later to do the work. They were both very polite and did the work efficiently. We were very happy with the work.

My daughter's laptop had some liquid spilt on it and it shut down. Specifically, the laptop did not respond to typing on the keyboard. I found Fujitech on Homestars and was delighted to find so many execellent reviews. I contacted them by email and Joseph replied with a couple of hours to advise that (i) the laptop would need to be cleaned at a cost of $50; and (ii) likely the keyboard had been fried by the liquid, and would need replaced at a cost of $55 to $65. And he suggested bringing it in for him to check all of this at no cost. I took it in the next day. Joseph seemed very pleasant and competent. He checked out the computer and confirmed the details. Fortunately, the motherboard was not also fried. He then checked for the part number of the keyboard (for a HP dmz1 Series 3000 laptop). He then phoned and confirmed that he could get the part within a week or so. All in all it took about 20 minutes to do this. I agreed to have him do the repair and left the laptop with him. About two weeks later he phoned to confirm that the part had come in and that the repair had now been completed. I called in the next day and collected the computer which he showed me was now working fine. Overall, it was a great shopping experience. And I am happy to recommend Joseph and Fujitech to others, including close friends and family.

We have been customers of Dr Green for more than 10 years now, and are very happy with their services. During this time we have had several issues with our lawn (re grubs, weeds, mushrooms, etc) and each time someone has come out and done an evaluation and advised us about what to do, which is great. In fact our lawn looks so good that one of our neighbours decided to also have Dr Green look after her lawn.

We found Frontier on HomeStars. We visited their new showroom in Vaughn and were very impressed by the helpfulness of Angelo and his staff in advising us on our choices, including providing us with samples of carpet and hardwood flooring to take home with us. We also visited two other suppliers. We received estimates from all three, and decided to go with Frontier based on the price and our meetings with them. One problem we had was to get a 3/8 inch hardwood flooring in the right color for the upstairs hallway because of the limited depth of the nosing on our balcony railing. Angelo managed to solve this with a special run of the right color by the manufacturer. The installation of the carpeting and hardwood floors took place over 3 days in March 2012. All of the workmen were very capable and pleasant to deal with including Ahmet for the carpeting and Vitaliy for the hardwood floors. They did a great job and tidied up after the work properly. Angelo also came over to inspect the work. Overall, we are delighted with the work and would be happy to recommend Frontier to others, including our friends.

We needed a plumber. We looked on HomeStars and found Strong Plumbing. We had not used them before but chose them because of their high ratings. I phoned on the Friday and spoke to Valentin. I explained the issue. He was very helpful and offered to do the work that day or the following business day even though we are based in Richmond Hill. I agreed that he would do the work. He contacted me later that day to explain that his current job would mean he could not do the work that day. The next day he emailed to provide an estimate of when he would come. He arrived on time, looked at the piping and gave us an estimate of the costs under 2 scenarios. We opted for the better solution. He then completed the work in 1.5 hours and showed us what he had done, why the issue had ocurred and how we could prevent it in future. Overall, we were delighted with his work. And would be happy to employ him again and/or recommend his services to friends.

We have been a client of Dr Green for more than 5 years. We are very happy with their services. Each year we select Dr Green's Very Best Teatment Plan, and because we have been customers for a long time we get at a guaranteed price which does not increase from year to year. Our lawn looks really good. One of our neighbours also signed up for Dr Green on our recommendation. We wish our other neighbour would do the same; their lawn needs the same care and attention that we get from Dr Green

We decided to replace our 23 year old Lennox furnace and air conditioning, although they were working fine, because of the government grants available and the cost savings of more efficient units. Having found the Homestars website, we were able to identify 5 good contractors each with 100+ excellent ratings in order to get competitive quotes. We met with Cy Goh from Spring Home for about 2 hours. He arrived precisely on time for the appointment, and was very knowledgable about the alternative systems available from Lennox and American Standard and the proper installation process. He also was very knowledgable about the various grants available and the procedures necessary to obtain them, including (at our request) providing us with the name of a good ecoEnergy service organixation to carry our our ecoEnergy audit as part of the Federal grant process. As questions arose, incuding as a result of meeting with other contractors, Cy very promptly responded to our questions by either email or phone within a couple of hours. In the end we were extremely confident in Cy and Spring Home and their competence and responsiveness and decided to hire them to do the installation, noting that the installation is 60% of the cost on a new system. The system we selected is a top of the line Lennox system, being the SLP98 furnace (which is up to 98.2% efficient due to its large range of variable speed outputs), and the XC17 air conditioning which comes with the iComfort control panel (very easy to read and to program) and is Solar ready (for when this becomes cost effective). We also purchased a filter and humidifier. The reason we chose the top of the line model was that there was a bigger special rebate from Lennox on their more expensive models compared to their better models, so that the price differential was only about $1,000 for the top of the line model. One of the other contractors was also a Lennox dealer and the pricing and recommended alternative systems were more or less exactly the same. We decided to go with Spring Home for the reasons stated above, and also that they are based nearby in Markham. The total cost was $10,600 plus HST of 13%, which totals to $12,000. Against this we will receive a Federal grant of $900, an OPA grant of $650 and a Lennox rebate of $1,100. So our net cost is $9,350. Spring Home will deal with the paperwork for the Lennox and OPA grants, and we have to claim the Federal grant ourselves. The installation was scheduled for the following week after our signing the contract. Again the Spring Home people arrived exactly on time at 9:30 am, three of them. They were very tidy and worked quietly and efficiently for the rest of the day. Sheets were put down to protect our flooring and to prevent mess. Several times they spoke to us to explain and discuss issues including the location of piping and the air conditioning unit. After they completed the work they provided us with the instruction manuals and gave us a quick tour of the system and showed us how to use the iControl panel. We also completed a customer satisfaction survey for the installers. Overall we could not have been more pleased with Spring Home and we would happliy recommend them to others. It is a major home purchase that you only make once or twice in a lifetime, and we became very confident that it would go well - and it did. A week or so after the installation, Cy contacted us again to make sure we were happy with everything and that there were no problems, which is a really nice and comforting step. As he said during the selection process, the purchase is only the beginning of the customer relationship. And they will also come in November/December when it gets cold to check that our furnace settings are proper and that it is functioning efficiently. Of note, the warranty on the system is generally 10 years on all parts (from Lennox) and 5 years on labour (from Spring Home) - which we understand is standard. There are no annual service calls to pay for in order to keep these warranties in force, although a service call at least every two years or so is recommened by Spring Home.