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To Whom It May Concern:
It is my sincere pleasure to write this letter on behalf of Doug and Bill Storey and the entire staff of Two Storey Building. My husband and I along with our two children had the good fortune of having Two Storey build us a brand new home this past year. Our project involved tearing down our existing home and building an entirely new home including a new foundation.
From my initial meeting with Doug, I was not only impressed by his professionalism but also his understanding of how important the relationship is between a homeowner and a builder. With the scope of building a new home from scratch you end up being intimately involved with your builder often times on almost a daily basis. Doug was not only very knowledgeable but also very well organized and excellent about keeping in close communication with us both by email and phone. He was also very flexible in working with us to keep things within our budget but also help us maximize our investment and realize our dream of building a beautiful home for our family. Doug did a very good job of estimating the cost of our project and anytime a change was considered, Doug would discuss the pros and cons of the change and give us a written change order before going ahead. For example, we ended up upgrading our windows and going with a pre-cast foundation system and Doug prepared us well for the implications of these changes on our budget. In terms of selections for our project, both Doug and Bill are very knowledgeable and experienced and quickly became trusted advisors in helping us make decisions. However, they are also very attentive to and respectful of their customer's own tastes and opinions and certainly are as accommodating as possible.
As the building phase of our project actually commenced, Two Storey's excellent organization and efficiency became even more apparent. The only delay we had in starting our project was due to KeySpan (our gas company) which took over 3 weeks to shut the gas off from the street. When this delay occurred, Doug was on the phone with KeySpan several times each week trying to get the process moving. When building began, it was amazing how quickly the new foundation and framing of our home was completed. The high quality of Two Storey's craftsmanship was also quite clear. Many aspects of building which would have been upgrades with other builders (such as 2x6 construction) are standard with Two Storey. They wouldn't consider putting their name on substandard craftsmanship. Between Doug, Bill, Dave (who does excellent finish carpentry work), and Matt, they really made the actually construction process as easy as possible while also building an extremely well built and beautiful home we can truly enjoy and appreciate. Some examples which really stand out to us are the following. For our floor plan, we wanted an open feel between our kitchen and family room. Our plans included two half walls which required posts which would have partly blocked our view from the kitchen into the family room. Knowing we ideally wanted this space all open, Doug and Bill were able to rework the plans so the posts were not necessary which we didn't realize was possible. Their talent and patience was also extremely evident in helping us build a wall-to-wall built-in cabinet in our family room which they did simply from drawings my husband and I made up. This built-in surely has become a focal point of the room and one that visitors compliment frequently. Also, in the family room which has a cathedral ceiling, they worked with us to build decorative beams simply from drawings and pictures my husband and I gathered. The beams really came out beautifully and are also frequently complimented. It is not only Two Storey's craftsmanship, trustworthiness, and reliability that make them such an excellent company to work with but also their problem solving abilities. For example, my husband and I had ordered a hearthstone for the built-in in the family room. The stone was delivered while both my husband and I were at work. Bill called to let me know that the stone yard had made a mistake when cutting the stone (it was actually fairly complicated as it went the entire length of the built-in). Within an hour, Bill had called me back to say that they had figured out how to make it work and again it came out beautifully. As two working parents who were also juggling the undertaking of building an entirely new home, I can't overstate how invaluable it is to have a staff of builders who are not only so talented but have such problem solving abilities and take such pride in their work.
When we originally told family and friends about our project and that our builder estimated it would take between 6-7 months to complete the project, they all said we'd better plan on a year then. I am very happy to say that our project began mid April 2007 and we were able to move into our new home on October 5, 2007. It was truly important to Two Storey that they keep their word and deliver the project on time which we certainly appreciated not only because it was so nice to be in our new home but we were also paying the cost of a rental to which they were very sensitive. We have now been in our home for a little over 4 months and are truly enjoying it. We were very fortunate to have found Two Storey building and we would absolutely recommend them to anyone without hesitation.
Sincerely,
Lisa Lentino
Joe Lentino
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