Fresh Start Projects Inc.

We had been interviewing other contractors without success, as well as looking online and we were growing increasingly frustrated and disheartened when a design friend had suggested Ernest and Fresh Start Projects. He told me that Ernest has the most integrity of anyone he’s worked with in his 20+ years of drafting and designing houses. As cliché as it sounds, we knew it right away when, after introductions and listening to what we wanted, he walked around the house and had a look around for a minute or so and then asked us a couple of things we had thought about and were interested to see if they were was possible, but which no other contractor did. Whereas others were happy working with the house as is, Ernest was suggesting ideas on how it might work better. Others were happy to take short cuts (such as drywall over drywall) while Ernest wanted it looking its best from the bones to the finished surface. I cannot say enough good things about Ernest and frankly, neither can our neighbours. They commented how Ernest was always working at the house and not just supervising, which is something we witnessed as well. He communicated extremely well; he didn’t overlook anything and took the time to tell and show us what was going on in the bones of the house, so we knew where lots of the value lay. He always gave us choices, though not always easy ones, and was fantastic in answering any questions that we may have had about our choices. He anticipated when things might go wrong (once memorably when our furnace conked out on Christmas day while we were away) and had his trades ready to move when they did. He worked diligently to keep within the budget and got creative in bringing our vision to reality. Though it was an expensive endeavour; it was entirely worthwhile and only because we had Ernest leading the way. I could sit here all day and compliment Ernest and Fresh Start; our home looks amazing, feels amazing, and works amazingly well, but I think that the best thing I could say about this whole experience is that my wife and I didn’t lose one night of sleep despite such a large undertaking and that is 100% because of Ernest.

We engaged Fresh Start Projects for an extension on our home. Ernest is very organized and professional and gave us a very thorough construction schedule and breakdown of costs. He continued to effectively communicate changes throughout the project. He has exceptional project management skills, coordinating numerous activities efficiently and directing multiple trades to complete our project on schedule and on budget. We loved what he accomplished, and are thrilled with our beautiful renovation. We were extremely impressed with Ernest's personal commitment to our project and can highly recommend Fresh Start Projects

Basically, the one ‘live’ channel I watch on a regular basis is HGTV - which means I have often dreamed of hiring Bryan Baeumler or Mike Holmes to fix stuff for me. At this stage of my life, I care way more about getting the job done right than getting the cheapest quote. That’s why I hired Ernest at Fresh Start Projects to do my downstairs bathroom renovation. I used Ernest for a major exterior renovation in 2015 and the project was on time, on budget and expertly finished. I was thrilled to find Ernest because I had previously used a guy I'll call ”Steve” in 2014 for an interior renovation. At one of my progress checks on “Steve’s” renovation - at the 8 month mark, it was clear to the neighbours it wasn't going well - a neighbour called out to me - "you should have used Ernest" ! Too late, of course. But, “you should have used Ernest" stuck with me when I went to do the exterior in 2015. It was so great to finally have a contractor with experience, integrity and skill. I also learned from the exterior renovation that Ernest is a truth-teller - a highly valuable quality in a contractor. That’s why when some broken shower tiles necessitated a bathroom renovation this year, Ernest was the only contractor I considered. In addition to a major redesign of the space (moving plumbing, adding a wall, etc), I decided to put a steam shower in, something I would never have risked if Ernest wasn’t managing the project. Ernest and my designer worked seamlessly to hammer out the details. Ernest provided critical information about what he thought was behind a seemingly useless wall (a concrete footing - he was right of course), and finding solutions to other design questions. He had some great suggestions to improve the space (privacy wall, solution for teak shower bench that avoided putting holes in wall tiles etc). And, when costs came up - Ernest always let me know where it made sense to save and where to spend. I trusted him completely because he was just as likely to tell me what not to spend money on as he was to tell me what made sense to splurge on. I knew that Ernest always had the quality of the build and my best interests at heart. Ernest made sure everything was done to his satisfaction and I'm incredibly grateful that I found a contractor with his experience and integrity. Also have to mention that he kept an amazingly clean worksite and partitioned off the workspace floor-to-ceiling to keep dust and dirt from affecting the rest of the house ...also useful to have plastic wall during the pandemic. House felt safe and clean. In a nutshell, if you want a contractor with integrity and experience who delivers quality workmanship and cares about getting the job done right - and who gives you value for your dollars spent - Ernest and the Fresh Start Projects team are a perfect choice. I would honestly never consider hiring anyone else - although, I must confess I hope not to renovate again anytime soon :-).

Ernest did a fantastic job for us. We couldn't be more pleased. He installed metal privacy screens in a wall between our kitchen/living room. At the same time he also replaced some molding/trim around a couple of entry ways in the same area. From the beginning of the project he was consistently on time, he cleaned up behind himself during the day and at the end of each day, he was polite and professional. Truthfully he is a fantastic contractor. I will definitely hire him again, and would not hesitate to recommend him. Also, the end result of his work is amazing.

Fresh Start Projects Inc. is: honest, reliable and professional We first met Ernest a few years back when he had been working for a different company. At the time Ernest and crew showed up to bail us out of a kitchen reno gone bad (sleazy contractor tore down kitchen and walked out on us). He gave us comfort we were in good hands, and professionally took over and got the reno done to a final product better than we had originally hoped. We then hired Ernest to complete a 600 sqft deck and convert upstairs loft into bedroom. Was done on budget and on time. The latest opportunity we had with Enrest was this summer where he, as Fresh Start Projects Inc., tore down and built us a new fence. They worked through rain and shine to get the job done perfectly. Great attention to detail and kept us informed through the appopriate steps along the way. All during a COVID pandemic, where he respected and even exceeded our expectations to safety of our family. Amy and Ryan

We recently used Fresh Start Projects for an exterior and interior renovation at our home which involved replacing a concrete patio, replacing 3 exterior doors, spray foam insulating of a crawlspace, and remodeling of a large family room. We were very happy with the service that we received from Fresh Start Projects and Ernest. Ernest was thorough with his quote and we appreciated the realistic supplier estimates that he gave which allowed us to choose options we wanted without fear of overspending our budget. Ernest was timely and any issues that were discovered were brought to our attention and dealt with. Also, Ernest was willing to listen to our requests and offered helpful suggestions and improvements on scope changes that we wanted. Ernest was dependable and honest and was great to work with, and we appreciated his attention to detail and the thoughtful extra features that he went above and beyond to include. We would not hesitate to recommend Fresh Start Projects and Ernest to others and we are hoping that we can use him again for our next project. Jenny and Adam.

I have had the pleasure of working with Ernest for many years now. I have witnessed his dedication to his clients and their projects, and would highly recommend him for any renovation or new home. He has great on-site experience that many builders lack. He is honest and as a result provides great direction, whether it contributes to his bottom line or not. I look forward to working with him on any and all of his future projects!

In 2019, Wendy and I purchased a mid-1980’s era villa/bungalow. We wanted to make a number of changes to our new home so that it would better meet our particular needs and enable us to “age in place”. We knew we wanted to work with Fresh Start Projects Inc and Ernest Young, in particular, based on our past experience working with him on renovation projects at our first home. We knew Ernest as an honest, patient and dedicated craftsman. Wendy and I worked closely with Ernest to formulate a renovation plan which included: site preparation, building an art studio, tearing out walls to create a more spacious floor plan on the main floor and in the downstairs family room, replacing flooring in the kitchen, bathrooms and entry to the home, building much needed storage space in the basement and garage, upgrading utilities including electrical, HVAC and plumbing to code, painting the home from top to bottom, and site clean-up. Ernest worked with us to ensure that he clearly understood our objectives and he provided great advice based on his expertise and knowledge of construction – all with patience and humor. Ernest delivered the project on time and within budget. As in most renovation projects, unforeseen issues arose. These were quickly brought to our attention and dealt with in a prompt and economical manner. Wendy and I would not hesitate to use Fresh Start Projects Inc and Ernest for any future projects and we would highly recommend him to friends and family for any of their construction project needs. Rob and Wendy