My TICO Experience
Spoiler Alert: Chock-full of great people, experiences, and visuals. Also, if you have not had TICO provide an estimate for your remodel you are missing out on, in my opinion, the very best in the business. Let me repeat that: Bar none, TICO is the Best in the Business. I say this after using them twice for extensive remodels described below.
Research … Our home was built in 1983 and has not had a major renovation/repair in that time. The house is 2-story with approximately 2800 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. In the past few years, the chimney, siding, and roof were replaced. It was now time to pay attention to the interior. And, most importantly this is the living space. We took more than 3 months researching prospective contractors. The overall plans were to do major remodeling, but in steps. These included bathroom vanities, showers, and baths. Next, floors throughout the house were to be replaced. Painting was not even a thought at the time. Nor were other projects [wall removal, floor leveling, kitchen] that were eventually done. More on that following.
In the months before finally settling upon TICO for the work, we contacted more than 20 potential contractors. We scoured the media for any and all info for each one. This resulted in about 10 to be interviewed. As you can imagine, the experiences were all over the map. Two contractors asked us to first visit their place of business prior to an onsite [home] visit. This seemed confusing to us, but what did we know. This was all new. What we learned from this is if any contractor makes this request, place them in the circular file [garbage] and save your time. While visits later to choose flooring, cabinets, baths, showers, etc, might be needed, it is our opinion to first have an evaluation of the space for remodeling that includes any ideas, questions, etc. And, most of all budget/price.
There is another type of contractor run from as fast as possible. We call these third-party contractors. The person who does the remodel quote works for a company that will do the work, but you will likely never see this person again. Heaven forbid something comes up during remodeling and trust us it will and there is now a delay or substantial price change. For example, one contractor did not do plumbing, so it was up to us to hire them separately! Do yourself a favor [DYAF] and be sure that the contractor can handle any and all of the remodel. Call TICO.
After having interviewed almost a dozen contractors, we had not heard back from TICO. We thought the reason was Angie’s List informed us that did not service the 77077 area. Whether this was an error or glitch in their site we will never know. My research had shown this was a good company, so I wrote for a quote from their website. I am damn glad I did. Shortly thereafter, we received a call from Karina. From the first visit, we sensed this was the company. Karina came ready to work. With her iPad and cell phone, she took pics and measurements, provided suggestions, timelines, manufacturers, online sites for tile, cabinets, everything!
Price … We were committed to finding the best price for the best work. As anyone who has had major work done knows this is much easier said than done, particularly with little to no individual expertise in the work needing done, trust in the contractor, time allowed/needed, unexpected concerns/problems, etc. Since we had planned on so much work to be done – bathroom, bedrooms, living areas, plumbing, electric, flooring, … - we thought it might be best to have a small project done to measure/evaluate the contractor for subsequent work. After all, we were talking about monies into the 5 figures twice!
Karina walked us through our ideas for the remodel, including doing things in a step wise order. She let us know the obstacles to such an approach if the goal was for a complete remodel. To this end, she thought it best for Gus to visit and evaluate the project goals. After the visit by Gus, he showed us the most logical and most cost-effective way for the remodel. He was right. The price was reasonable and worth every cent. The cost was so reasonable that during this first remodel, we added a wall removal, floor leveling, and complete house painting.
Professionalism … Let’s start with the fact this is a 21st century company. I am well into my 60s, but I am tech savvy. Any company that wishes to have my business, especially considering the monies involved, needs to have an online presence whether that be standalone or other social media, cellphone and texting ability, email, photography, and electronic billing. TICO has all of this and more. They also provide a rendering of the project. That is only the beginning. The professionals know their stuff. It was a pleasure watching them work. When it came to choosing flooring, cabinets, fixtures, appliances, etc., TICO was there and available for help. Karina was instrumental in picking out flooring, tile, backsplash, etc. There was always someone ready to answer a text/call quickly. There was no concern they did not answer no matter how small or ridiculous. I asked some pretty nutty questions. No problem. Gus knows his stuff.
Performance … After having assembled the best players, read professionals, available the test is how does the team perform. My favorite sport is baseball. TICO knocks it out of the park, a home run, a grand slam. Plumbers, electricians, framers, painters, flooring, cabinetry, destruction/cleanup, etc. all needed to be scheduled or choreographed to complete the project in the optimal time with the least amount of disruption to our personal life. Added to this, we have 4 dogs and 4 cats! All ran smoothly.
Nobody came close to the service that TICO provides. TICO remodeled the bedrooms, bathrooms, hallway, stairs, living/dining area, and kitchen nook. TICO was doing such a great fantastic job that we added the removal of the wall between the kitchen/living area, painting, and floor leveling to the kitchen nook. And, this was the reason that TICO returned to do the kitchen remodel. We have imagined one more project – an entertainment and exercise room. TICO will do this project.
Euphoria … We were looking for a word or phrase that captured how we feel after the remodeling. Euphoria means a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness. Often, very often, we find ourselves walking around the house just to see the changes. We even have a favorite spot now where it is possible to take in as much as possible of the work done. Since the wall between the kitchen and living room was removed, there is a spot just near the entry that allows a clear view of the brand new staircase -with wrought iron spindles and hard wood floors, Italian floor tile spreading in all directions, quartz countertops and large island, marble backsplash, recessed lighting, pendant lights, shaker cabinets and pantry, new oven and range hood, and farmhouse apron-front stainless steel sink. To say we are euphoric about the remodel is an understatement. DYAF: Call/Contact TICO.
Patrizia & Michael Scally
Our top priority is your satisfaction, and we are delighted that our team met your expectations. Feedback like yours motivates us to continue delivering high-quality service and workmanship.
If you ever need any further assistance or have additional projects in the future, please don't hesitate to reach out. We look forward to working with you again.
Thanks once again for your kind words and your support!