We hired Vadim to manage a gut renovation of the first floor of our home in Astoria. We took out load-bearing walls and replaced them with structural beams, leveled the entire floor, replaced all of the electrical and plumbing, and installed a brand new kitchen. This was a huge amount of work that required a lot of planning and oversight, and so we knew that we needed to hire a GC who knew what he was doing and could execute quickly and who took the quality of their work seriously.
From the first communication Vadim was responsive and clear with us, and his bid was lower than many of the others we received. When we decided to add things during the construction process, Vadim was fair in his pricing and did excellent work.
The one thing I will say about Vadim that I think is very important in a contractor – he has integrity and wants to stand behind the work that he does. He insisted on leveling our floors, making the walls flush, and installing everything properly because he had a standard of quality that was clearly important to him not just as a business owner but as a person. He does not cut corners, he does not do amateur work, and he was straightforward with us about what things would cost and how long they would take. Along the way Vadim was there to help us with any issues that came up, and we felt very comfortable knowing he was taking care of our project.
A few things I will recommend to people who are considering a renovation:
Get several bids and opinions, it’s important that you find a contractor who understands your vision and who you feel you can communicate well with. For us, this was Vadim.
Construction in NYC is expensive, and contractors who do good work for a fair price are often booked for months out. If you are considering starting a project, start speaking with contractors now. We were lucky that Vadim was able to start our project a few weeks after we contacted him, but this could have easily been months (I understand he is booked now for the next 5 months, he’s that in-demand).
Monitor the work along the way and be clear if you feel something needs to be done differently, but be clear about your expectations from the start as well.
Plan everything as much in advance as possible: select and buy fixtures, appliances, finishes, etc. so that nothing delays your project. If you do not have an architect or designer, you need to be aware of the things you need to be on top of as a client.
It will take longer and cost more money than you originally thought it would (we went over budget because the temptation of having Vadim and his team fix additional things for us immediately was just too strong for us to resist), so manage your expectations and if possible, be flexible.
Overall we were extremely happy with Vadim and his team – they were respectful, they did excellent work, and the results of our renovation after only 3 months of work are truly amazing. I would recommend him highly to anyone considering having any sort of construction work done.
