Maggie from Holbrook 7/2/24

Most recently, I worked with a homeowner named Maggie who decided to finish her basement. She dreamed of turning the space into a cozy family room where her kids could play and she could relax with friends. After some research, she came across a contractor named Mark who had some decent reviews online and a convincing pitch. Mark assured Maggie that he could transform her basement into the perfect family retreat within six weeks and within her budget. Excited, Maggie hired him and eagerly awaited the transformation.

The project started well enough. Mark and his crew showed up on the first day, bringing in supplies and setting up. Maggie felt confident in her choice. However, as the days went by, her optimism began to wane. The first red flag appeared when the crew didn’t show up one day without any notice. When Maggie called Mark, he gave her a vague excuse about a “supplier issue” and promised they’d be back the next day.

From that point on, things only got worse. The crew’s attendance became sporadic, and when they did show up, they seemed unmotivated and worked at a snail’s pace. Materials were left scattered around the basement, and debris piled up, creating a hazardous mess. Maggie started noticing that some of the work was sloppy—drywall was uneven, electrical wiring looked questionable, and there were gaps around the newly installed windows.

Maggie’s frustration grew when she discovered that Mark had overcharged her for materials. She confronted him, but he brushed it off, claiming prices had gone up. To make matters worse, he began demanding additional payments for “unexpected complications,” which were never part of the initial agreement. Feeling trapped and seeing her dream basement turning into a nightmare, Maggie sought advice from friends and family.

One evening, after weeks of stress and mounting bills, Maggie’s brother Steve recommended she contact North Shore Contractor Management. Reluctantly, Maggie reached out to me at NSCM. I agreed to come over and assess the situation cost-free. I was shocked by the shoddy workmanship and the state of disarray. I pointed out numerous errors and shortcuts that the contractor had taken, leaving Maggie horrified and embarrassed at the status of her basement.

Determined to make things right, Maggie hired North Shore Contractor Management to salvage the project. Our first order of business was to fire Mark. Then, we moved on to corrective work.

From the very beginning, North Shore Contractor Management reached out to three carpenters. We provided Maggie with three detailed, transparent estimates that outlined all costs and timelines. After we selected Tony from All Carpentry Solutions, we set up regular progress meetings to keep Maggie informed and address any concerns she might have.

Setting expectations and living up to them is all about good business. All Carpentry Solutions cleaned up the site at the end of each day, ensuring Maggie’s home remained livable during the renovation. They replaced the faulty wiring with a licensed electrical contractor, redid the drywall, and continued to create her dream space. Whenever an unexpected issue arose, North Shore Contractor Management promptly communicated with Maggie and provided practical solutions without inflating costs.

Although it cost Maggie more time and money than she had originally planned, she was grateful to finally see her basement taking shape the way she had envisioned. We even added some thoughtful touches, like built-in shelving and custom lighting, which enhanced the overall design and functionality of the space.

In the end, Maggie learned a valuable lesson about the importance of thorough research and vetting contractors. Despite the rough journey, she finally had her dream basement—a safe and beautiful space for her family to enjoy. And as for Mark, Maggie made sure to leave detailed reviews and warn others about his deceptive practices, hoping to spare other homeowners from experiencing the same nightmare.

Thankfully, Maggie is sharing her story, so you don’t have a similar one.

It all started when...

A True Story and a new client 

My friend (Frank) from High School hired a friends dad (Stan) to renovate his basement - not a small project by anyone's standards. A complete rip out and redo. Frank has known Stan since we were in kindergarten. How much more trusting can a relationship be, known each other since the early 80's.

Stan comes over, tells Frank to buy all these items and then Stan takes money up front and starts his work. He rips out the walls, runs some new data lines for the TV's and computers, he installs some plumbing and than he disappears. No phone calls, no returned text messages, no emails - just pocket the money and split! 

So now Frank has a basement that is 20% into construction, he has to find new contractors to complete all the plumbing, electrical, HVAC and misc carpentry work that Frank has designed in his visionary head. 

Frank has no plans, he has boxes full of fixtures and trim pieces, he has to take a friends dad to small claims court (Yes, Stan still lives in the same house) so he was served legal papers, he has to find a new Contractor, he has to explain his vision to a new Contractor, he has to wait another month to start the project again, the contractor he has hired doesn't do electric so he needs to find a new Electrican. 

Frank needs to do all these things while working a very stressful and demanding job, his wife has two kids to take 

Frank is a very smart guy, Frank is also very trusting and Frank has enlisted the help of North Shore Contractor Management to make sure that his basement gets finished the way he envisions it, he doesn't want to give money away, he wants to make sure the job is done correctly, he needs to understand how to tie the finishes together, he needs to make sure all the electrical devices work and work together.

To be Frank don't get Stan'd and contact North Shore Contractor Management today before any work starts in your home.