Dan's the Man (DS Renovations)

Member Name: skidd

Product:	DS Renovations
Date:	17/11/08 (161 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheerful courteous and efficient service . Quality craftsmanship . Competititive price

Disadvantages: None

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DS Renovations are a small firm specialising in bathroom and kitchen refurbishment in the Sussex area. Actually the firm IS a very likeable and reliable young man called Dan Saunders and I was fortunate enough to find him through an old mate, Chris, who, because of the contacts he makes through his damp-proofing company, can usually come up with good recommendations when it comes to searching out reliable tradesmen. When Chris dropped in the DS Renovation card, it could not have been more timely as I knew I had to tackle a big problem in my life -my ailing bathroom!

In fact I could not ignore the problem any longer. My bathroom had to have a makeover. The previous owner of my flat fancied himself as a DIY-er but his efforts in some areas had been disastrous! The bath of his choosing was a huge affair with rounded corners and his attempts to tile this in looked passable when I purchased the flat but it soon became clear that water from the shower which perched above the bath was penetrating the tiling surround and drenching the ply beneath. With no other escape the damp was inching along the wall resulting in peeling paintwork, stretching some ten feet along one wall and now creeping through into the hall and rotting skirting boards. These sights assaulted my eyes every time I sat on the loo! Worse still ominous lumps and bubbles were appearing in the lino flooring. A friend helped me rip out all the tiling around the bath and a nasty soggy mess beneath confronted us. In was so ashamed of the shambles that I dreaded my friends asking to use the loo!

I had approached a few companies but most were not interested in quoting because, I wanted to re- use all my existing fixtures and fittings except the bath. One very proper gentleman from an old, established bathroom firm in the area reluctantly came to take a disdainful look around. He mumbled a provisional figure which was way above what I eventually paid, promised to get back to me and never did. Another firm gave me a really cheap quote a few months earlier but when I phoned the two numbers on the quote they were no longer in service!

And so on to Dan who, refreshingly, met my request for a quote with no mumbles, murmurings or reservations just a friendly, courteous promise to visit and take a look in two days time and, at the appointed hour , he arrived! By this time I knew exactly what I wanted and Dan fell in with it all without question or condescension. My requirements included a white steel bath ( much smaller than the old incumbent), new taps/shower unit, a shower screen, an extractor fan, a large cupboard, an additional steel towel rail to complement the existing heated version, large white tiles all round the bath area and along one wall where the toilet and was basin were situated plus new lighting and white floor tiles. He greeted my proposals with enthusiasm and enthusiasm is the key to Dan's service. He came up with some useful suggestions such as tiling in a brick type pattern, using tiles instead of skirting and boxing in all the pipework. Making a few notes, Dan quickly took on board all my requirements and that was the only time I had to give him any instructions. He forgot nothing when he came to do the bathroom a couple of months later.

A few days later I received an email from him apologising that he had not yet prepared my quote but promising it the following week-end and to my surprise there is was in my inbox the following Saturday. It was a great document with photos of the bath and taps he intended to use and links to sites where I could chose my tiles. He tactfully suggested a certain range of floor tiles which did not include a white option and I decided that the chocolate brown would be a far better choice as all white could have made the room very stark. The price for the whole job was just over £3,000 so well within the budget I had mentioned. I rang and accepted with alacrity and, from Dan's reaction, you would think he had just received news he had won the lottery. He was back to me within a few days with a start date in September and I was filled with optimism.

During the weeks that followed Dan was really helpful even dropping me in a paint chart and advising me on a suitable light fitting, which I was purchasing. I was uncertain whether my choice of light fitting would be suitable (something about needing an earth - dum???) and Dan called in to check the wiring before I ordered. I am always so pessimistic about dealings of this sort that I was sure the promised start date would be delayed but Dan even emailed me to say that if, it was convenient for me, he could start a day earlier.

And so the work commenced and Dan with his side-kick Alex, an equally pleasant young man, quickly got down to stripping out all the old junk. Dan warned me that he would be removing the loo and wash basin temporarily so that he could make a proper job of tiling the floor rather than tiling round these and I was amazed how quickly and efficiently they carried out the work keeping disruption to a minimum and cutting the water off for the shortest time possible. I won't bore readers with a day to day schedule of the work but in total it took the two of them just over one week to achieve the complete transformation.

I like to give balanced reviews and have tried to think of some cons I could mention but, in all honesty, I can't fault Dan and Alex at all. They worked so hard not taking lunch or tea breaks, in fact, although Alex accepted the occasional cup of coffee, Dan hardly paused to take a drink! The quality of their workmanship is second to none. The tiling and the woodwork is beautifully finished. All the materials arrived as if by magic and on time so that nothing was left cluttering up the flat. I loved Dan's little attention to detail such as the shelves in the cupboard are not all equally spaced so that I can fit in items of different heights and make maximum use of the space. The wall fixing that came with the shower unit was a fixed one (not on a swivel) so that the shower could only be fixed at an inconvenient static angle. Dan quickly pronounced this useless and went off to procure a rocker arrangement which allows the shower head to be adjusted to convenient angles! I am sure most would have just fitted the original and left me to discover the irritation later! And they worked tidily, sweeping or vacuuming each day and taking all the rubbish, including packaging, away with them. They even seemed to enjoy their work and often Dan would break into song giving far better renderings than many the X Factor contestants!

There were a couple of glitches! Alex was concerned about the colour of the paint. I had chosen a light coffee colour and it looked okay in the tin but when applied it was rather a horrid sh***y colour! We stood back and surveyed the initial brush strokes and, being a polite and considerate person(!), I tried to hide my distaste and disappointment. However Dan suddenly realised he had purchased the wrong colour. I retreated wondering how I could ask them to rectify it but within seconds Dan was seeking me out to reassure me they would change it. And change it they did, Dan being left with a useless £40 can of emulsion but he was as cheerful as ever, just making a joke of the whole thing. The shower screen arrived - a single pane fold back one rather than the concertina version I favoured. I would have accepted it but somehow Dan must have picked up on my vibes because he asked if I would prefer a foldaway version and went off and changed it without quibble.

In my experience it's rare to come across the great level of service and consistent quality of craftsmanship which DS Renovations offer. As hard as I am to please ( ask my ex!) I honestly can't fault them. And more than this... before he started the job, in his emails and on the phone, Dan always told me how much he was looking forward to doing the job and this wasn't mere lip service, he just exudes enthusiasm! It is obvious he takes great pride in his work and rightly so. Presumably he enjoys bringing order out of chaos!

I am now saving up for a kitchen makeover and, if I ever get there, I will certainly call on Dan again. Unfortunately it will take a while but in the meantime I can now sit on my loo and just admire my beautiful surroundings untroubled by the damp patches of yore! (My apologies for any mental images this might evoke!) It's now the best room in the house!

If you live in the Sussex area and your bathroom or kitchen needs a makeover have a look at DS Renovations website ( http://www.dsrenovations.co.uk/ ) or give Dan a ring on 01273 505527 or 07720 058782. I can guarantee you will be pleased that you did!

Summary: A brilliant firm to undertake your kitchen and bathroom renovations in the Sussex area.