(Joanne McCrae and Mark Dickie)
When Joanne McCrae and Mark Dickie decided to extend their 60-year old Balmoral house, they did a good bit of research to decide who to use as their electrical contractor. They checked out the website, No Cowboys, and came up with a shortlist based on the reviews.
They invited quotes and although Hall Electrical was not the cheapest, the attention to detail paid by Phil at that stage gave them the confidence to put their electrical work in the hands of Phil and his team.
The job was reasonably complex with the extension involving the conversion of a large unused upstairs deck into a dining room, turning a kitchen/dining area into one large modern kitchen. A bedroom was also extended.
Because of the age of the house, there was a certain amount of “making safe” to be done before even the pre-wiring could begin. The old meter box was upgraded and all the old wiring brought up to modern standards. Placement of power points and lights was a key component and Phil’s input was much appreciated. A kitchen island was put in and the kitchen needed to be pre-wired for two stoves, a fridge and the other essential electrical appliances that make up the modern kitchen.
Mark says, “When we requested temporary wiring be installed to assist the builder, it wasn’t a problem; they were here, there was a quick consultation with the builder and the job was done. No delay; all as easy as a phone call.”
The entire job took the Hall Electrical team 10 weeks and would have taken longer if Phil and Joanne weren’t “in sync”, says Mark. The Hall team never needed chasing up, he says, and they added value by being proactive with ideas and suggestions. “It was never a problem to discuss changes,” says Mark who admits to being a little finicky. The thing that will make him call them again, he maintains, is trust; he felt completely confident giving them the run of the house. The bonus was old style values and there was no mess left at the end of their jobs.
There’s more yet to be done on the Dickie-McCrae home and Hall Electrical can expect to receive a call asking them to do the work.
