TOTAL HOME SOLUTION

Bad Experience. Bait and Switched us. Told us the no more than cost of our removal verbally and then said he needed $4k to do the design with us and get final firm contract after that. I told him I was skeptical giving him $4k and then have him come back with contract stating it would cost a big percent more. He assured me “he is not that kind of guy”. Then after the design and a smaller scope he wanted to charge us 30% more. Took our money and we now have to start over with a new contractor.

Reached out to THS in 9/23 for a 2nd story addition to so that I could add an en suite bath to the master bedroom. Let them know my hard line budget was $70,000, $77,000 for contingencies, as Tom, the owner mentioned its wise to add 10% to any budget. He was confident this was possible, but to move forward he would need a $4000 deposit that I paid, because he assured me that if we got to the halfway point/ soft numbers he would reimburse the difference if I chose to exit. The "soft numbers" arrived in March and were $132,000, so with his contingency advice (add 10%) possibly $145,000+ I agreed to a re-design for an interior bath, after 5 weeks of incorrect drawings, no plumber even seeing the scope, and a schedule literally the exact opposite of what I had written and still, no hard budget, I realized I had to exit. I asked about my deposit, and was told "it was all used/ read the contract" They forgot I have email proof of the deposit agreement. Check my yelp review for more

My husband and I hail from middle class backgrounds and had never undertaken a home renovation, so we turned to the internet and moved forward with Total Home Solutions, a highly rated local company. In the end, we learned a four thousand dollar lesson in classism and sexism. I reached out to Tom Hawk’s team through their website and we met over a year ago at our house. He came off as a bit patronizing, telling me with raised eyebrows that I had the most “eclectic home he’d ever seen” and sharing stories (and images) of the giant Main Line houses they had renovated. But he was knowledgeable and seemed reliable, so we paid a $4,000 deposit to move forward with a plan to renovate our downstairs. The group would first provide us with blueprints then apply the deposit toward the renovation itself. We have a 3,800 square foot, four bedroom house. When my husband and I sat down with Tom to discuss our modest vision for the new kitchen/dining room, I noticed Tom wasn't taking notes and tended to focus his attention on my husband, even when I was speaking. I convinced myself I imagined the slight. Soon after, Tom returned to take measurements of our home (while I was at work) and my husband casually mentioned an idea for updating our sunroom. Then the blueprints arrived, and my stomach roiled. This new layout in no way reflected any of the ideas I’d put forth during our sit down meetings. It was a kitchen ripped from televised celebrity home renovations--there was a giant kitchen island stretching across the entire back of the first floor with burners centered in it (something, as the mother of small children, I clarified I was dead set against). Our dining room was gone. Instead, the proposal turned the sunroom/mudroom into a dining space, eradicating what I explained was a space for our children and dogs, who were invisible in this design. Again, this layout with its enormous two oven kitchen was better suited for a four star restaurant than a four-person family home. The design made me feel small, bulldozed, unheard. I sent Tom a detailed email with all of the issues I had with the plan. To the team’s credit, they ultimately updated it according to the original specifications and we met on a scheduled Zoom call. Not realizing my husband and I had entered the Zoom chat, I heard Tom telling his colleague that “this lady is a bit much.” I inhaled sharply, pretended I didn’t hear it, and we pressed forward with the call. Afterward, I told my husband there was no way I could work with this group. Every interaction was saturated with misogyny and classism and the idea of taking out a massive loan to spend the next year engaging with this team would have been emotionally brutalizing. My husband agreed, and said “we’d learned a very expensive, $4,000 lesson.” This summer an unexpected family expense arose. Then I read a Google Review of a previous client to whom Mr. Hawks partially refunded his design fee when he was dissatisfied with his proposal. I decided to reach out to Tom directly; though we’d stopped communicating, I took a chance and emailed him, asking “person to person,” was it at all possible to get even a partial refund. He emailed back a polite and legal response that we’d signed a contract and were not eligible for a refund. And he is correct. WHY DID A WEALTHY, WELL-CONNECTED GET A PARTIAL REFUND, AND WE DID NOT? I am guilty of writing this review, and voicing my frustrations to Total Home Solutions, nearly a year late. Though I am a professor who teaches social justice issues in my courses, as a woman born in the 80s, I sometimes fall into the trap of deferring to men my father’s age, failing to call out misogyny and microaggressions. I’ve been reminded of how important it is to speak up. I hope this review can help other women and families without disposable income to avoid a toxic and expensive experience. I shared this review with Tom Hawk and his team before posting it. I assured them I would incorporate their response to my complaints into my final review. I received another generic apology. No accountability or refund.

Tom, Eileen and their team are super responsive, I always felt like they were on top of everything and were organized, which was really important to me. Tom helped me realize my dream to literally move my kitchen to a new location was possible, and they led us through the design process being we don’t have an “eye” for design. During covid summer all of their workers were very professional. You’re in good hands with this team!

I couldn't have asked for better quality of work or service from everyone associated with these jobs. They were responsive and hard-working. They did interior work for me a few years ago and that was excellent and so was this. On time or early, worked diligently throughout. Tom was on top of everything and provided good advice as well.

The experience was a nightmare from start to finish. He sold us on an experienced crew and then hired a sub contractor that he had no prior experience working with. For four weeks he sent one guy with no help and no oversight. Along the way there were a few large mistakes and numerous small mistakes. We spent thousands on cabinets, appliances and other materials that ended up dented and scratched. He left trash and scrap outside, broken glass in the yard, and trashed our deck. There was no electrical rough in inspection and the plumbing failed the first inspection. Overall Total Home Solution did the bare minimum and it shows in the finished product.

After getting estimates from other contractors, Total Home Solutions delivered. Very professional, the contractors they use definitely excel at what they do. The repairs were required to list our house on the market, due to the excellent job they did, helped to get us an offer for our full asking price from the first person that came to look at our house! Will definitely use them door things we need done after we move into our new home and definitely recommend them for any renovations needed.

Tom and his crew remodeled my kitchen and powder room, and they did an exceptional job! Their price is very competitive and quality is second to none. Tom is extremely knowledgeable, friendly and went the extra mile to make sure that every detail was done right. I would highly recommend Total Home Solution and hope to work with Tom again on other projects in the future.

Very well. The team communicated very well and they wer very detail oriented. The were professional and kept the work area clean and organized

Excellent work would definitely hire again. Total cost is for both projects.

They called me and we agreed on the price. I did not have to be home which was a good thing because of my job

We have worked with Tom and Total Home before when they renovated our entire kitchen. While we got several other quotes for this project, we felt good going back to Tom...he knows what he's doing and makes the work seamless. Chris and Dorian came out to the site for the work and made a great team, knocking out the framework with fast precision. They were neat and responsive and completed each day with a clean workspace. The final product was very well attended to detail with only a few very minor issues to touchup.

We are delighted with the work Total Home Solution performed on our house.  They installed an in-law suite in our basement, complete with bathroom, full kitchen, bedroom, office, and remodeled laundry area.  When meeting with contractors for estimates, Tom seemed the most clued in to the needs of older adults, and even made points I had never thought of despite my being a nurse.  He was very careful to keep everything within the original budgeted estimate as much as possible, which allowed us to expand the project as we went along in the process.  We chose to do the painting ourselves to save money, and they left us with extra spackle, a sander, and paint fan, even though they didn't have to. <br /> I also have to extend my thanks to the lead on the project, Chris.  I could hear them working from upstairs, and one of the subcontractors was a little, shall we say, salty.  Chris remained totally professional, and got all the workers to come together to get the job done right.  Lastly, but most important of all, was his humanity and kindness.  My father passed away unexpectedly the week before construction was to begin, and the funeral was out of town.  As part of our contract, we were supposed to have all furniture and personal belongings removed from the construction area prior to work beginning.  We got home after midnight the night before, and Chris and his team arrived at 7am.  We had not moved any items, and even though we broke the terms of the contract, Chris stepped up and moved everything himself.  He was so kind, and did everything he could so we would not have to worry about anything during a difficult time.  He was also very responsive throughout the project, and even immediately answered emails I sent 9:30 at night the day after he got married!   <br /> We had such a wonderful experience I would highly recommend Tom and Chris to anyone looking to do work on their home, and will call on them for any future home renovation needs. <br /> *Note: I did give them a "B" for responsiveness because they were a little slow in the beginning, but as per other reviews, they had some people out and were running short staffed in November/December.  We chose to begin the project after the New Year and it was smooth sailing after that. <br />

unknown

The end result looks great.  Tom and Chris were very nice and professional.  Would recommend. <br />

unknown

unknown

Workers were prompt and friendly. Tom kept in touch throughout to see how everything was going. Work was well done. <br />

unknown

1. Removed the Existing deck. <br /> 2. Identified the areas where the damage had occurred. Apparently the damage was on the entire length of the deck. <br /> 3. Replaced insulation, house wrap etc. and the plywood and siding. <br /> 4. Reused the Steps of the existing deck for getting to the backyard.

The kickplate was rotted out due to water infiltration.  The solution was the installation of a composite-board kickplate that will never rot.  The job was completed on time for a very reasonable price.  Clean-up was thorough, and I was very satisfied with the results.  I would definitely recommend this company for your home repair needs. <br />

<p>Ton, the owner, arrived the day I contacted him and immediately went to work supporting my 2+ car garage that was close to collapsing. And probably would have with the fresh snow storm coming in 2 days. He shored the grge to withstand the weight of the snow then came back later to finish the job. The garage came out "better than new". y wife and I were very impressed with Tom and his crew.</p> <p><br /></p> <br />

We could not be more happy with the final result of our bathroom. The finished job looks very nice and fits perfectly for what we were looking to accomplish with our newly constructed bathroom. Tom and his team were very accommodating to work with, and once again we had a successful job completed our house through THS! <br />

The feature was ordered. My husband painted it in order to save to labor, and then it was installed. <br /> We have used this service numerous times and have always been pleased with the quality of work, the sub-contractors hired and the price. We recommend them to anyone who needs work done around the house. <br />

Fantastic - the workers were very friendly, punctual, and extremely well skilled.  Tom is a pleasure to organize a project with - he provides ample background and explanations, is diligent with follow up and scheduling, and it is our pleasure to work with his team and him.  We plan to use them again and again.  They are familiar with new construction and repairs needed for older housing stock like our 100-year-old charmer.  We highly recommend them. <br />