I have lived in a California Bay Window Bungalow for 18 ½ years.  When I bought this house I made some structural changes and refurbished the entire interior and exterior.

Last year I decided to refurbish again and engaged a kitchen only firm to upgrade my kitchen.  That firm did not undertake the project management aspects and it was left to me to arrange tradespeople, appliances, floor treatments etc.  I live in Greenlane and work at Red Beach so it was very difficult to project manage the kitchen renovation from a long distance, I often had to drive home to make an on the spot decision.

When I embarked on Stage 2 I decided to engage a firm specialising in renovations which would also undertake the project management for me.  That’s how I met Jim Gleeson from Refresh Renovations. I interviewed a number of people/firms and it was easy to choose Jim because he clearly knew what he was talking about, listened to me (very important!) and was a thoroughly nice guy.  We are much more inclined to do business with people we like and I liked Jim immediately.

Last summer we started on the outside and painted the entire exterior, I was going to have the roof painted, Jim advised that it was time to have it replaced and went up on the roof and took lots of photos to show me what he was talking about.  It was obvious it wouldn’t last much longer and I agreed we needed to replace the roof.   Jim sourced all the options and we were able to agree on a material and colour all by email – very convenient!

The exterior painters did a wonderful job and the new roof makes the outside look very smart.   While we were at it we also upgraded the insulation in the ceiling and re-stained the deck.

Back inside for the winter and we painted the whole inside, installed two completely new bathrooms, central sound system, replaced all the hardware, door hinges, window fasteners, replaced all the light fittings, replaced lots of floorboards with recycled matai sanded and polyurethaned the entire floor.

Throughout this time my dog and I lived in the house – we shifted out for 3 days only when the floors were being sanded and polished.

When it came to choosing tiles and fixtures for the bathrooms Jim set aside a day and took me to plumbing and tile showrooms and I selected everything needed to complete both bathrooms.  That was a huge time saving for me and great to be able to get on the spot advice from Jim.

I would love to be able to say that everything proceeded without a hitch and all went to plan…  Hardly ever works out like that and this was no exception.  The tile supplier sent some incorrect tiles which meant a delay in one of the bathrooms.  The electrician put his foot through the ceiling but, no drama, it was fixed and looks just like it always did.  The piece de resistance is a wall shelving unit which Jim helped me sketch up and Jim selected a cabinet maker and just like that it was done.

The finishing touches were the carpet and window treatments which I arranged myself and Jim organized tiling the concrete paths outside.  When I get all the spare furniture out of the garage I will have that carpeted and it will be finished with a big sigh of relief.

What did I like about this project?
- Working with Jim was the highlight – he made everything so much easier because of his expertise and experience and sound advice.   Nothing was a bother even when in my blonder moments I forgot what I had decided or changed my mind.  Jim was always happy to cater for all the added extras I had along the way – things like bolting the safe to the floor, redesigning the shoe storage in my closet, fixing the letter box and lots of other things I either forgot at the start or thought of along the way
- Every day I had an update via email on the project plan, what was underway, what was completed and who was responsible.  That was a real plus as what had happened that day was updated on the project planner immediately.  It makes one feel a real part of the whole thing.
- The tradespeople whom I met - most days I left the house before they arrived and returned after they had left.  Tony the builder and Matt the electrician were lovely and always had good suggestions.
- I didn’t once have to dash home to make a decision – a real bonus!
- They didn’t let my dog escape… truly legend
- Having fixed price quotes for everything made budgeting and cash flow a breeze
- I just love the end result

I am happy to recommend Refresh Renovations and Jim Gleeson to anyone who is considering renovating their home.  A great service at a known price and really lovely people to deal with.

Thanks a million!
Winsome

Jim has a great team of professionals and together they made everything worry free, of a high professional standard and easy to understand and follow where things were at.

Renovation Consultant: Jim Gleeson

Effective communication and project management every step of the way. The entire team took great pride in the way they worked on site and their passion was clearly evident. We are so proud of the outcome that created a more functional living environment. We highly recommend Jim and the Refresh team.

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Renovation Consultant: Jim Gleeson

I got to know Jim at a time when I was very stressed and had an escalation of failed renovation work at my Hillsborough property. Initially Jim was only going to assist me with the plumbing issues that I had when I mentioned to my neighbour that I have a small claims court hearing pending. She recommended me to Jim. I had water damage throughout the bottom section of the house. Jim carefully looked at all the options to make it easier and very cost effective to fix the problems. I felt like Jim was only working for me although I know he might have had a busy schedule back at work. Jim was on the phone trying to make me at ease, at night he would come around and take pictures. He carefully considered all options before he gave me a quote. He was very busy at the time but somehow managed to squeeze in the jobs when he saw the urgency of it.

Not any builder will be happy to fix others mess but Jim was happy to assist. He did the fixing as projects by concentrating on the main issues which was my water damage. There were pipes leaking, poor draining and uncompleted plumbing which he picked up within the first two days by using the best and fastest detection equipment that I have never seen before. I felt at ease during that period and had to proceed with my renovations and deal with small claims court for the damages from previous builders. The lower level of my house had the most horrible odour from the stale water. Jim looked passed that and focussed on the end result. He kept telling me the outcome will be amazing. Jim gets excited about his job and treats his job as his own business. I didnt have to tell him something was wrong, he would pick it up in advanced and get his workers to fix it straight away of which there was very little of.

Jim did not only assist with the technical problems but he explained all the damages in layman terms for me to understand and gave my son tips on maintaining the property as he went along. Jim quickly got a team together to assist with the key areas to be fixed. He broke it down into projects and then took over the renovations. Jim itemised and explained everything in the contract with me which included a written quote and all the necessary laws, rules and regulations that goes with building requirements and renovations. Once I signed the contract I had all my renovations in my head, what the cost would be including the unexpected "what ifs".

Jim basically led me by the hand to do my bathroom shopping including suggestions on interior decorating. I do not have any old photos of my house because I don't want to be reminded of it. Today I have a dry house, the odour has been removed, there is not more leaking coming from the driveway and Jim further educated my son on how to build a sealer on the walls to keep the walls dry. We are very grateful as a family for the amazing transformation and people walk into my home now with the "WOW" factor.

Jim's after sales customer service  was above and beyond his call of duty. He arrived at my house during his busy schedules with kids on his side after sports activities and dropped off a "thank you" basket again outside of his working hours. I wonder if Jim ever sleeps (lol). Jim obviously live, dream and demonstrate the values of Refresh Renovations. After all, my house now is the display of exactly that "Refreshed, Renewed and Rejuvenated". I walk in my house with pride and get the credit for the transformation. However, I give all the praise and glory to Jim. Without him I would still be thinking how I will or can Refresh my house. I have the ahaaaaaaaaaa moment every time I step into my home and am enjoying my dream home now. Words cannot explain it enough.

THANK YOU JIM, YOU MAKE THE SUN SHINE ON A RAINY DAY:)

Although we are ardent about doing our own renovations, this time our ages along with the complexity of a bathroom and civil engineering required for the driveway meant we needed someone to project manage the several skills required. This is new territory for us and we are quite particular about what we want done and perhaps how things should happen. Jim Gleeson has managed consultation, design and specification with depth of technical expertise along with excellent communications. He “listens to his clients” particularly well and offers sage advice when needed. At the end of this first phase of renovation, we are confident that the project is in very capable hands with him and his team at KKG Ltd. 
 

I have waited 17 years to complete the renovations on my home, over these years I must have employed some of most unreliable and marginally honest trades’ people that Auckland has to offer. This time I was determined that the work would be done properly and by folk I could trust.

From the outset Jim impressed me; straight-forward, honest, imaginative and thorough. After a few initial conversations Jim returned with advice and quotes. In addition, he was able to present ideas that I had not considered. The plan was exactly what I wanted and I felt comfortable to leave the country for a month safe in the knowledge that Jim and his team were dealing with the work. Whenever there was a decision to make Jim ensured that it was within my budget and kept clear and open communication with me about the job while I was not around.

I really valued the contacts and relationship that Jim and the Refresh team were able to bring to the job. Choosing kitchen units, bathroom units, tiles and the multitude of other products associated with the renovation was a very easy process.

Not having to deal with sub-trades is worth its weight in gold, I could focus on my day job and not feel that I was having to do two jobs at the same time.

While the roof was being replaced Jim realized that one part of the house was not insulated – a small gift from a prior tradesman. In a gesture of real generosity Jim did this at no charge. There were many other instances of Jim’s thoughtfulness and kindness.

I would recommend Refresh Renovations and Jim Gleeson in the highest terms possible. If you want work professionally completed with good humor and on budget then I suggest you have a conversation with Jim.

Refresh was one of three renovation companies we met with to discuss our renovation project. They were the only company that followed up with me after the initial meeting. After a couple more meetings to discuss the scope of the project I felt comfortable I could work with Jim Gleeson, the franchise owner and entered into a contract. The renovation was not small - a completely new kitchen and bathroom, removal of an internal wall, moving a toilet, refitting the laundry, installation of bamboo flooring, painting, carpeting and general repairs were required for the entire house.

Jim was an extremely responsive project manager and was highly visible for the duration of the project. The trades people used were professional and for the most part very efficient. No renovation project goes entirely to plan, but Jim dealt directly with any glitches, keeping me well informed along the way. I made a number of changes as the project progressed - these were accommodated without issue. The project ran close to two weeks over the projected end date, but the team worked hard, putting in some long hours to ensure things were done by Christmas.

You pay more to have a renovation company manage your renovation project. I was aware of that before we started, but it was so worth it to not have to source product, deal with contractors, spend masses of time on things we have no knowledge about or experience with. Using a renovation company may not be for everyone, but based on my experience I would definitely use Refresh and in particular Jim Gleeson again - and will in fact be contacting him for phase 2 of the planned improvements of my most valuable asset.

Jim Gleeson and Refresh Renovations have worked with us over the last couple of years to extensively renovate our home - re-roofing, renovating our upper level including replacing some windows and glass, and then the biggie, new kitchen, dining room and redecorating our living area. It has been a complex project and having Jim and the Refresh team coordinating it made all the difference. Budgets were comprehensive, so we were always confident of the work being done to our specifications, and knew exactly what proposed changes would add to the cost. Refresh staff are all very approachable and understand how 'renovation fatigue' can set in and were always ready to help make the process as smooth as possible. The extra push to get the kitchen finished before Christmas was greatly appreciated! We would not hesitate to recommend Refresh to others (and have done so already).

We had a good experience with the renovation – and Jim was great to work with. For novices like us, he brought experience to the table and was easy to deal with.  Where any issues cropped up, Jim was quick to provide a solution and act upon it. I found Jim really fantastic to deal with. He would put our minds at ease and often put up with me phoning him when he was at home with his family. I can only imagine how difficult our renovations would have been if we didn't have Jim at the helm.

The entire team [Jim Gleeson and team] were most professional and very friendly. They also kept us well-informed as to developments and progress. They were always available to answer any queries and did so in a most polite and efficient manner.

Renovation Consultant: Jim Gleeson

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The work was completed before the due date (there were 'tight' timeframes) and under budget. Jim Gleeson was an extremely professional and helpful Project Manager.