So we finally started doing some work on the inside of our house. First step: The Family Room.
I have hated the color in the family room since we bought the house almost three years ago. And since we spend most of our time in this room I thought it was time to address the problem. But in order to paint we have to agree on a color. Since that isn't going to happen anytime in the near future I decided to start with something else- like lighting.
You see, most of the rooms in our house do not have overhead lighting which is annoying to say the least and dangerous at times due to my childrens' propensity to throw toys and play soccer in the house. (We have had more than one flammable item land inside the lamp.) John and I agreed that some recess lighting in the family room would be perfect for our needs.
I started calling random contractors and electricians to get my recommended three estimates. The first guy to come by was John Marbach from John Marbach Electric. He talked me through several different possibilities for the layout of lighting as well as some accent lighting. Since I had no concept of what I actually wanted he looked around the room and offered several ideas. We settled on six high hats (two rows of three) and an accent light (eyeball style) over the fireplace complete with dimmer switches. John's price: $800.
I received two more quotes for the exact same work, one for $975 and another for $1000+. Not only were the other two quotes higher but I did not feel like the other guys were nearly as helpful and knowledgable as John was. Needless to say, we hired him for the job. I called him on a Thursday to set up a time to have the work done. He called me back on Saturday and scheduled to come Monday morning (as in two days later) to put the lights in.
John showed up promptly at 9:30 as he said he would. He installed the lighting on his own with as little damage to the ceiling as possible, moved furniture, cleaned up after himself and all in all did a very solid, professional job. And he was a nice guy!
After hearing horror stories from friends and neighbors about electricians who never showed up when they said they would or who took weeks or months to complete their work, I am wowed by the fact that this guy did just what he said he would promptly and efficiently. A professional with ethics- a rare breed! Seriously, if you live in the Philadelphia area and you need some electrical work done, this is the guy to call!
