Contractor Recommendations - LONG

This post is well-deserved. We've had SO many different contractors to meet with, get bids from, and have work done in such a short time that I've really learned what makes me tick and what makes me swoon with delight when hiring someone to work on the house.

Roof: Mississippi Valley Roofing. 314-838-4451
Without a doubt, the most polite, friendly, and prompt folks out there. We set a date to have the roof done. And then I had to call Brent and reschedule due to the sellers. And then I had to call Brent AGAIN to reschedule. And then, when the sellers wanted to use a no-name "guy they knew," I called Brent yet again to see what we could work out. Based on the fact that their price was almost exactly what the no-name guy bid, and we have a warranty on top of it, and that when we finally got the go-ahead, Brent sent his crew out and they were done with a complete tear-off and re-roof in a single day, AND they cleaned up after themselves (I can't even find a single roofing nail leftover!), these guys are superb.

HVAC:
The owner of this company was wonderful. Polite, charming, willing to work with us. When his crew came out to do the installation, not so much. Two guys; one didn't know he was supposed to work that day, and he showed up after lunch. The first guy clogged our brand new toilet. (This sucker's supposed to be able to flush 20 golf balls; how the hell you clog it, I may never know.) And left the problem in there. Side note: Mr. P had been working on bathroom renovations that morning. Needless to say, he was unable to complete much that afternoon.
The guys did NOT remove our old units; they left them in the basement. Ultimately, the new furnace and air conditioner are in. So while I will not recommend them, I can't trash them completely. At least I can laugh about it now. But I will not give their name as a reference.

Electrical: Reinhold Electric, Inc. 314-631-1158
I have nothing but amazing things to say about everyone we worked with at Reinhold. We had to do some serious electrical updates. Their customer service (over the phone) is great; they know how to handle complicated questions from unknowledgable homeowners. The guy who came out to do our estimate was friendly and super-professional. And the man who came to do the actual work (after we signed the contract) was just as professional. These folks know what they're doing. They take pride in their work. They treat their clients with respect. Reinhold will see us as a return customer, and we will happily refer them to family and friends.

Carpet: Lowe's. (Maplewood location - 314-450-1000)
Lowe's contracts out their installation. That's why I'm including the specific store location in this review. The folks at Lowe's managed to find enough carpet for us in one location. They scheduled the installation with one of their contractors, who drove to pick up all the carpet, showed up, and actually did the job. I'm frustrated that I can't remember his name, but I believe the company was Dynamic something-or-other. Lowe's was great, nothing less than expected. The installer (Mr. Dynamic?) was slower than I had hoped, but took his work seriously. If there was a spot that seemed less than perfect, he took care of fixing it. Very impressed with him.

Plumbing: Gloeckner-Melville Plumbing Co. 314-644-2818
If you remember our kitchen sink situation (mentioned here), you'll know that it was pretty pressing to get it fixed. In addition, we needed to replace the soil stack under the kitchen sink (all the way down to the basement). It was solidly caked all the way through with at least 30 years of grease and other grossness that need not be mentioned. We relied heavily on recommendations, and received some pretty pricy bids. My boss recommended G-M and we decided to give them a shot based on her referral. I'm glad we did. Professional, quick, and well-done. Another happy recommendation.

Down the road, we'll be doing even more to update the house. For now, these were immediate-must-be-done-before-inhabiting situations. Mr. P and I are both learning on our feet; we never expected to gain this much knowledge in such a short time. I'm happy to share what I've learned, what I would and definitely would NOT do again, and what frustrations can turn into good laughs (but only after sufficient time has passed).

I believe (and hope) that tonight is our official move-in night ;)