Check out this awesome comment one of our customers sent to us!
Details of Job:
* Location: Matthews, NC
* Custom Shape Swimming Pool
* Octagon Shape Concrete Spa
* Grill Island including a 30" Stainless Steal Grand Turbo Grill, Drop-in Cooler and Bar Sink
* 36" Diameter Gas Fire-pit
* 9' x 20' Screen Room addition to existing Screen Room with EZE Breeze Screen
* Large Wood Pergola
Job Duration: 8 WeeksChallenges:
* Sensitive Drainage area between House and Pool.
* Privacy was of great concern to this client.
* Relocation of a storm water easement in order to build the pool.
* Client wanted to be sure design was different/one of a kind, not the standard pool design.
"My wife Carolyn and I have two kids Jenna and Dylan Jenna is 13 and Dylan is 11. We moved to Charlotte in 2010. We looked very hard for a house that already had a pool. The neighborhood pool at our previous home was nice when the kids were little, but as they got older they wanted to spend all day in the pool and be there when their friends were with them. We had a couple of friends with pools and whenever we got together we found ourselves always going to their house so the kids could swim. We also noticed that having your own pool was a great way to get to know the kids that your kids spend time with.
During our house hunting we learned that having a pool wasn't the same thing as an outdoor living area where one could find shade, have privacy, and a place to prepare meals. We searched for a home over a period of nine months. We always started with homes with pools at the top of the list. Just about every home we saw with a pool was nothing more than a backyard with a hole filled with water. No shade in sight, little privacy, and no outdoor kitchen of any kind. After settling for a house without a pool, we interviewed several companies to add a pool to our backyard and Overstream really stood out based on their vision for our backyard and their ability to communicate that vision using their 3D drawing system. They presented us with many different views of our new backyard that was almost like having a picture of your potential new backyard. Other companies wanted to charge us for a hand drawing just so we could understand their vision for our yard. Overstream iterated changes to their design based on our feedback and then gave us there quote for our dream backyard.
Our backyard would be a shadow of what it is today without the vision and design from Overstream. We inquired about extending and upgrading our 12'x17' builder grade screened-in porch and Overstream took care of that too. We used to have three steps out of the screened-in porch and Overstream suggested bringing the grade up in front of the porch enabling us to just walk out onto the patio. Very nice! They also suggested an outdoor kitchen with a sink, drop-in cooler, built-in grill and a bar. I was concerned where I would put my Green Egg grill/smoker and they designed a place for that too in the new kitchen. They also designed a sunken area where the outdoor kitchen just outside the family room bay window remains low enough to not block the view from inside. This was an excellent design decision. They also thought of adding a swim-up bar area and adding lots of umbrella sleeves. I never would have though of that. I believe that it's the details during the execution that make a project a success.
Bringing a design to life from a computer generated drawing is where there are a thousand opportunities for mistakes and Overstream deftly navigated this minefield without incident. I noticed for the first time as they were adding the coping that the tumbled concrete block we'd chosen for our coping didn't cover the entire top of the wall in the sunken patio area. When I asked Bill about what they were going to do, he explained that they were planning on using two of the bullnose blocks placed back-to-back requiring cutting of every one of these stones. This gave us a bullnose both inside and outside the pool creating a great seating area. Overstream never came back to me asking for more money to execute their original plan. There was never a place, like the coping, where they forgot about some detail or tried to upsell some plan detail that was necessary but not specified in our agreement. There were lots of details for doing a job like ours, probably more than any company ever documents in a contract. Overstream truly delivered on the vision they developed. They delivered on time and in budget. I watched them like a hawk during the process and never had to chase after them. The entire team was top notch. The workers were all extremely competent, friendly and helpful. Talking to anyone of them I felt as if I were talking to the owner of the company. They all really cared about my backyard and wanted me to be completely happy with the final outcome. My entire backyard was transformed in eight weeks. That included a pergola and an extra 150 sq ft of pavers that weren't part of the original plan. We had an easement through the middle of our backyard and Overstream was the only company willing to work with the town to get it moved inside the setback. Finishing touches are important and when they filled my pool in a few short hours saving me significant money on my water bill I was ready to celebrate. I don't think that we could have done that without Overstream's assistance and expertise. I could not have asked for a better run project or a better group of people.
One of the things many people don't think about when searching for a company to build their dream yard is the follow up service you receive after the project has been completed. Overstream was the only company I found that offered a two year warranty on all of their plantings. Our 2011 summer was particularly hot this year and I did have some plants that didn't make it through the season. They set up a startup and training session with a pool service company too. That tells me they want more than my money. They want me to be happy and successful with my new back yard. Overstream came right out and replaced every plant every time. When I call for service, I feel as if they are still working on my project. Their follow up service is of the same quality as their design and construction.
Now that we've had a season to enjoy the backyard, we appreciate it more than ever. We appreciate the design aspects and the quality of the materials and the workmanship. We are very grateful to have found Overstream.
I feel so confident in Overstream's ability to perform that I would recommend them to anyone looking to transform their yard and not to waste time speaking with other companies. It won't be hard to find a company willing to undercut Overstream's price, but I'm confident the product will not approach what Overstream delivers. Perfection is truly a rare thing and I can't recall any mistakes on my extensive project. Thank you Overstream!"
You Rock Jerry & Carolyn! -Overstream
