January 29, 2009

Stephen Bennett was in his newly renovated bathroom on Monday morning when he noticed a minor repair. Two pieces of sheetrock that met in one of the corners had separated a bit, leaving a noticeable gap.

Concerned, Mr. Bennett sent an e-mail to his contractor, David Haimovich, owner of Riverdale- based Renaissance Renovations. Within two hours, Mr. Haimovich, along with another worker, was at the West 239th Street apartment to plug the hole and make the repair.

The owner was delighted — although not entirely surprised — by the prompt response.

“You know the story with renovations,” said Mr. Bennett, a retired Bronx principal who now works with the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators union. “The whole thing is based on reliability.”

Mr. Bennett and his wife Susan, longtime renters in Yonkers, bought the two-bedroom, two-bath apartment last July. Proximity to mass transit and the charm of the community made the decision an easy one, but it was really the potential of the spacious home that sealed the deal. They just needed to find the right contractor to unlock that potential.

Mr. Bennett said he found that in Renaissance Renovations.

Most of the couple’s budget went toward gutting and modernizing the outdated bland kitchen. By shifting appliances, Mr. Haimovich helped the couple utilize the small space more efficiently.

A Corian countertop was replaced with granite, and cherry wood cabinets that stretch to the ceiling were installed, giving the room an instant modern feel. Accent lights under the cabinets, light ceramic tiles, and a functional pullout pantry put the finishing touches on the room.

The guest bathroom was also gutted to the beams and refurbished. The once stark graytiled room is now a warm and inviting space.

Still, Mr. Bennett likes to point out “the little touches” Mr. Haimovich helped him see — crown moldings in nearly every room, sensor lights in newly installed closets, new lighting amd refinished floors and closet doors.

These are all things the couple wouldn’t have necessarily thought of doing.

“What do I know?” Mr. Bennett said. “The beauty of this guy is that he was with me every step of the way.”

The renovation took just over six months and came in at a cost of about $70,000. And Mr. Bennett said he is pleased with the results.

“I knew what could be,” he said. “I’m just as happy as happy could be.”

​Copyright © 2009 The Riverdale Press.

The original version of this article can be found here, on the Riverdale Press’ website.