As a first time home owner in Seattle, it's easy to feel like you're just a dollar sign to every realtor/contractor/handyman/service provider. They all have more work than they can keep up with and often times, companies are booked months-to-years in advance. We've had quite a bit of work done to our home (and done quite a bit ourselves) but we knew one thing we would need to call on a professional for was painting the exterior. It's brick and in its 67 years of life, has never been painted before.
I was fortunate enough to have an awesome realtor who recommended and introduced me to Dave at Market Ready Paint Co. (For the record - my realtor uses him too!)
First things first - pricing. I received multiple estimates from reputable places and estimates from places with high-pressure tactics (I've also been ignored by a few places which couldn't be bothered). Dave's prices were some of the best we received and he uses really high quality products. We really wanted to get miles for such a big purchase and he let us use our credit card too (which no one really does).
Next up - workmanship. Dave has some of the best work ethic and attention to detail I've ever seen. Imagine you're painting your own house- how closely would you watch each brushstroke? Dave worked as if this was his home, going above and beyond to make sure he was 100% thorough. There were some ants outside - he went ahead and sprayed for us. There were some crazy weeds in a few of the window sills- he took care of those too. Painting brick is really hard, especially when it's the first time- but that didn't stop him from hand-rolling on two coats of primer to make sure it was done correctly and the brick was sealed. Our house looks amazing - like a brand new house. I'm so happy with how it turned out!
Lastly, when you hire someone to do a job, to help you add equity to the most expensive thing you've ever bought, you hope they are respectful of the task and of being invited into your life/ home. Dave is without a doubt one of the nicest and most sincere human beings I've ever met. I was having trouble finalizing the color (outdoor greys are so tricky!) and he was beyond patient and understanding. He let me swatch 13 colors so I could make up my mind!! In fact, we decided to paint the trim ourselves to save a few bucks and when I asked if we could just pay him to paint the section we couldn't reach, he said 'I'll just come help you for a bit'. He ended up spending the entire day helping us, showing us the proper application and technique and sharing his tools and supplies - out of the goodness of his heart. No one does this! And don't just take my word for it- when I went to the paint store to get some extra paint and mentioned his name, every employee there told me how nice he was and what a hard worker he was.
I will never use another painter for any job. Any time, any where, no matter what- Dave is my guy. If you're smart, do yourself a favor and go with him! read more