Walden Homes

Walden Homes is my go to when I need expert advise, quality finishes, time sensitive expectations met and communication between all parties. Loree Meneguzzi - Harvey Kalles Sales Representative

We hired Walden homes to help us with our renovation in 2017; we wanted to add another room to our small bungalow- we desperately needed a living dining and some more storage! Bruce Borden was our primary contact and was amazing to work with. He answered all of our questions, provided solutions to our problems and helped us think outside the box to solve our layout challenges. Our PM - Adam Bryce was fantastic! He was responsible for all things related to our project; he did a great job answering all of our questions, took the time to explain build-smart (Walden’s gone Reno application which monitors he progress and updates for your project). He even made himself available to help us during a rain storm which flooded our kitchen (not related to the Reno). He encouraged collaboration and nothing was ever a problem. He always has a solution and encourage open communication! Doron was in charge of reporting our budget, every time we had a question or needed something explained she was always prompt and willing to help. Her response times and weekly status updates helped us monitor our spend. Jonathan made our project fun; encouraging us to post our progress along the way and checked in time to time to make sure we didn’t need anything. Overall we would highly recommend Walden Homes for anyone thinking of doing work to their house. They take their job very seriously and really put the customer first! All the best, Santo and Daniel

Renovating a 1950's Side-Split in Toronto. We hired Walden Homes/ Snap Design to fully renovate the bottom floors of our 1950's side split house - bathroom, 2 staircases, hallways, den w/ fireplace and new window to the backyard, laundry room and basement/ recreation room. After interviewing 4 Design/Build companies, we met Bruce Borden at Walden Homes for a consultation and immediately knew we had found our company. Bruce had enthusiasm and ideas and he engaged us in a conversation on how we use our space - all our space - our whole house. It was this conversation that crystallized what we had been looking for - a clear plan on maximizing the space (functionally/ aesthetically) w/in our house. Walden Homes puts emphasis on the planning stage of a renovation and this ensures all parties are “on the same page” with the vision and budget of the project to ensure that the work is completed on time. Coupled with their BuildSmart technology (web + app), we were ensured transparency, control and the assurance that all parties - contractor, trades, Cindy as Project Manager, and us as the consumer - were aware of every decision and every agreed upon action and cost. Bruce and Cindy and the whole Walden team were extremely professional and attentive to our needs and vision. They ensure the whole scope of the project is addressed (i.e the structural integrity of the work as well as the aesthetic beauty/ appearance of the finished product). Cindy and Bruce offered design ideas that has greatly improved our use and enjoyment of our house. We added a beautiful large window to the den that suddenly transformed the room from a dark/ cold room to one filled with light, sun and warmth. When discussing the project with Bruce and Cindy, we communicated that we needed the renovated space to be livable and comfortable and not just renovated and updated. They delivered and more! Our rooms are warm and inviting and safe. From a structural point of view, we did interior waterproofing of the basement and insulated all outside walls. The heated floors and gas fireplace insert has made the house warmer and cozier. We communicated extensively through BuildSmart on a daily/ often multiple times/ day basis. It assisted us in communicating our choices, any issues, decision-making and even daily photos between all the parties in a “real time” environment from anywhere (e.g. phone and personal computers from home, work or while we were at the beach!). We especially appreciated the budget functionality of BuildSmart. The budget was clear, easy to follow, detailed by room, material or activity and tracked any changes based on our ongoing decision-making. Cindy VanRyn was an exceptional project manager and coordinator. Cindy is always available and worked very hard and efficiently to ensure that the project ran without any delays or issues whatsoever. Again, this is due to their attention to detail during the planning phase of the project. Cindy had lined up the tradespeople so perfectly there was literally no downtime between parts of the project. This was true for the electricians to the plumbers to the building of the staircases to the planning and provision of hardwood flooring. Our project was finished on time and Bruce and Cindy at Snap and the team at Walden were always cognizant of our needs and budget. We highly recommend Walden Homes to anyone looking for a company serious about completing their projects with beautiful final results in a timely manner.

Walden did a great job renovating our previous home. When we decided to take on our next major project, Nolan and I contact Bruce and Danny right away. Though we planned a renovation we decided to build a new home. They guided us through the entire process. From finding the right architect to helping us make all the necessary decisions. The team of trades they bring to a project is second to none. To this day we still rely on Bruce and Danny for any changes or upgrades we contemplate. We highly recommend them for any project large and small.

I am an Interior Designer and have worked with many builders and contractors and in particular Walden Homes for over 17 years. Each and every project I have worked on with Walden Homes has been extremely organized, efficient, and a rewarding experience for our clients. The skilled team of trades at Walden are experienced in providing a seamless renovation or custom build and care about ensuring your project is the most satisfying and the results most gratifying. Clients have often remarked to me that they have learned so much throughout the project and they never had any idea of the detail and decision making that goes into a renovation. Walden Homes has an extensive project management system which takes the guess work out of a project and it is more organized than any builder I have ever worked with. Clients have access to a web site where every detail of their project is listed, discussed, and understood. Weekly site meetings ensure that nothing is over looked. There are so many home improvement shows which play on the 'disasters' which can happen in a renovation. These instill a distrust of contractors and builders which I don't agree with. If a client finds a builder who is reputable, experienced, organized and realistic towards the clients requirements and budget, the project will be not only painless but pleasurable. This has been my experience with all my clients who have used Walden Homes. Cindy van Ryn, IDD CVR Designs Inc.,

The project involved the renovation of 1st, 2nd, & 3rd floors of a Victorian built in 1892, the addition of a master bath, new stairs and a deck. The first aspect of Walden that impressed me and made me confident to engage them was their Plan Smart methodology, because I also have professional project management experience, including new buildings, corporate and technological facilities, and historical buildings. The project, its pricing and its schedule were completely transparent to me, and my weekly site visits were welcomed. I was renovating to sell, thinking that I had become well adapted to condo living because of my history of expatriate assignments. I became very quiet during the final site visits, and finally had to call Bruce to tell him I was unable to sell the house. After a moment of shocked silence, Bruce asked very quietly, "Liz, what is wrong?" I said, "Absolutely nothing. I love it and I have to live in it!" Eight years later, the house has held up very well, and the classic, restrained and consistent detailing is as current today as it was at completion. (Please note, Walden had photos of the project taken at completion.)

Excellent and highly professional team. They rescued a 1928 house that needed a ton of electrical, structural, and heating system work done. Everything was clearly explained. Have great confidence that they have created a safe home. Would highly recommend.

We have lived in our Allenby/North Toronto home for over 25 years, and have continuously invested in the design, space and décor of our home to bring us beauty, comfort and high functionality. It has been our good fortune to have selected and partnered with Walden Design Build to help us achieve our vision over the years. We especially appreciate the responsive and reliable work ethic of the managing partners, Bruce and Danny. They are hands-on, highly responsive leaders with an experienced and dedicated team of trades and designers. Our projects with Walden have included: a main floor family room and basement den addition, custom high quality built-in wall units and architectural detail; home office, bathroom renovations from scratch with high quality upgrades, renovating door and arch ways, flooring, lighting, and décor. Our home is consistently admired for its timeless design and seamless flow . We love working with Walden and highly recommend them for projects big and small.

We have used the Walden team to perform multiple renovations on our home (an 80 year old Georgian), and would both hire them again, and would recommend them to a friend. Walden has the experience and trade relationships to tackle complex design-build projects in a fast, efficient and cost effective manner. Most importantly, Walden stands behind its work, and has been quick to remedy any deficiencies, without any hassle at all.

We used Walden to dig out our basement several years ago. This involved a complete overhaul of the space and we couldn't be happier with the results. Our basement now has a wonderful entertainment/living space, a soundproof music studio for my husband, a terrific laundry room, and a stunning three piece (walk-in shower/steam) bathroom. We gained a lot of head space by digging down and we now have heated flooring which we love. No more damp musty basement...now it's always dry! Our new basement is a great place to hang out and watch a movie, fold laundry, or play guitar!

Walden Design Build did a complete renovation of our property from top to bottom. From the underpinning of the basement to adding vaulted ceilings in our top floor landing. They were very professional. Gave us the facts about our renovation and tried their best to keep US in budget. I would recommend them to a friend if they were looking to renovate their home.

Our home is a 1960's era, two storey that was in dire need of a facelift. The upper storey siding had the original aluminum which was replaced by Hardie Board/Plank Siding in Monterey Taupe. The front columns were deteriorated and undersized. These were replaced by larger stone columns, capped with stone and double wooden posts. The bay window overhang and front door portico were clad in aluminum plus the portico ceiling was very low. The portico ceiling was opened to it's full height and clad in wood strips, as was the bay window overhang. One of our main objects was to tie together the garage with the rest of the house. This was accomplished by using Earthstone brick facing around the garage door, over the entire entrance and across the lower half of the bay window.