Customer ReviewsforLive 2 Design Ltd.

We approached Live 2 Design to help us design an addition to our existing house. ****** was quick to come to our property to take measurements and walk us through the design process. It should be noted ****** was pleasant to deal with in person. Through email and zoom calls we worked with ****** to choose a design option we thought would suit our needs. We relied on her expertise to get us a design that would work and be within our budget. During the email process ****** was very slow to respond to emails, and failed repeatedly to meet timelines she, herself, had set. ****** did communicate some delays were due to personal circumstances of which we were sensitive to and patient, however the delays and lack of communication continued for a lengthy period of time. When we finally got the design plans to give our builder (months and months later than we were told), they quickly let us know that ******** design wouldn’t work as aspects of it didn’t meet current HRM building code(s). We then had to contract a 3rd party drafter to start our addition plans from square one and pay for the re-design. Although we were much happier in the end with the 3rd party design, as it was a more cost effective and functional building plan, ******** delays and ultimately, unusable, design plan resulted in significantly increased costs, as building supply costs rose due to lumber shortages, by the time the builder had a plan that would pass HRM building code. We had paid ****** in full before presenting the plans to the builder. When we approached her for a partial refund to cover the costs we were out of pocket for the functional re-design (we only asked for a partial refund to reflect her time spent on taking measurements of our house), she refused to compensate us in any way. We would recommend if you do choose to use Live 2 Design’s drafting service you get, in writing, a guarantee stating that design will be done to meet your local building code and a guaranteed completion date so as to avoid ending up having as bad of an experience as we did with Live 2 Design. In summary, we were patient but delays and lack of communication cost us not only having to do a re-design, but an overall major increase in project cost due to the inflation of lumber etc. during the time period we waited for ****** to complete the design for us in the first place, one which ended up not being functional for us anyways.

The above notes are not accurate. I have had contractors, carpenters, stair installers and a building official in HRM review these plans and have all agreed they can be built and also the plans were clearly labeled they were a "Draft1 - to be reviewed". See email sent to client in April where she decided to not respond to further discuss. Dear **** and ********, I have taken some time to review your email you sent on April 6th 2021. In all fairness, I was very surprised to receive it since I sent your “Draft 1 to be reviewed construction plans on Jan 30th” and then another email early March following up about some permit submission changes if you needed any help and I never received any response or type of communication from you until April 6th. In your email you have stated 2 concerns about your construction plans; 1: the stair height not meeting building code heights and 2: the property lines ( not sure what you're referring to here) and made it clear you have already proceeded with a new drafter without giving me the opportunity to adjust anything with the request of refund. A few points I would like to make are that the construction plans, and email sent Jan 30th clearly stated the plans were a draft 1 and to be reviewed. This being said, the stairs do meet building code head clearance as far as I am aware, and I have discussed it not only with very reputable carpenters but also one of your contractors who happened to be in touch with me over the last few months. Both trades agreed “ the plans met code and were easily read and buildable meeting our local building codes”. Unless the design has changed since in your new plans- the stairs allow for sufficient headroom. These stairs do not state the rise of each riser so the contractors should be able to work them out with the head space provided. This is common practice. I would be more than happy to discuss these details with your contractor to better understand their perspective in case I am missing something. As for the property line statement my invoice states on it that “ land surveys are not included” and the plans clearly state, “contractor to review”. I offer a basic plot plan using readable online resources to show some basic property details, so the city sees the new footprint of your building which they require pre permit. If there were issues with this plot plan and I was made aware I would have been more than happy to adjust them for you. Although you were very patient through 2020 and I am very appreciative of your business and patience’s I am sure you are aware the construction industry is swamped due to Covid, and many trades are trying to meet the demand and keep everything moving as smoothly as possible. Additional to covid I was also transparent with you about a family loss that was a major setback to me physically and emotionally. In conclusion I would be happy to take some time to discuss your concerns in more detail about the quality of your construction plans and better understand your perspective.