Past Stories

Meet Dave and Andrea, some of our biggest fans!  If you watch the Facebook postings, and the kind thank you letter they sent us, you can tell they were happy to have our Construction Division led by Co-Owner Jason Remington come in and tackle their 104 old home.

They bought their house in June 2009.  Andrea admits she fell in love with it because of the kitchen!  They wanted to live in a great neighborhood and in a house with some character and history but one that also was a good size for them to grow into when they have a family.

Dave works for SEIU Healthcare Minnesota as a communications and policy specialist, and Andrea works for Education Minnesota as a researcher.  They love their work but can definitely get stretched thin as they work through political and contract cycles to protect and help workers.

Their favorite thing about their house is the kitchen!  Big and bright, especially for South Minneapolis.  And now they are cooking with gas! AEI installed a gas line so they could convert from electric to a newgas stove. They enjoy having friends and family over for dinner, so having a kitchen that has some space for people to gather was really important to them.

After they settled in they found frustrating little surprises left by the previous owners.  "Any old house has its quirks, but we were often dismayed by some of the strange “fixes” that the folks who lived there before us tried to make, or didn’t make at all," remarked Dave.  So they reached out through Facebook and got recommendations for local businesses. Their friend John W. replied right away to recommend AEI and the connection was made.  (By the way – John received a $25 gift certificate to the Rail Station for the referral, something to keep in mind.)

Dave and Andrea had an increasing problem of water in the basement, and once Jason and his crew came in, they realized it wasn't just because the gutters weren't always clear. They had been poorly hung in the first place and the rainwater wasn't draining away from the house but right into the foundation.  

AEI installed entirely new gutters, trim, soffits and fascia on the house. They decided to have the crew do the trimming, soffits and  fascia along with the gutters so they would have a uniform quality and finish.  “It was a great investment.  Even though the weather didn’t cooperate most of the time that they were working, we ended up with a house that looks 100 times better than it did before,” said Andrea.  Most importantly to both Dave and Andrea, the gutters are installed correctly with caps and great drainage.  They haven’t had water in the basement since the work was completed.  “It’s just fantastic.”

Jason enjoyed working with Dave and Andrea and can’t wait to get back over there to help with their next big project…an update and more functional porch.  Including installing electrical, new windows, and making the porch into more of an indoor-outdoor living space.  “Jason and his guys will have their work cut out for them,” commend Andrea. 

Some parting words that Dave and Andrea wanted to share, “any older home is going to have some surprises—our house is about 104 years old, and we love it.  But it’s been really important to work with a company that is responsive to emergencies, able to handle general contracting, plumbing, electrical, and working on heating systems.”   

“We’ve absolutely loved working with Dustin and Jason at AEI—we have yet to find a problem that they can’t solve, and we feel really good and totally confident about the high quality of the work.   It’s also really nice to work with a company that treats you as a member of the community and which is so invested in ours.”