CEM Innovations

R50,000 Later: Repairs, Damage and Disappointment

I deliberately waited almost three months before writing this review because I was extremely upset and disappointed after this company spent two weeks carrying out relatively straightforward renovations at my home. I wanted time to reflect so that I could write a fair, objective and useful review rather than one based purely on emotion. Before posting this review, I also asked friends and two independent contractors to inspect the work to make sure my expectations were reasonable. They confirmed many of the concerns I had. Unfortunately, even now, I am still discovering broken blinds, cracks that were not fixed, plug covers that were not put back, taps leaking, paint marks on furniture and appliances. This has all reinforced my decision to share my experience. So far, since they have left, I have spent about R6000 just fixing their sloppy work and carelessness. I chose this company despite them providing one of the most expensive quotations I received because they market themselves as a women-owned business that values quality workmanship, attention to detail and respect for clients' homes. As a woman living alone, that gave me confidence. I believed my home would be treated with care and that my concerns would be listened to and understood. Instead, after spending approximately R50,000, I was left with paint splatters on furniture, floors and appliances; doors that no longer locked properly; windows that could not be opened or closed correctly; broken blinds; plug covers that were never replaced; leaking taps; and additional repairs that had to be addressed afterwards. My home is an older property, and I made that clear from the outset. I also emphasised that all my furniture are pieces inherited from both my grandmothers and have great sentimental value. While older homes present challenges, they should not be an excuse for careless workmanship. I am not wealthy, and I saved long and hard to paint my house inside, and I looked forward to it. It was just such a disappointment. During the first two days, I repeatedly and politely asked the team to use drop sheets to protect my furniture and floors. Those requests were largely ignored. I waited to speak to the owner or supervisor, who was mostly occupied on other sites and only arrived on the third day. By then, I had gone out and purchased my own drop sheets. I also had to clean up broken glass and nails after asking the team to be mindful because I have dogs. At one stage, there were eight workers on site, and I later had to spend more than R1,500 to have blocked drains cleared. Rather than feeling that care was being taken with my home, I often felt that basic housekeeping and respect for the property were lacking. One employee even remarked to my domestic worker, who has worked for me for more than ten years, asking how she could work for me because I was supposedly "kwaai". This was simply because I had asked that my furniture and floors be protected and that broken glass and nails be cleaned up so that my dogs do not get hurt. I do not believe these were unreasonable requests. One of the owners later apologised and offered me a R500 Chamberlain's voucher and a pot plant. I declined because I did not feel that this addressed the underlying issues. In fact, it was insulting. During that conversation, I was told that I had been underquoted and should be grateful they were doing the work. I do not believe it is a customer's responsibility if a contractor underquotes a project. Communication throughout the project was also disappointing. When I asked whether the work would be completed on the agreed day, I was abruptly told, "Ek het jou mos gesê ons gaan klaar wees met jou." Later, another owner informed me that they would, in fact, have to return the following day. This mattered because I had to make arrangements for my dog to stay with a friend for an additional day. Had the workmanship been exceptional, I may have overlooked many of these frustrations. Unfortunately, it was not. For example, when I questioned the quality of repaired skirting boards, I was told that it was "the best that could be done", despite our original agreement being that damaged skirtings would be replaced where necessary rather than simply patched. The most disappointing part of this experience was that the values the company promotes did not match my experience as a customer. I expected professionalism, respect and careful workmanship. Instead, I have had to continue cleaning paint from furniture, repair blinds, have skirtings redone and fix a leaking tap that had been installed during the renovation. This review is not written out of anger. It is written after taking time to reflect and after seeking independent opinions. It was also written after sharing photos with the company of all the items that required repairs after they finished at my house. I was told that they would try and make time to come and see what needs to be done. I followed up for three weeks and received excuses yet again that she is busy, on the road with other clients, etc. So I fixed everything at my expense because CEM Innovations clearly does not value me as a customer or have any care for the house and home I took years to build. My advice to anyone considering using this company is: don’t. You will not receive value for money. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend them.