September 25th, 2024

Linda's List

Household Contractors

• Audio Video Installation and Repair — Jeff Madden, Safe 'n Sound, 926 The Pike, Arroyo Grande CA 93420, mobile 805-215-7169 — Jeff is positively a genius. Really. He designed the sound system for Bill's new office media room, helped Bill select all of the components, installed all of the components and speakers and wiring, and set up the sound system when the construction of the room was completed. Everything was perfect! So perfect that we then had him come back and install new components and set up a new sound system in our great room. Jeff is the best. If you mention his name around here you'll find he's worked in Monarch Dunes for a long time and everyone knows him and he has an excellent reputation.

• Concrete Work — Esteban, phone 805-863-6852 — Esteban was referred to us by Alberto Sanchez, our electrician. Esteban poured a big concrete slab on our side yard for our 2 big storage sheds and our trash bins. He did a superb job in 2 days and his work and workers were very neat and clean and his price was very reasonable. I highly recommend him and would use him again without hesitation.

• Dryer Vent Cleaning — SLO Dryer Vent Cleaning, 2705 McMillan Ave, San Luis Obispo CA 93401, mobile 805-817-0861 — Not inexpensive but well worth the money when you see how much lint they remove from the dryer vent, especially if your vent goes straight up to the roof like mine. They recommend having your dryer vent cleaned every 2 years.

• Electrician — Alberto Sanchez, mobile 805-714-6173 — Everyone knows and loves Alberto. He worked for Shea Homes for the entire time they were building the houses in Monarch Dunes and he knows every floor plan in his head. He now has his own business and he's always available for me when I need him. He's done specialty lighting and electrical work for me in almost every room in my house over all the years we've lived here and he's made my house the best it can be, inside and out. He's the best electrician I've ever had anywhere!

• Flooring (carpet, tile, wood) — Cal Coast Flooring, 1570 Branch Blvd, Arroyo Grande CA 93420, office 805-481-5559 — I've used these guys several times, once for carpeting and three times for wood flooring. They are the best! They have a beautiful showroom, a great selection, and very friendly staff.

• Garage Door Repair — Hamon Overhead Door, 2301 Skyway Dr, Santa Maria CA 93455, office 805-928-1900 — Have you ever had a broken garage door spring? If so then you know you can't get a repairman out fast enough. If it happens to you, call Hamon Overhead Door. They're super responsive, they come out almost immediately, and they replace the spring and get your garage door working again in no time. Very reasonable prices especially considering you need them instantly.

• Gardener — Jaime (pronounced HIGH-me) Fuerte, 1479 24th St, Oceano CA 93445, mobile 805-459-3052 — Jaime and his guys José and Marcelo (pronounced mar-SAY-low) and Ciri work their butts off, are always on time, never miss a day, and will gladly do anything you ask. Jaime is a master tree trimmer extraordinaire!

• General Contractor — Joe Kent, Cencoast Construction, PO Box 397, Nipomo CA 93444, mobile 805-431-3382 — There's no one better than Joe Kent. Really. He's done a lot of work in Monarch Dues and everyone knows him and he has an absolute 5-star rating. We have an Avila floor plan that came with a 3-car garage and we converted one of them to Bill's office media room. Once they started, Joe and Joe's subs were here every single day but one, the day they had to let the dry wall dry. There wasn't one glitch and the end result is spectacular. Truly beyond our expectations. If you'd like to see Bill's office media room, email me and I'll give you my address and we'll set a date. Five stars, Joe!

• Gutter Cleaning — see Window Cleaning, Anthony's Window Wash

• Handyman — Gary Dobson, 1331 Trail View Pl, Nipomo CA 93444, mobile 925-683-1668 — Gary lives in Monarch Dunes and everyone knows Gary. He's a retired general contractor but he still enjoys the work so he continues to do smaller jobs now. Gary is a personal friend and one of the nicest friendliest guys you'll ever know and he's a perfectionist in his work.

• Heating and Air Conditioning — Allstar Heating and Air, 63 Industrial Way, Buellton CA 93427, office 805-688-4018 — They installed our air conditioning system the week we moved in and we have them service it every year. Excellent service, right on time, very nice technicians.

• Housekeeper — Marisol Robles, mobile 805-478-7328 — Marisol came to me very highly recommended and I agree, she's wonderful. She comes with 3 girls, all of them family, they're in and out of my house in an hour and a half, and my house positively sparkles!

• Landscaper — Mike Carroll, Figari de Carroll, 1111 Easy Ln, Nipomo CA 93444, mobile 805-325-1028 — Mike has an amazing eye for landscaping and landscaping concepts. The house we bought looked very plain Jane from the front and I wanted a Santa Barbara-style cottage and that's exactly what Mike created for me. It's perfect. Mike's guys Terry and Christian and Christian's brother Luis have been with Mike for many years and they do excellent work and always clean up at the end of each day. I've recommended Mike many times and his work is always top notch. If you make changes along the way just be sure keep track of the new prices.

• Pest Control — Star Pest Control, PO Box 917, Nipomo CA, mobile 805-619-8151 — Travis Reynolds is the owner and sometimes the service rep, the nicest guy. This is a family-owned business and he hires only nice guys. Always shows up as scheduled and always right on time!

• Plumber — A Perfect Plumbing Solution, PO Box 1291, Arroyo Grande CA 93421, office 805-709-6311 — Paul Karp owner and service tech. What a good guy! Always right on time and super friendly and fun to talk to while he works.

• Pressure Washing — see see Window Cleaning, Anthony's Window Wash

• Roof Repair — Hector Ruiz Perez, Hacienda Roofing, 210 W Orchard St, Santa Maria CA 93458, mobile 805-698-5868 — He removed an old DIRECTV dish from our roof. Not only did he replace tiles but he repaired and painted the stucco on the side of the house and you'd never know the dish had been there. Great guy, very inexpensive for such meticulous work.

• Screen Doors — Mark Edgeworth, American Siding Door, PO Box 6550, Los Osos CA 93412, office 805-772-7287 — American Sliding Door is the only authorized installer of Phantom Screen Doors. Never heard of them? Remember the old window shades that you pulled down from the top, then tugged to roll them back up in a little cylinder at the top of the window? That's how these screen doors work except they open from side to side and roll up into a casing at the long side of your door opposite the latch. They're perfect for single and double front doors, and perfect for French doors, and I promise they'll change your life. I now have 3 of them on single doors and they're one of the best things I've done for this house. The cost is what I'd call moderate but a no-brainer because you get your money's worth right away. Email me if you'd like to come by and see how great they are.

• Solar Panel Cleaning — see see Window Cleaning, Anthony's Window Wash

• Synthetic Turf — Ozone Landscaping and Central Coast Synthetic Turf, 1153 Coral Street, San Luis Obispo CA 93405, mobile 805-260-1690
— Dave Bozarth is the owner of both businesses. His entire 20-year career has been in landscaping and he now installs synthetic turf as well. He does a lot of work in Monarch Dunes so you probably see his trucks driving around. That's how I found him. Dave just finished installing synthetic turf and new bark in my front yard on August 29, 2024. Simply stated, it is stunning! He has a large crew, 7 guys worked on my yard one day alone, and they were all meticulous in their work and their attention to detail and their clean up. Start to finish, my entire front yard took 4 days. So ... are you tired of weeding and fertilizing and brown spots and your neighbor's grass clippings being blown in your yard? If you're as fed up as I was, install synthetic turf. It's one of the best upgrades we've made to our home. Plus Dave is one of the nicest easiest guys I've ever worked with. Five stars!

• Tile and Grout Cleaner — DADS Tile and Grout Restoration, 744 Panorama Drive, Pismo Beach CA 93448, mobile 805-459-8889 — Didier Artega is the owner and service rep. He charges per square foot for floor tile and grout cleaning and he gives you his estimate in writing. Not inexpensive but he spends hours on the job and when he's done, the tile and grout look brand new. I have him clean my tiles every 2 years.

• Water Filter — Wayne Millar, Central Coast Drinking Water, 833 Pearl Drive, Arroyo Grande CA 93420, office 805-540-4066 — Wayne is the owner and the service rep. The Trilogy Monarch Dunes development gets its water from its own well and it's not the crystal clear well water we had in Grants Pass. It's treated with chemicals and I can taste them. Wayne installed the water filter under our kitchen sink and the water filter faucet is right next to the main kitchen sink faucet and it perfectly matches the other fixtures. I only drink and cook with filtered water and I'm very happy. Wayne recommends having the filter changed on an annual basis which only takes about 20 minutes and I'm on his automatic annual call list. Super efficient.

• Window Cleaning — Anthony's Window Wash, 170 S 6th Street, Grover Beach CA 93433, mobile 559-268-4669 — Anthony Gonzales, the owner, cleaned my windows and solar panels for the first time in October 2023. I have him clean the outside windows every 3 months, and the inside windows every 6 months, so my windows are always sparkling. I also have him clean my solar panels and gutters every year because so much dust accumulates from the nearby dunes. Anthony also does pressure washing although I've never needed him to do any pressure washing for me. He's super professional in every respect and I highly, highly recommend him.

• Window Treatments — Jason Manville, Rendevous Shutters Shades Drapery, 940 Ramona Ave #C, Grover Beach CA 93433, mobile 805-928-4356 — I've used Jason so many times over the years and he's installed both shutters and curtains for me. He's always been a great guy to work with and I've always looked forward to having him do the next job. His shop does meticulous work. He's been around a long time and I highly recommend him.

Personal Contacts

• Primary Care Physician — Dr Nancy Kitson, Monarch Village Health Center, 1560 Mesa Rd #100, Nipomo CA 93444, office 805-614-5640

• Primary Care Physician — Dr Eric Gavarre, Central Coast Family Care, 220 S Palisades Dr #104B, Santa Maria CA 93454, office 805-925-2521

• Dentist — Dr Robert Kitto, 937 E Main St #105, Santa Maria CA 93454, office 805-922-4109

• Eye Doctor — Dr Robert Dirksen, Pacific Eye, 230 East Betteravia Rd Suite S, Santa Maria CA 93454, office 805-925-2645

• Urgent Care — Dignity Health Urgent Care, 877 Oak Park Blvd, Pismo Beach, office 805-474-8450

• Urgent Care — Urgent Care of Pismo Beach, 2 James Way #214, Pismo Beach, office 805-295-6594