A Realistic Renovation

In order to make a realistic budget for your own project, do research before you commit to a number. Setting limits in your head, when you are not informed tends to anchor you on a specific cost before you really understand the scope of the work. If you see a kitchen renovation on TV costing you $7,000, this may be because some of the contractors have donated their time to the show for exposure. You will soon realize later that for it to be done correctly, its going to cost you more, but you may be set on your $7,000 price tag and it may not end up being renovated properly

Madrona Dr Project by Conradcontracting.ca

An idea would be to start off by window shopping for materials so you know what they will cost before you commit to a project. You should bring in a few contractors to get labour estimates. then add on20% to 40% top-up on the labour quote because you never know what you’re going to run into in a reno. If you choose to buy the materials, make sure you bring your budget with you so you’ll stay on track. But many contractors, us included, get whole sale pricing on our materials so you may just want the contractor to handle both the materials and labor, but atleast you have an idea on cos, by having properly educated yourself and being realistic on "Extra charges" and "top-ups"

Renovations take a long time. On TV, renovations go from conception to perfection in a few short weeks. But there are things the camera doesn’t show. Things are done quickly and cheaply on tv, but they do not show you that at least 20% of the work isnt even finished and the low costs are due to promo and exposure discounts. These shortened timelines and low costs, can set up heightened expectations that are just not realistic. These 3 day renovations are planned months in advance and done through the evenings, leaving unfinished work off-camera. IT can take 8 weeks just to have your kitchen cabinets built. HGTV has made it look like you can build your entire kitchen in your driveway in a weekend and its unreasonable and makes work harder for contractors when home owners have these unrealistic ideas

Before you get started on your own renovations, draw up a timeline with the contractor so you’ll know what to expect. At Conrad Contracting, this is part and parcel of the renovation and gives us a baseline for discussion if things take longer than expected. If permits are needed, we are sure to need some extra time for them

It’s important to realize quality contractors, like ourselves, aren’t necessarily available right away. We generally book two to three months out or longer, depending on the job. We also schedule things so only one contractor or two at the most are in your home at once, unlike what is shown on TV.

To keep things running smoothly, its a smart idea to buy all the materials ahead of time, and remember it’s common for items to be out of stock or for the wrong product to be shipped. If you give us the green light to buy other materials as the need arises it will keep the process running smoothly.

If you decide to do some renovation work on your own, make sure to get help from a buddy with some experience. It’s not realistic for someone to read a book and then do their own renos properly, but it is realistic if they are being supervised by someone who knows what they’re doing. Even so, you’re probably better off leaving plumbing, electrical and structural work to the pros.

Funding the renovation : If you do not have the savings, a line of credit secured against your home will give you a lower interest rate, but unless your lenders cover costs for legal fees and an appraisal, you may need to pay $700 to $1,100 to set one up. 

If you get a line of credit, make sure you have the cash flow to make the payments and cover your other financial obligations, and give yourself a deadline to pay it off. Lenders will usually extend credit if your monthly obligations are less than 40% of your gross income, but you’ll want to stay below that number to protect yourself against rising interest rates.

If you can’t pay off the debt promptly, you might be better off refinancing your mortgage.

The reno may or may not add to your home’s resale value. Check out the graphic below:

And if you choose the wrong renovation project or make unpopular design choices, you may get no return on your investment, or even reduce the value of your home. If your renovation isn't up to par,  you might as well just burn the money. If it’s not up to the quality expected in the neighborhood, don’t do it. We can help you with quality renovation ideas and design concepts. Also remember your new kitchen won’t be considered new unless you sell in the next couple years, meaning it may have no impact on the amount buyers are willing to pay.

If you’re concerned about resale value, shy away from ornate designs, bright colours and overly personalized renovation projects. We recommend picking something relatively neutral for your counter-tops and cabinetry, and then use bright colours and accents in paint. If you like bold colour choices, you can change the paint before you sell. Of course you could just not bother with the pressure of whether anyone else will appreciate your renovation, and just renovate for yourself. AS long as you do not get too crazy, inappropriate, cheap or gaudy, your renovations should not negatively affect your property's resale value.  ( knock on wood ) We are just giving you ideas and options to make an educated choice. We like to guide you through merging your own style with appropriate renovation design for your property, area and style of home, hence the reason for hiring a contractor rather than taking a huge renovation project upon your own shoulders

You can’t afford to be passive. You can be sure we will not want to dominate the renovation process, giving you only one or two chances to have input. WE do not expect Carte Blanche and not expect you to weigh in again until the project is finished. In reality, if you take a passive role in your renovations, you do increase the likelihood of running into problems. We like to work with you as a team

We do not expect you to take your eye off the ball or abdicate responsibility. If you disengage from the process, we are no longer working as a team

Having said this, we do not want you to micromanage our every move, but you do need to stay on top of developments and be responsive when we ask you to make decisions. Look at the details and listen to your intuition as to whether you like what you’re seeing,

A properly planned project won’t create major drama. A well planned renovation doesn't have much excitement, its boring, meaning its well planned. Stress is not necessary

Renovations have been giving the negative aura of being a "horror show" It doesn't have to be that way at all if you put in the time to find the right contractor, this will reduce surprises and never give the contractor all the money upfront - stay in control by paying in installments. According to the CMHC, it’s common to pay a deposit of 5% to 15% when you sign a contract—more if you’re getting custom-made products, such as windows and doors.

Reduce potential drama with your partner, by having frank conversations about your goals and expectations before you get started. A lot of couples assume they have the same vision for a project, but this is not always the case. You need to have some really candid discussions about who’s responsible for what and make sure both partners are on board.

Brought to you by Conrad Contracting Inc.  If you would like us to give you an estimate on your potential renovation, we are most happy to do that. Call us today at ( 250 ) 508 - 6601

Ten West Coast Interior Design ideas for you

We work closely with Brian Paquette of Brian Paquette Interiors in Seattle on our projects, but we understand there may be some of you that would like some ideas of your own to work with. Therefore we have compiled a list of "design considerations" when working with an "west coast" theme - since this is where we live so why not bring the outside in. Be inspired by the beautiful ocean that surrounds us, the expansive skies above us and the abundance of nature that envelopes us

1. Celebrate your view: Perhaps start by finding the common seating area in your home that offers a space to relax and enjoy the house's spectacular surroundings. Low furnishings in colours that suggest stones, sky and seashells allow unobstructed views to the outside. A fireplace with a modern concrete surround, can serve as a focal point. ( see below :one of our projects - A polished concrete fireplace is ideal ) Throughout the room, a variety of textural elements in natural tones can be used: We are partial to cedar paneling to add an element of "rusticity" You can accessorize with a wool rug perhaps, fur throws and a shimmery velvet ottoman in a nice natural hue. Find some end tables in slate grey to ground the space and are more true to the Pacific Northwest's hazy skies.

Custom polished concrete fireplace built for our Madrona Drive Project

2. Accessorize to add warmth : It's easy for a big house, especially a modern one, to look unwelcoming. Add warmth to the rooms via three-dimensional art, a large area rug and built-in shelving units, which display personal collections.

3. Incorporate collections Dark wood shelves allow light-coloured objects to pop. Allow your displays to celebrate your life, and remember, books are your friends. Lean them, stack them, pile them up

4. Go big in the bedrooms : Embrace the large scale of your bedrooms ( if they are large ) and define and cosy up the space by perhaps incorporating an 18-foot-wide linen-upholstered headboard. Twin side tables, lamps and bolsters create a pleasing symmetry. Lay out a fluffy throw at the foot of the bed to add some contrast and texture.

5.Don't be afraid of the dark. Dark elements in perhaps a study/office, such as the stone-grey walls, heavy drapes, bold patterned wing chairs and possibly a wooden trestle desk, give your space a moody masculine look. Pot lights can draw attention to your unique collection of framed Photographs or Art.

6. Include plenty of seating If your living room, has panoramic views of the ocean, you can organize several seating areas that offer places to read and relax, entertain, have dinner while watching a movie, or just gaze outside at your gorgeous view. You can create a dramatic feature wall with a gorgeous concrete fireplace or a floor to ceiling set of build in shelves that work well with the cabinetry of your kitchen. Perhaps you can utilize some dark stain on the shelves and cabinets and accent these with Ivory and heather - grey upholstered pieces balancing the rooms dark furnishings and carpentry.

7. Add glass We custom build staircases all the time as you can see below, we built ( below ) a beautiful wood, metal and glass stairwell for our Madrona Drive home, which offers an airy, modern look and allows for unobstructed sight lines. This is really a great design element that is also functional and support the west coast rusticity theme.  Large-scale art in cool palettes is always a great idea for west coast homes and if you can find light fixtures with glass, nature- inspired pendants, they tend to lighten things up and bring in the outside/nature.

Glass, metal and wood stairwell custom made by us

Lotus flowers in glass for lighting ( example of nature inspired glass pendant lighting )

8. Sparkle: Embrace sparkle throughout, shimmer can come in the form of silvery drum lamp shades, a textured glass partition and perhaps some light shimmery silk drapes.  The shimmers are trending right now

9. Use a warm palette In the main room, gentle shades of silver and gold provide warmth to the neutral soft nature palette. An over sized sofa ( such as below ) perhaps, with plenty of toss cushions offers pure comfort, while you could bring in stone colors/textures into table lamps to add a formal grounding note.

Think form & function : Sometimes we can come across large marble slabs that can be turned into a kitchen island perhaps and inspire the rest of the kitchen. This can give you even more room in your kitchen. Kitchens are such a great value to a home, its important to make great use of what space you have. IF we do find a large slab of marble to work with, we can then create a breakfast bar area surrounded by cabinetry to add extra work space and ample storage. Some nice simple pendant lights with drum shades over the island will finish it off and compliment the decor in the main room. ( main rooms and kitchens are usually open to each other now ) In fact most of us gather in the kitchen to socialize so its fantastic to open this space up to the living areas.

Well, I hope we have inspired you and please do not hesitate to call us for a free consultation and estimate! conradcontracting.ca ( 250 ) 508 - 6601

Preparing our Home against heavy rains and storms

We seem to be having more than our fair share of heavy rains this season. We have actually had rain for 18 days in a row now, and power outages all over the island occurring from the 90 mile an hour winds. The storms to the southern island, have been so powerful, BC Ferries have been knocked out of some of their service runs ( what else is new ) and most of us are wondering what on earth is going on? We were also hit with a fairly large earth quake not more than a month or so ago. Preparedness is key. All of these weather and earth changes, inspired us to write about things we need to do to get our homes in order. Here are a few tips to help you with heavy rains, storms and potential floods this spring

Photo by Owner and Operator - Dylan Conrad

Roof: Get your roof ready for the rains. Inspect your roof twice a year to avoid costly problems that can and might escalate into tremendous cost. An ounce of prevention saves a pound of stress later

• Look for cracks along the ridge of your roof and where your shingles fold over to form the cap.
• Inspect the valleys of your roof (the area of your roof with a downward slope). Make sure that the metal flashing does not have any damage or rusty areas.
• Make sure that you do not have any loose, missing or curled shingles.If you find any in that condition, make sure you replace them as soon as possible, so as to avoid moisture leaks inside your home that can weaken your walls and/or ceilings.

Gutters: make sure that they drain well and don't cause water to back up. Make sure that there are not a lot of little granules collecting in the gutters. Granules in your gutter are a sign that your roof is deteriorating - resealing is in order, or perhaps more

Gutters can collect a lot of debris during the rainy season so be sure to clean them weekly to ensure that they are free of debris and not backing up.

• Down Pipe Clogs: Make sure that you don't have any down pipe clogs.

Check for potential clogs from the inside out. Inside your home, check out your ceilings to make sure that you are not experiencing signs of roof or other leakage. Look for water rings, mold or wall or ceiling discoloration. Make all necessary repairs to fix and prevent the issue from happening again during the next rainy season.

Doors and Windows. Make sure that both doors and windows close and seal properly, and make any repairs or improvements as necessary.

Purchase hurricane socks ( http://www.amazon.com/Cleanup-Stuff-Absorbent-Absorbing-Hurricane/dp/B00Q5GV7KU) to help absorb water that leaks into garages, basements or in through windows or doors.

• Hurricane socks soak up up one gallon of water at a time. You can even dry them out faster by putting them in your washer on spin cycle.

Clear debris:  Make sure that dead branches and dead trees have been cleared from around your house. This will reduce the risk that they will fall during the storm and damage your home.

Basement inspection: If water is seeping in, you may have to have the whole basement resealed.

Sandbags when flooding: Consider using sandbags in the low areas around your house to help keep flood water at bay.

Those beautiful branches can be a hazard to your home if they are dead

Best of luck. Batten down the hatches. Atleast we are not suffering drought like our poor neighbors in California.