A homeowner who is planning on staying in their home for a longer period of time will be safer spending a little more than someone who may only live in their home for 5 years or less. The reasoning behind this is, you will have longer time period to recoup the investment you have just put in your new kitchen.  If you are only planning on living there / owning the property a short while longer it may be wise to have a appraisal done on your property before you start the project. Have one appraisal done with your home as is, and one done using the kitchen remodel plans, then compare this to what you owe on your mortgage to get a clear picture of what you can safely invest in your home and still recoup as much of the investment as possible. Once your get your budget figured out it will make further design decisions easier.

When considering design you should consider what you will be using your kitchen for most.Do you plan on doing a lot of entertaining? Do you want it to become the central gathering place in your home, or are you just looking for a rudimentary design concept for the ease of cooking, and space utilization.

For those who plan on doing a lot of entertaining in the kitchen, flow is of maximum importance to allow proper use of space while not impacting the utilization of the area. Consider lots or working counter space so that your friends and family can pitch in and help. A center island that is not attached can also be a good fit for a kitchen designed around this philosophy. You should also consider the walkway around the kitchen, making sure that the aisle ways are wide enough to accommodate everyone gathering in this space.

For those who are looking to make their kitchen the “heart of the home” a peninsula / bar can be a better option. This gives the kids a place to gather and do homework or projects while allowing Mom or Dad a free area to cook and clean without the children actually being in the kitchen space yet still being present. It also creates an informal dining area for quick meals and snacks.

For those with limited space,  design is of the utmost importance to maximize flow and ease of use.  It’s good to keep the triangle of kitchen design at the center of the process. Maximizing counter space is also a must. You can never have too much counter space in a kitchen. Also try to design the kitchen so that one person can be at the sink while one person is working at the stove at the same time while not being in each other way. Nothing can ruin a kitchen remodel like poor flow when the job is complete.

There are a lot of options out there when it comes to dressing up the final design. Granite counter tops, tiled back splashes, heated floors, stove exhaust vents, Wine racks and much more.

Granite counter tops always look great, but do you really need them is a questions I always ask my clients. There are many different HD laminates on the market today that look comparable to granite at a 1/4 of the cost. When trying to cut back on cost this is usually the first place I recommend.

I also prefer to us custom built cabinetry instead of “box store” cabinets.  While sometimes they can be more expensive, but not always. They fully utilize all the space in the kitchen. With “Box” store cabinets you always end up using filler strips between cabinetry to fully fill the wall space up. This is because all the cabinet parts are built to a standard size. A one size fits all mentality. When using custom cabinetry we have been able to fit a whole extra stack of drawers in the kitchen when compare to a box store brand.

Here are a couple of kitchens that we did in the last couple of years. The 1st one is a kitchen remodel on a Historic home in Saint Paul, MN.built in the early 1920′s. We completely demoed the kitchen space all the way down to the studs. Then we proceeded to remove the existing sub floor, and replace it with 3/4″ CDX plywood that was glued and screwed down. Then we also corrected any framing issue’s found in the way. We insulated the walls with Ultra touch Cotton blue jean insulation, and upgraded all the current electrical. We also installed heated floor mats under the tile in this kitchen to give your feat that nice cozy feel.

Kitchen remodel in Saint Paul, MN.

The picture if the kitchen below was done is Roseville, MN. As it was a limited space we ended up using the original layout kitchen layout and design. The custom chose walnut cabinetry with a clear finish, and laminate counter tops. We also added a tile back splash. We also added a patio door in the dining room to open up this small area.

Would a knight go into battle without a coat of armor? A soldier to war without his battle gear, or perhaps you going outside during a severe storm in flip-flops and cut off shorts? “No” you would think to yourself, that would be foolish. We’ll that’s what many of us ask our houses to do on a daily basis when we do not keep up on the exterior maintenance of our home.

Our homes face extreme climates and weather on a daily basis; yet many of us neglect the exterior maintenance aspect not realizing what it can lead to when it has been ignored. From the freezing cold weather that happens during winter, to the blazing summer heat, to howling winds & severe storms our homes face severe climates.

Simple things like caulking that is too old and has dried out; or paint that is flaking and deteriorating can lead to major repairs down the road; or improper attic insulation & venting. When caulking has gone bad, water slowly trickles inside little cracks and infiltrates into the  interior stud cavities of the exterior walls and gets trapped. This often leads to rot, and in severe cases when let go long enough it can lead to mold. It also then becomes the perfect breeding ground for insects, especially carpenter ants. Which in turn accelerate the deterioration process.

When taken care of early these are relatively small projects that someone can take care of easily themselves or hire someone to do it rather inexpensively. When let go… I’ve seen it lead to whole exterior walls that need to be torn down & re-framed & re-finished. The difference is a project that could have been prevented for a couple of hundred dollars to a home repair that can cost many thousands of dollars in the end.

Exterior maintenance is something the average homeowner who is handy and likes to do projects around the home can tackle on their own.

Things to look for are:

• dried & cracked caulking that is falling out around window trim & doors & all places wood connects. When re-caulking around windows make sure they are clean & free of debris otherwise caulking may not bond properly. Also use a 100% silicone or acrylic caulking. Stay away from the cheap brands they wont hold up that long.
• paint flaking off around windows & soffits & fascia boards (make sure to check the window sill for rot) There are a lot of epoxy products on the market to fix & repair rotten wood.
• rotten or missing exterior siding
• Ice Dams in the wintertime (these are large icicles that form around the perimeter of the roof) usually a sign of poor attic insulation & venting.
• Curled up shingles during the summertime (poor attic venting)
• soft or spongy wood
• moisture caught between window panes
• clogged or improperly draining gutters
• improper grading at foundation (both this and the mentioned above can lead to major foundation issues)

In conclusion one of the most important things you can for your home is to keep up on the exterior maintenance to protect it from the harsh environment that it faces on a daily basis. If  you have any questions feel free to contact us and we will be happy to consult with you.

I met with some clients last night and they did the correct thing. They asked for references, my contractor’s license number, and for proof of insurance. I, of course, had no problem giving them what they asked for.

The reason they asked me for this was that recently a family member of theirs’ had been scammed by a “contractor”. Who knows if he really holds a license or not. He met with the family member and did an excellent job selling his services & his business, collected a large down payment and “poof” disappeared. They can’t get a hold of him. They contacted the Department of Labor & Industry only to find out he has a long record of doing this to many people.

I hear this story too many times from customers and it makes me so angry that someone would do this to someone else. That’s why you need to check out your contractor. If they have a hard time providing you with these things ( license #, proof of insurance, reference’s, and examples of work done in the past) I would highly recommend that you keep looking.  These things are there to protect the customer, and the contractor at the same time, and always sign a contract and make sure you read it.

I know a lot of people’s finances are tight right now considering the current state of the economy, but that is no reason to take a short cut and hire some “carpenter” you find on craigslist for $15.00 an hour, or somewhere else. If they don’t have a license that means no inspections, and who knows what kind of quality of work you will be getting and if it will be up to code. Usually in these circumstances there is no warranty also. So when everything starts to go awry, are you going to be able to get a hold of them, will they come and fix their work at no charge. Usually not, so then you have to hire the right guys to come and fix the project and spend more money, because now the contractor has to fix the “other” persons screw ups. Rework is always more expensive because you have to tear apart what the last guy did, and call for inspections and you never know where it can lead to.

Take your time when remodeling your house. It’s a big investment and more importantly your home. If you hire the right remodeling company they can make the process a very simple, and easy to deal with.

We are an owner/operated Remodeling & Handyman service company serving the Saint Paul, Minneapolis metro area in Minnesota.

We can handle anything from that small “honey do-list” that you been putting off, to full-scale house remodeling and renovations. We aim to put our customers first in the remodeling process by carefully listening to what they want and need, while considering budgets and potential resale value.

We have over 45 years of combined experience when it comes to Custom home building, remodeling, and home maintenance, and treat everyone home as if it was our own.

If you are thinking of remodeling your house we would welcome the opportunity to work with you.

Here is an example of a kitchen we recently remodeled in Saint Paul in a Historic Victorian built in the 1920′s