It’s time to finally make the move and finish your basement or make a much-needed upgrade to your kitchen or bathroom. The most important decision you have to make is choosing the right contractor for this project. Before you make the call, consider these things first:

1. Know what you want from a Contractor

Before you do anything, it is important to sit down and decide what you need done to your home or office. Lay out some goals you are looking to accomplish with this project and have them ready before you begin a search for a contractor. A professional contractor should sit down and discuss your ideas to determine the best way to accomplish what you are looking for.

2. Are they licensed and insured for your area in Colorado?

Any contractor you hire absolutely should be licensed and insured in your state (Colorado).  This way your home and you are protected from any possible damages or injuries that could occur. It is also important that before they start on your project that they obtain all necessary, accurate permits, stay up to Colorado code, and employ insured workers.

3. Are you able to see any previous work they have done?

Well established contractors typically have a website with a gallery of their work displaying past projects as well as any web reviews to refer to. If you come across a contractor without a portfolio on their website, you can ask them to share photos or to tell you about a prior project they did to give you an idea of their qualifications and expertise.

4. What is the timeline throughout the project?

Contractors are expected to provide an accurate timeline of when they project where they will be throughout the process to give a home or business owner an idea of what they can expect from beginning to end.  They should be able to lay out the steps along the way and they should keep you informed on where they are so you can make any necessary adjustments to accommodate the renovations. This is an important step to ensure this process will move smoothly.

5. Will they be at your home or business every day?

After you are given a projected schedule, the contract should be able to inform you what workers will be at the job site and how often that will be there. We recommend that you request a calendar with workdays and what will be done each day to keep the contractor accountable and to make your life a bit normalized despite what is going on.

6. How will they keep me updated?

Communication throughout the entire job process is important for both parties. Talk with the contractor so you know what to expect in terms of communication. Will they call your cell phone and/or exchange emails or text messages? Both of you should agree on the best form of communication and stick to it.

Also use this time to determine when you can reach your contractor. Ask what their after hours and weekend hours are and try to work around them unless an emergency occurs. And, you will want to have reassurance from our contractor should an emergency happen.

7. How will they protect my property?

This is very important and will vary based on the type of project that is being done. Be sure to discuss this before any demolition begins. There will be a lot of dust accumulating so make sure that the contractor is properly covering furniture, floors, etc. to avoid any possible damage from occurring during the process.

8. What is the payment schedule?

Contractors will typically never ask for a full payment upfront and if they do you should not agree to. Discuss payment terms with them to find out how the payments will be made during the process. The size of the project will be a big factor in determining payment size and frequency so sit down with them to determine when each payment should be made, and that certain milestones are met before each one.

9. Understand your contract

The most important thing when hiring a contractor is to have a good understanding of the contract. Most contractors will require an official contract to begin work, and you should require the same. Understand all terms and conditions agreed upon so that both parties meet the obligation of the contract.

Let’s Get Started

These are some important things to remember when hiring a contractor. If you still have more questions, we can help. Give us a call at (303) 829-3374 or email us directly here to get started.

The post 9 Areas To Consider When Choosing a Contractor for Your Colorado Home appeared first on Deyoung Brothers Construction.

Having a plan and being prepared for your kitchen remodeling will reduce stress as your kitchen renovation gets started and we also recommend that you try keep your sense of humor and know that your new dream kitchen will be done soon.

Kitchen Remodeling is Good for Your Home and You

Kitchens are the main part of most homes and eventually they become outdated and need to be renovated.  Especially since it’s where you cook and prepare meals for your family, friends and you.  It also tends to be the area that everyone likes to hang out when there is a gathering.  So, doing your kitchen remodeling right and having it be something that you can be proud of is what we strive to bring to every one of our customers.

Choosing the right General Contractor

When you choose DeYoung Brothers Construction to Renovate your Kitchen you will be hiring an experienced team of experts to work on your home. From start to finish you will see your new kitchen dream come together. From design, to layout and then to build out we do it all in a well laid out schedule that you can rely on. And, because we are a small company you will also be getting it at a great price. For more details on kitchen remodeling with us, Click Here.

DeYoung Brothers Construction is based in Castle Rock, Colorado.

Organize and pack your kitchen in boxes

A lot of people don’t plan for this, so make sure that when you box up your kitchen that you keep the items that you use regularly accessible. Put them in a location that you can easily get to, and make sure you mark each box as to what’s in each one and create a map as to where each box is.  By doing this you will easily put your kitchen together when it is completed or if you need something while its being renovated, it can be accessed.

Create a Temporary Kitchen to Make Your Meals

If you have a foldout or a small kitchen table(s) is an effective way to set up a temporary kitchen with items such as your coffee maker, electric skillet as well as any other vital items… wine opener.  Should you have an outside barbecue and it can be used during the kitchen renovation take advantage of it.  Many have a single gas burner as well as the barbecue itself to cook making another temporary cooking area.

Relocate your refrigerator to a usable location

We suggest that you put it in a location as well as any other items that you’re using for cooking to be accessible but out of the way of the work that is being done to your kitchen. Also, you might want to thin out the food in your refrigerator before the work gets started since you will not be able to cook at the level you normally would.

If you normally eat in your kitchen choose a different eating area

This is easy, just set up a small table where you can frequently eat and if it is a nice day, and you have outside patio area with furniture, use that as another eating area.

Paper Plates, plastic utensils and paper napkins/towels are your friend

Since your kitchen will be out of commission during the renovation, washing your dishes in the sink or in the dishwasher will not be available.  So, purchase disposable items so that you don’t have to worry about as much cleanup.

Plan on eating out more during the kitchen remodel

Make sure to include in your budget to plan on eating out more often during the renovation of your kitchen.  Whether it be in a restaurant, take out, or microwave meals can help cut down on any cooking that you may have to do.

Expect a lot of noise and dust

There really is no way to get around this, so we suggest that you cover furniture that you’re not using to reduce the dust and even with that said just plan on things being in disarray and dusty.

Yes, there will be noise so if you are at home during the day when we are working on renovating your new kitchen we suggest that you try to put yourself in another area of the house.

If you have a pet, keep them calm during this process

We can guarantee that your pet(s) will have no idea what’s going on and will be scared, curious and unsure as the kitchen remodeling is happening. Make sure that you provide them with a safe location to go so they don’t accidently run out an open door.  We also suggest lots of love and snuggles to help them feel safe and secure.

Keep handy the design plans to check on the work being done and its progression

This is a terrific way to check on the progress of your kitchen remodel, and for us to answer any questions you may have during the process.

Take a Vacation!  If you can, leave the house during the kitchen renovation

Realizing that most cannot take the time off while the work is being done, but if you can it does help relieve having to deal with everything going on.

Try not to worry, if you’ve hired us be confident that you made the right choice.

For details about DeYoung Brothers Construction, Basement Finishing and Kitchen Remodeling, Click Here, or to schedule a consultation with us please call (303) 829-3374 or 

If you are looking to start kitchen remodeling done to your Colorado home, we service the following areas:

Serving Denver, Castle Pines, Parker, Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Douglas County and more.

The post 12 Ways to Prepare for Kitchen Remodel appeared first on Deyoung Brothers Construction.

Brushed gold, wood bring design styles together

We are in the home stretch of this beautiful custom house with many of the finishes installed from wood floors to lighting. Each lighting fixture, wood-wall treatment, hardware and tile has been installed to perfection.

The mudroom is now outfitted with a wall of wood planks and six hooks for each of the children’s jackets and backpacks. The bench below offers space to remove muddy shoes from hours of outside play on their large lot.

The laundry area has plenty of counter space for folding and sorting with its white maple cabinets. Gold brush modern hardware and white subway tiles with black grout against the walnut counters juxtapose modern and traditional design.

CUSTOM MODERN HOUSE

City: Larkspur

Blueprint collaboration: March 2016

Broke ground: July 2016

Estimated completion: May 2017

Square footage: about 6,000

Property size: 3 acres

Bedrooms: 6

Bathrooms: 5

Garage: Oversized 3 car garage

Basement: Finished with in-law suite and a custom heated yoga studio

As a visual treat, in the middle of the house, is the staircase painted black satin with a unique silver lighting treatment ready for a funky place to hang framed classic album covers. The railing is made of metal piping to add to the edgy charm.

The black maple kitchen cabinets are installed as a dark anchor to the white and bright great room. The white marble counters and island with a marble waterfall and the wood lined face also connects the two design worlds. A large capacity refrigerator in stainless steel and industrial sized stove complete this family of eight’s home bistro.

As the final touches are put in place, all of the design details including a homework loft for the six students with built-in desk and mounted lighting are ready for the brood to use each space.

Next time: The finale!

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Bright light, tall ceilings and clean lines

We have been working on the many details of the inside of this beautiful family home for months. Every aspect of life with six children has been thought of, including a large mudroom with benches and hooks for jacks and backpacks right off the garage.

After the mudroom you enter the oversized pantry to efficiently unload groceries and supplies before you get to the open kitchen /family room with windows on all sides to see the amazing forest view.

2017 CUSTOM HOUSE BUILD

• City: Larkspur
• Blueprint collaboration: March 2016
• Broke ground: July 2016
• Estimated completion: April 2017
• Square footage: about 6,000
• Property size: 3 acres
• Bedrooms: 6
• Bathrooms: 5
• Garage: Oversized 3-car garage
• Basement: Finished with in-law suite and a custom heated yoga studio 

In the family room is a custom fireplace with reclaimed wood that goes the whole way to the 20-foot ceiling. Don’t worry about the cold air coming through because the 20, large double-pane windows, and the Radiant-heated wood floors, with keep their feet toasty as they watch TV or entertain.

Throughout the house it feels clean, light and bright with its many windows, 8-foot doors, 10-foot ceiling on the main level and 9-foot ceiling on the basement and second floor levels.

Next time: We will talk about an interesting paint choice (black!) and where it is at! Also, the kitchen cabinets are in!

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