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What Your Renovation Contractor Knows that You Don’t

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / Comments Off

Starting to think about a renovation in the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom? Whether the job is a major addition or just a remodel, here’s a few things your renovation contractor knows that you don’t.

Why Bids Vary Wildly

Behind every bid for a renovation or remodel is a renovation contractor. The contractor’s bid is influenced by many factors. But, the chief factor is their overhead. If you hire a contractor that has a large staff and large offices, the contractor has a large overhead to cover. That bid will be higher.

In addition, some contractors take shortcuts that can end up costing you more in the long run. If the job requires the work of a plumber, but the contractor doesn’t use a licensed plumber for the work, you can end up paying extra in repairs.

You Can Judge a Renovation Contractor by Demolition

If you think it’s hard to judge the quality of work a contractor will do before the work starts you are wrong. Renovation contractors know that you can begin to judge the quality of the work that will be done during the demolition phase.

If a contractor treats your home as a job site, it shows a lack of respect and a willingness to cut corners. A quality contractor treats demolition with the same care as they treat construction. The work area should be isolated with plastic sheeting where possible to retain dust. Protective coverings should go over floors to guard against damage from worker’s boots and debris carried through the house.

If the contractor asks you to pull any permits during the demolition phase or later in the project it is a large, screaming red flag that cannot be ignored. This is a sure sign the contractor has a problem with their license or has allowed their license to lapse.

The Actual Contractor is Rarely on the Job

The job of the renovation contractor is to see that the work is done as contracted and to the proper specifications. The contractor will hire and schedule subcontractors that perform the actual work.

Your contractor will assign a project manager to your job. The project manager will be on-site regularly. That’s a good thing, because the project manager will know the details of your job better than the contractor will.

Both the contractor and project manager should be available to answer your questions. A sign of a good renovation contractor is the willingness to return phone calls and respond to emails. It’s a sign of a great project manager as well.

Some Renovation Contractors Pass on Jobs

Repairing a DIY job gone bad can be a bigger hassle than building from scratch. Don’t be surprised if many renovation contractors take a pass on this type of work.

Frequently, the DIY horrors only get worse once walls come out and shoddy wiring and plumbing are exposed. This is why many contractors won’t take a job repairing bad DIY work. It’s better to hire a pro in the beginning than hire someone later to rescue the project.

Orange County Renovation Pros

For your renovation project, call Jason and Joe at Inspired Remodels. You’ll get a professional renovation contractor and an awesome project manager. It’s the team that’s creating functional and fabulous indoor spaces, one renovation at a time. Call (949) 716-1938 and schedule your consultation today.

Three Things the Bathroom Remodeler Knows that You Don’t

By Inspired Remodels / Bathroom Remodel / Comments Off

Thinking about your next dream bathroom? Can’t stop pinning more and more ideas to your bathroom idea boards? Well when it comes to planning your bathroom remodel, there are a few things that your bathroom remodeler knows that you don’t. Except we’re going to clue you in. So, take notes. Here are three things that your bathroom remodeler knows that you should know.

Hide the Toilet

Seriously. It doesn’t matter how beautiful you think your new Kohler porcelain throne is, no toilet is a work of art. The things that happen at the toilet aren’t exactly beautiful either. Give your toilet a little privacy please. The people that use it will thank you.

Use a room-within-a-room or a dividing wall to create a little privacy. In the bathroom, a little privacy goes a long way. Even a piece of furniture like a storage armoire can create a welcome bit of privacy without the added expense of framing and finishing a wall or adding a door and door frame.

Go Wild in the Shower

Soaking tubs are all the rage but be honest with yourself. Will you really use that soaking tub every day? Will you use it 3 times a week? Probably not. But you will jump in the shower at least once a day. Chances are the shower is where you will either end or begin every day. So go wild in the shower.

Invest in multiple shower heads, rain shower heads, and detachable shower heads. Give yourself enough room to go wild. Make your shower around 4 x 6. Larger showers can actually save you money. You may not need two shower doors if the shower spray can be directed so that it doesn’t extend beyond the first door.

Go wild with niches and shower seats. These make showering easier, more organized, safer and even easier to clean.

If the budget allows for the splurge tub, splurge away. But make sure you’ve devoted the lion’s share of the waterworks to the shower.

Skimping on Storage is Pennywise and Pound Foolish

Nothing is worse than dashing from the warm shower to the cold hall to grab a towel. That won’t happen if your bathroom design includes plenty of storage.

Closets, cabinets, armoires are essential. Make room for more than just toiletries. A bathroom with room for towels and cleaning supplies may cost a bit more but will return value when its time to sell. Buyers evaluate bathrooms based not only on sinks, tubs and showers. They are looking for storage solutions too.

Your Bathroom Remodeler Matters

Picking your bathroom remodeler is a big job. Make sure you take your time. Ask friends and neighbors. Then go online and check licenses. Don’t forget to look for honest review and references. Yelp is a great place to start. That’s where Jeffery V shares his story.

“After a detailed search and a narrowed down shortlist of (5), we settled on Inspired Remodels for our master bath. Choosing them was fairly easy – they were by far the easiest and most professional of any of the other choices we looked at, and I could tell that they would handle ANY challenge (and everyone knows that happens in construction sometimes) in stride.
We were not disappointed. Great work, great people, and a genuine commitment to the customer.”

That’s the kind of glowing review you want to read about your potential bathroom remodeler.

Want to professional inspiration for your bathroom remodel? Contact Joe and Jason at Inspired Remodels.

Kitchen cabinet contractor uses Decora cabinets to give a custom look to kitchen

3 Things the Kitchen Remodel Company Knows that You Don’t

By Inspired Remodels / Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

Thinking of updating your kitchen this year? You can spend hours on Instagram and create tens of Pinterest idea boards, but there are a few things that the kitchen remodel company knows that you don’t. That’s until now. Because we are spilling the beans.

Open Storage

Ever wonder why you see open shelving in light colored kitchens? It’s because the kitchen remodel company knows that the fastest way to make a small space look larger is to use open shelving and light colors. Open shelves open the space up. You think they are there to provide a space to showcase your prettiest dishes and stemware. Your kitchen remodel company knows they are there to trick the eye into perceiving space that isn’t there.

Open shelving is also a popular trick because it is timeless. It can be used in almost any style kitchen. It just works, from country to contemporary.

Glass front shelves on both sides of the range and white cabinets make this kitchen look much larger than it is. The unfiltered light from sink windows also tricks the eye into seeing space that isn’t there. Whether you use glass doors or open shelves, open storage makes a room look bigger.

Quartz Counter Tops are Awesome

Quartz counters are gaining on granite. It seems like every American wants granite in the kitchen, but the kitchen remodel company knows quartz is superior to granite in many ways.

First, quartz is easier to work with. You don’t have to worry about imperfections in the stone or matching the stone. Second, its much easier to hide the seams on a quartz counter top. Your contractor also knows that granite can emit radon gas. Quartz does not.

The contractor also knows that years after they finish the job, the homeowner will still be happy with the quartz. It doesn’t need sealing, is impervious to stains, cleans easier, and is overall easier to maintain. In the long run, granite costs more in maintenance than quartz. You may love and yearn for granite, but your kitchen contractor knows quartz may be a better choice.

Good Design Makes a Good Kitchen

You can spend tens of thousands of dollars and end up with a bad kitchen if you didn’t start with a good design. No matter how exquisite the finishes or fabulous the fridge, if the design is bad the kitchen isn’t functional. A good kitchen remodel company knows that a functional kitchen has 3 work areas:

food prep
cooking
clean up

Each area should have room to store the things you need to perform each task. In addition, the sink, cook area, and refrigerator should be placed in a triangle. This minimizes the steps you take when cooking.

kitchen remodel company places sink, stove, and fridge in a triangle for efficient work space

The Kitchen Triangle

A good kitchen cooks as well as it looks. It’s easy to clean up afterwards as well. That means plenty of storage and easy-to-clean surfaces.

Pick Your Kitchen Remodel Company Wisely

The maxim is true, one bad apple can spoil the whole barrel. Horror stories abound about kitchen remodeling projects gone bad. Contractors abandon jobs, leaving exposed pipes or wires dangling. You must pick your kitchen remodel company wisely.

Jason and Joe Mueller of Inspired Remodels can say “trust us.” But you need to listen to what their customers say.

Joe and Jason are easygoing, smart, and calm under pressure. They made intelligent suggestions, entertained and quelled our process concerns, and managed our entire project with thoughtful attention to detail. – Dan, Foothill Ranch
Joe, Jason and team have been great. Any problems that came up they took care of for us. It is so nice to work with a company with such integrity. – Justin, San Juan Capistrano

When it comes time to pick your kitchen remodel company, call Inspired Remodels. You’ll get personal service and all the information you need to make informed decisions about your new kitchen. Call (949) 716-1938 or Contact Us today for an appointment.

Author: Inspired Remodels