Ways to keep your Kitchen Renovation costs down:

Use quality medium grade finishes: Use stock cabinets instead of custom work and laminates instead of solids.

Work with what you have: Keep the foundation your existing kitchen.  Plumbing, electrical and structural changes should be kept to a minimum. Resurface or repaint old cupboards and update the colour of walls as paint can be an inexpensive way to change the face of your kitchen.

What’s the Plan?: Having a plan and sticking with it can save you money. Any changes or corrections midway through the renovation process can be extremely expensive.

Make it your Own: A good kitchen should not only look great, but suit your cooking and entertaining needs. It is your space…so make sure it is one your are going to love.

For further information on Kitchen Renovations click here to view our Kitchen Gallery.  For more information about the renovation process click here for the Renovation’s homepage. To request our renovation services click here for our Request A Quote form.

1. Paint:
Patch any holes or damaged areas, sand walls to achieve the right finish and add a fresh coat of paint to your walls. Touching up your base boards and moldings can make a world of difference as well.

2. Moldings
Replace old, cracked or  missing moldings in your home. This can really be the finishing touch that makes a difference. Putting up trim in the rooms of your home really showcases your wall colours, furniture or art.

3. Hardware
From your kitchen to the bathroom and everything in between, switch out your dated cabinet knobs, hooks, racks and bathroom accessories for something more modern and clean looking.

4. Flooring
New flooring can change the feel of your entire space.  Running new hardwood throughout your or home creates a sense of continuity throughout the space. This is a relatively inexpensive way of adding extra value to your home.

5. Appliances
New appliance are definitely eye-catching way to update your kitchen. Not to mention that updated appliances are more energy efficient and offer a variety of new functions and programs.

6. Cabinets
Refacing cabinets is one the most economical methods of increase the value of a kitchen. Refacing is typically about 50 percent cost of complete cabinet replacement.

7. Tiles
Those pink tiles in your bathroom are extremely easy to replace.  This is one update that will drastically change the appearance of your bathroom.  Choose a more neutral tile colour to create a sense of space in your bathroom.

8. Fixtures
Replace your faucets and sinks with more modern designs and styles. Another easy update that is inexpensive but can increase the overall appeal of any room.

9. Lighting
Older light fixtures tend to discolor over time and simply become outdated. Replacing light fixtures is a good return on investment, because of their relatively low cost compared to the costs of other upgrades in a kitchen or bathroom.

10. Tub & Toilet
Toilets and tubs come in all shapes and sizes and costs. You can take your tub & toilet from outdated to fresh and modern with relatively low costs or you can take your current tub and have it made into steam shower in jacuzzi for that added value.

Klondike Contracting can assist you with any of the above home renovations, check our Renovation home page for some ideas of where to start. We can take any room to the next level, let our in house design team help you choose materials and finishes and our general contracting team get the job done. If you are interested in having a look at your project fill out our Request A Quote form.

Joe’s is open: Mon – Sun: 9:00 pm – 3:00 am and is a perfect place to grab a drink after work or to choose as a destination for a good night out on the town.

For any of  your residential renovation or commercial renovation needs contact Klondike Contracting’s Renovation Homepage if you are interested in seeing some of our current home renovations such as bathroom renovations or kitchen renovation check out the KC portfolio. If you are interesting in requesting our services, fill out one of our Request A Quote form.

Winter Season:
Winter is never an optimal time to put your home on the market. Buyers are busy with other financial obligations such as Christmas travel and gifts.  With fewer potential buyers at this time, your home may sit on the market forcing you to lower the purchase price to sell.

2011:
Lets not kid ourselves we are still feeling the affect of the 2008 Canadian market crash. Financial institutions are taking a more conservative approach to lending and as stated by the Canadian Realestate Association “buying activity is expected to slow as Canadians will have less free floating capital to spend on large purchases”.

Vancouver Condo Market:
Keep your eye out for an Olympic Village liquidation or dramatic price reductions of the South East False Creek units. How will this affect other condo sales in other areas of the city?  It means competing with an extra 480 condos that will be flooding the market….you do the math.

So Go Ahead & Renovate:
With all that said, undertaking a home or condo renovation may be the best course of action during our current housing market climate.  Adding value to your space with main floor, kitchen or bathroom renovations is great value for your dollar and will give you a selling advantage when the market stabilizes.

Contact Klondike Contracting’s Service page for any of your Renovation needs.  We can do it all, from entire home renovations, basements, kitchens, bathrooms, additions, laneway homes. To request pricing on a project check Klondike Contracting’s Request A Quote form.

It is interesting to think about how we look at space in our home. Not all rooms are treated equally-we use some rooms more than others, most rooms in our homes serve different functions but we all want some sort of continuity throughout the different spaces of our home.  When considering a kitchen renovation should you be looking into flooring specifically for the functionality and use of the specific space or should you run one type of flooring throughout your home to achieve the aesthetic of continuity?

I spoke with Matt Robinson, Flooring Expert, from Monarch Floor and Window Coverings to see what an expert had to say about the question of functionality and use versus continuity.

I asked Matt what type of characteristics we should be looking for in kitchen flooring and what type of materials are best to use in this particular space?:

“The two main things are that it should be moisture resistant and fairly durable to constant use as kitchens can be a busy area.  The best products for a kitchen are typically tile, vinyl, luxury vinyl tile or marmoleum.
All 4 are great for dealing with moisture and can be quite durable.  Hardwood being run right through into the kitchen has become quite common these days and can work but is vulnerable to moisture.”

I asked Matt to speak to the price of products he had mentioned in his previous response:

“The most economical would be vinyl flooring but vinyl doesn’t always fit the look you are going for.  Tile quite often can fit the look but is also very hard and if you love to cook can wear on you over time. Marmoleum will cost similar to tile and has a range of looks but similar to vinyl in that it doesn’t always fit the design that is being done.”

Matt usually is catering to the needs of his clients but I wanted to know what his favorite kitchen flooring product is right now:

“If it the design of the house or condo is very much to have an open style kitchen than I am a fan of having the flooring from the living/dining area continue right into the kitchen.  If the kitchen is separated from those
areas than tile typically looks the best.  If you want to go a little different though don’t be afraid to try something like Marmoleum or something like luxury vinyl tile.”

These can be really difficult decisions for homeowners to make and I thank Matt from Monarch for providing our followers with some expert advice on how to approach flooring for their next kitchen renovation. For any burning questions about flooring check-out Monarch website. For more inspirational pictures of kitchen renovations, visit the Klondike Contracting Kitchen Renovation page or visit our general Services page to see how Klondike can be of assistance for your upcoming project.

One of our most recent completed projects called for a stainless steel countertop and integrated sink.  It served both form and function as the main countertop in the kitchen.  Our clients had a very specific goal for their new kitchen; the husband makes his own beer from scratch (not from beer kits) and needed a kitchen where he could do this and store all of this extensive equipment.  Beer making must be absolutely sanitary and the stainless steel countertop plays a very important function as well as being aesthetic pleasing.  Our very talented designer, Susan Allison, described the project as English pub meets Yaletown loft.  Here’s the dramatic before & after photo:

Before

After