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Famous words: "I will live and die in this house." PERIOD. This train of thought usually follows a major life altering event that causes a person to question their own (or a loved one's) safety for continued independent living. So why wait for a major (sometimes life altering) event to occur before addressing the elephant in the room? The truth is, this is the one time that "If it ain't broke don't fix it" approach fails because the crisis decision making takes over often co

Scope creep gives contractors a bad reputation. We have all heard the complaint: "The contractor went over budget and slapped me with a bill at the end." But did they? Scope creep happens in one of three ways: either through bad process (which we spoke about in our previous blog) or client requests. We have heard it many times: "While you are here, can you just add some extra potlights?" or "Now that we have moved this wall, I think I would like to put it back". Sometimes, th

In this line of work, its clear that renovation stress doesn't come from bad luck, it comes from lack of process. With over 30 years experience in the Ottawa area, we have learned alot when it comes to the need for structure on a job. No business can function optimally with vague quotes, constant change orders, missed timelines, messy sites and most of all unclear decisions. We have learned that preventing unnecessary stress benefits both you and us. As a home owner you sho

Basements should never be priced on square footage alone, so if your potential contractor gives you a square footage price for a job...buyer beware! Don't bother asking your neighbour what they spent on their basement either, it's irrelevant and not a good benchmark. You may have different vision and needs for your basement than they did. Square footage is a shortcut. Your basement project should be priced withdetail and purpose. Let me walk you through three most common typ

Nobody loves scrolling through Instagram renovations more than we do. You can easily find information there about the lavish lives of celebrities, their homes and endless ideas for your next home project. Who doesn't want to live the luxury life beginning their day with a bathroom "spa experience" in their own home? The truth of the matter? Instagram is lying to you. What you see in those photos is "staged" and not built for living. They may not represent what you need for fu

We are frequently asked about kitchen remodels and how much a high end luxury kitchen costs. We also hear "I could never afford the types of kitchens you do". I beg to differ... Let's face it, in today’s market, homeowners want high-end results, but they also need to spend intelligently. The good news: you can build a luxury kitchen with real quality without paying for waste. What are the three top drivers of high end kitchen costs in Ottawa and how do you get the luxury l