Google the company, do they have a website or other social media that expresses who they are as a company? Are they personable and present themselves professionally? Search their Oregon CCB number for clean records and current licensing. Call references and read reviews if any are online. Does the general contractor have subs and vendors they use on a regular basis ? Can the company solve your home improvement needs by creating innovative ideas without blowing the budget?

Hire the expert-

Would you pay a mechanic to work on your computer even if the mechanic says he has worked on computers before? Probably not. It only makes sense to hire a contractor who specializes in the area you are looking to repair or remodel. Sure anybody may build a spectacular fence for you but not likely as efficient as a specific fencing company. So investigate the companies expertise, products and vendors before signing a contract.

Be cautious signing the lowest quote-

Sure the price looks great compared to the other three companies but why? Is the contractor and all the trades on the job licensed, bonded and insured? Will the service during the project meet your expectations?  How will any warranty work be handled? How does the company perform and manage the project? Does the contract or proposal appear detailed, clear and concise? Are the products going to be high quality with superior craftsmanship? Check out this home owners story below who almost went with the cheaper guy.

A home owner in West Linn received two quotes to build a fence.  An “all trade company” quoted $1000 less for a fence than a “specialty fence company”. This home owner called the fence company and said sorry we are going with the cheaper guy he is $1000 less than your price. The fence guy asked what material is the cheaper guy using. Client said “Pine” why? Fence guy educated the client about the use of pine in the NW and how it  does not hold up in our weather. He described the importance of Cedar’s longevity in the weather and explained that it costs a bit more but will last much longer and cost you less in the long run.

Needless to say the company who quoted the better materials and higher price built the fence. Always understand what you are getting with the quoted price.

• Discover a look. Such as contemporary, traditional commercial, etc. Visit the library and check out some magazines or browse the bookstore, walk a home show or even find a remodeling tour. Do some image research on the web. Write down and make copies of the little things you like and the things you don’t like, this will help communicate with the designer and contractor.

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• Establish a budget. Even if you have no idea what a kitchen should cost you still have a comfortable number in mind. It is a big investment and you should feel like you are getting a good value.

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• Make three interviews. Kitchen remodeling has endless possibilities so choose a professional who has the experience in design and building kitchens, such as design build firms. They have  multiple perspectives on how a kitchen is put together. It takes the right tools, communication and language to make your kitchen remodel flow smoothly. Selecting a company should be based on a good rapport, great referrals, a solid amount of knowledge and creative ideas. One helpful tip- Ask who their vendors are and the subcontractors they use on a regular basis. Do a little research on those companies as well. After all they contribute to a large portion of your project.

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Cover these three steps and you are off to a great start for a new kitchen.

How to AVOID a stressful remodel.

• As popular as the darker granite and marble may be, and how they can really add nice and warm contrast to your space, avoid replacing horizontal surfaces with dark materials if lighting is limited. This goes for both the counter and floor no matter what material.  Darker colors will diminish the light output from your fixtures causing you to add brighter lighting or even more fixtures. Imagine the difference that your headlights are at night when it is dry out, then imagine when it is raining and everything is wet. Much darker when wet. Same principle, light needs reflective surfaces.
• Wall surface is of course something that can be changed even when your not remodeling. Change the paint color to something that may be brighter and more reflective. Avoid darker tones on the majority of the room but use one as an accent on a smaller wall if there is a need for some contrast.
• Add contrast in small accents, it will visually trick the mind to thinking that the room is brighter when trim, fixtures or cabinet pulls are darker colors.
• Add a window if the space allows or a skylight if there Is not a second floor above. If you have a solid door to the exterior upgrade it with one that has glass.
• Select the appropriate lighting for the areas you use. Task lighting should be well thought out, think of how  the space will be used. Use a combination of direct lighting with surface mounts or hanging that flood the space. Try indirect to accent the room, often it will give an appearance that the room is larger.
• One last key component is the color of your cabinets. If you plan on replacing them or refinishing them consider a light color wood with light stain or just simply paint them white. White is still ascetically okay these days if combined with creative hardware, wall paint, floor and counter material.

Remember to think ahead when selecting your surfaces and ask if this will create too much gloomy darkness for my space.

Direct lighting

How much light is right for you? If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen good lighting is very important. Direct lighting on your workspace is important but keep in mind that shadows appear if the light source is directly above your head. Task lighting is great to light those dark places and efficient LED lighting is available for under cabinet placement. If you add a lot of lights but are worried about the energy bill then dimmer switches, LED or CFL lights are great options. You can benefit most by installing your lighting on separate zones to enable using only what lights are needed.

Durability

Think of how your space will be used. How tough are the products you are purchasing? Will they withstand the use and abuse in your kitchen? If something gets damaged how easily will it be to repair?

• Keep away from poor quality cabinets and hardware if you plan on investing in a high end granite countertop. You don’t want to destroy those expensive counters if a cabinet needs replaced down the road.
• Install a flooring that will withstand moisture ,cooking debris and of course, falling objects.
• Spend a little extra to get quality appliances if you use them heavily.
• Since a faucet can be replace at any time without any damages to other items you can go a little less expensive here and upgrade later but keep in mind you pay for what you get and it’s just best to do it once.

Design for space

When laying out your new kitchen configuration keep in mind the size of walkways in your kitchen. Each space will vary but it is highly recommended to thoroughly think this through. Think about how the space will be used or how many people will be passing through the space. Another thing to look at are the sizes and distances between your working spaces (fridge, sink, prep and cooking surfaces). You don’t want to cross over others when there are multiple people working in the kitchen. You also don’t want to walk a far distance when moving from one location to another. A helpful tip is to layout your cabinets on the floor with cardboard or construction paper to feel if the space is adequate before ordering them.

Preventive damage

An easily  over looked detail is the distance around opened cabinet and appliance doors.  A cabinet door opening too far and hitting another cabinet, drawer, handle or appliance is never a good surprise when your new kitchen is complete. Keep in mind that most doors on cabinets and appliances open beyond 90 deg. When possible use fillers between cabinets and against walls to give enough clearance when the door opens. This should be implemented in the first stages of measuring for your cabinets since the size and amount of fillers will affect the sizes of your cabinets. As shown in the photo, the fridge door stops just short of the microwave drawer when open. This Subzero refrigerator as well as a few other appliances and cabinet hardware can be adjusted to stop at 90 degrees. That allowed this cabinet to be installed without a filler which gave more space for the cabinet to be larger.