After a number of years of feverishly working to pay off our house loan, Maxine and I wrote the final loan check this Spring and decided to reward ourselves with an update remodel of the kitchen, dining and family rooms. Once we had an idea of what we wanted to do structurally and with the decor, we began looking for a contractor. We looked at a few options from big to small companies and wasn’t connecting with anyone. Then, we found Ed and Kathy on an internet search. They were local builders who caught our eye when we were checking out examples of their recent builds and reading positive feedback from other clients. Our initial visit was very encouraging as they listened to all our ideas and offered advice as to what is doable and what is reasonable within one of our objectives of a controlled budget. What resonated with us when we asked who his subcontractors were, he said, “Me.” Except for a very few jobs(installing countertop and repairing a broken window), Ed and Kathy do it all. This was very important to me. It meant the remodel would be in a continuous state of progress from day to day. No waiting days on subcontractors to come and do a single job that holds up the rest of the jobs. I also loved their openness to allowing Maxine and I to present a vision for the end result of this job and allowing us to put together the color scheme, the materials I wanted and the structural changes desired.
The remodel from the time of demolition to the final brick in the fireplace was very smooth. It does take time to do any extensive remodel as there is lots big and little jobs to do. However, I would say the time for a complete kitchen, family room and dining room remodel with Ed and Kathy was less than a small 3/4 bath remodel we did with another contractor working with lots of subcontractors. The job site was always cleaned at the end of the day which kept dust to a minimum in the rest of the house. Tools and materials were organized and kept away from harm to us and our pets(they are pet lovers, too!) None of the materials from cabinets to tile were beyond Ed’s abilities to work with. Plumbing, electrical, framing, gas lines, drywall, painting, tile work, and installation of appliances were all done by Ed and Kathy. Coming home every day was always a little bit of excitement to see what progress was made. On my days off, they didn’t mind me hanging out and observing and discussing the progress made and what steps are next. On days when we couldn’t be there, communicating any problems or needs was as simple as a phone call or text. Payment for services and materials was organized into a monthly bill over the duration of the project. Was even able to get a rough breakdown of the materials cost to plug into my budget. By the end of the project, the total cost spent for the remodel matched our projected budget. Plan, plan, plan ahead of the project and don’t go crazy with change orders.
So overall, this was a great experience. The workmanship was great, daily progress was always seen, the job site was always clean, we stayed on budget, and most importantly, Ed and Kathy were just nice people to work with. If Maxine and I were to go through this challenging experience of no kitchen for 3 months again, we would want Ed and Kathy to take us through it. Now we have a beautiful, modern and very functional kitchen and family room. We are already getting praise from family and friends. When they ask who did the remodel, I wish I could say it was all us, but of course it was Ed and Kathy at K & B Renovations that gave us this wonderful renovation project. Now, I got figure how to put a budget together to update the rest...
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