Master Bathroom

Just finished this new bathroom in Richmond Beach.  Enjoy!

A Galley Gallery

Enclosed galley kitchens may not be the most popular layout for entertaining but when it comes to working out your inner chef, they have a lot to offer.  This kitchen has excellent work and storage spaces.  The transition from sink to stove to fridge is smooth and there are several great sized countertop stations in between.  The sink wall is flanked by two full height pantry storage units with loads of space.  Check out the before and afters… not bad eh:)

From Dark and Scary to Bright and Comfortable.

I absolutely love it when we get the chance to take a dirty, dark, cold, downright scary basement and turn it into a bright, warm, comfortable space. This Greenwood basement was pretty formidable when we arrived, with cold drafts, outdated plumbing and electrical, and a reoccurring rodent problem.

We transformed the space by consolidating the utilities into a dedicated room; we reconfigured the duct work to recapture a bunch of headroom, removed partition walls that closed off the space, buttoned up the entire perimeter and added insulation, and added a 3/4 bath w/ laundry, leaving an open, versatile family room with tons of built in storage space.  According to the Cost vs Value Report, these homeowners should see a 95.3% return on their investment, not to mention that added benefit of clean, usable space.

2009-2010 Cost vs Value Report for Seattle

Every year, Remodeling Magazine puts out a detailed report highlighting various types of remodeling projects.  For each project, they display the total costs, the added resale value, and the percentage of costs recouped.  They provide local (Seattle, WA), regional (Pacific), and national averages for each project type.

In reading the report it was very encouraging to see that Seattle is above the Pacific and National averages in almost every project type listed and despite overall home values going down, many common remodeling projects in Seattle still recoup over 90% of the costs.

Here are the Top 10 projects that pay back in Seattle:

1-  Entry Door Replacement   107.6%

2-  Attic Bedroom Addition     102.2%

3-  Window Replacement         98.0%

4-  Basement Remodel           95.3%

5-  Deck Addition                   94.9%

6- Minor Kitchen Remodel       93.2%

7- Major Kitchen Remodel       90.9%

8- Roofing Replacement          89.3%

9- Two Story Addition             83.5%

10- Bathroom Remodel           81.0%

If you’re interested in reading the entire report with National and Regional Averages, CLICK HERE.

Sacrifice Features to Grow Small Spaces?

Sometimes, in order to gain the space you desire in a remodel, you have to eliminate what could be considered a feature.  In this case it was a side door.  In weighing out the option to remove this door, the homeowners had to consider the costs versus the benefits- not only for their immediate use, but for the longer term value of the home.

In this case it made sense to remove the door because the side yard that it accessed was very small and wasn’t being used.  They already had access the back yard through the basement door and getting to the front yard was much easier thru the front door.  The benefit of removing this door far outweighed the sacrifice of direct access to the side yard.  It allowed us to double the storage space in this kitchen and create a spacious working environment with ample counter-space for an avid baker.  We think that you will agree, that removing the door was the right call on this one, check out these before and after shots.

Screening Your Contractor.

We here at GT Residential Contracting believe that it is imperative that you prescreen your contractor.  

Check their license status at https://fortress.wa.gov/lni/bbip/Search.aspx

Make sure they are carrying the appropriate amount of Liability insurance to cover your job, and make sure they have the proper workers compensation accounts active.

Also, check several references.  Find out if they delivered on their promises and met their budgets.  How did their employees act in your neighborhood?  Did they keep a clean safe job site?

And lastly…. and possibly, most important…. MAKE SURE THEY ARE SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC FANS!!!!!!!!

A Deck with a View

Take a minute and check out our flickr albumn of this deck addition we recently finished.  It went from a small, deteriorating deck that you couldn’t even fit a chair on, to a spacious master suite balcony fit for entertaining or relaxing with your sweetie while the kids play….

on the other side of the house.  See the whole transformation HERE.

Making the Most of Your Space

Here is a great way to utilize some previously un-used space.  Behind this cabinet and wall is the stair well going down to the basement.  By recapturing the unused head space in the stairwell, we were able to install a custom pantry in this kitchen, adding some much needed storage space in a small kitchen in Ballard.  Do you have any nooks and cranny’s that can be useful storage?

Recycling made simple.

Another small, simple way to live more sustainably.  When we haul your construction debris from the job site, we don’t just toss it all in the big pile at the dump.  We take the extra few minutes to separate the recyclable material from the trash.  For example, the cardboard your cabinets showed up in can be recycled into more cardboard and other shipping materials.  Clean wood (non painted, non stained or treated) can get chopped up into bits and flakes and made into plywood… the stuff that sheathes your entire house.  This is what happens when all the debris magically disappears from your driveway!

Mill Creek Kitchen

We’ll always remember this project for its simplicity… both in design, and execution.  It is a testament to homeowners taking the time to get a good plan in place.  They knew what they wanted, the did the research before hand, they selected great materials, and we showed up to implement a great plan.  They were also, thoughtful and timely in responding to our questions when challenges arose during construction.  We thoroughly enjoyed this job.   Here are some sample pictures, check out the slideshow HERE.