Ridgecrest Homes Blog | Ridgecrest Homes

Hiring A Remodel Contractor

You are finally tired of your 20 year old oak kitchen cabinets and ceramic tile counter tops. You have spent hours upon hours on Houzz adding photographs to your idea books, you know exactly what you want. It is now time to hire a remodel contractor to create the modern kitchen of your dreams. You have called around to find a reputable custom remodel contractor and you think you know who you are going to hire. Before you decide to hire a remodel contractor for you next home improvement project, you should verify they have valid insurance and licensing. Reasons for checking include: Protecting your liability Validating solid contractors and discovering unscrupulous ones And, did we mention, protecting your liability Truth be told, licensing is pretty easy…unless you have something to hide, like a poor record, no insurance or you don’t want to report your income for taxes. Insurance, on the other hand, can be expensive, not nearly as expensive as paying for a catastrophic loss, but still expensive. Of course, just like your car insurance, the premiums increase if you have too many accidents. If you hire a home remodel contractor and they are working on your property...

Turn Your Backyard Into an Outdoor Living Space

Today I was sitting in my car, headed to our Sherwood, OR office, relishing the beauty of this amazing spring day. It is 71 degrees, the sun is shining and the BBQ is calling my name. Today is the kind of day that I think everyone needs to have an outdoor living space! In a recent article from in the Home section of the website howstuffworks.com, they listed the following Top 10 Ideas for Outdoor Living Spaces: 10. Be Bold with Color – Earth tones might look nice in your living room, but in the outdoors they’ll shrink and blend in with the surroundings. 9. Create Drama with Lighting – The holidays aren’t the only time to string up some lights in your outdoor spaces. 8. Go Big with an Outdoor Kitchen – The kitchen is the heart of any home, so it should follow that an outdoor kitchen would be where the action is in any outdoor living space. 7. Add Warmth with a Fireplace or Fire Pit – Controlling fire is what helped define humans and separate us from other animal species, and fire still captivates us. Adding an element of fire can instantly transform an otherwise ordinary space...

Budgets, Estimates and Bids – know the difference, enjoy a less stressful project

We frequently receive inquiries from prospective clients, asking if we could, “take a look at their project…”, and then tell them what their project will cost? Many times, they go on to say, “We’re getting three prices and then we’ll decide who we want to work with”. Seems reasonable, right? Especially since almost every magazine article or TV show suggests getting three quotes. In reality, it is not always that simple, as the “three quotes” are often hard to compare, with very different levels of detail and a wide spectrum of pricing. Many people are not clear about what’s being promised, opt for the low bidder, and then get frustrated when their project costs far more than that original “quote”. The scope of work, materials and details are all significant parts of the cost calculation for any construction project. The more specific and detailed the client is (with what they are asking for), the better the odds are that they will be able to get accurate pricing for their project. Scope, materials and details are an entire conversation in themselves, though, and there is another aspect of gathering price information; bids versus estimates versus budgets. Let’s take a look...

Patio Options

Making the most of your outdoor living space is an important part of creating the home of your dreams. If you’ve been living with a plain old patio, you should understand that you have many different options available to you. You can transform that patio from a dull, dreary place to an amazing outdoor living space in virtually any way that you might want. One of the most popular options right now is to convert your patio area into an outdoor kitchen. This can be done in multiple ways, including adding a new slab adjacent to the current patio slab to provide more space for dining and relaxing. A skilled backyard contractor can create an outdoor fireplace, can install outdoor cooking equipment and much more. Your outdoor kitchen can be as quaint or luxurious as you want, with options ranging from brick to sleek stainless steel. Another option here is to turn your patio into an outdoor living space where the family can gather. It doesn’t need to be a kitchen, but you’ll need enough room for comfortable furniture and at least a table or two. However, you needn’t go to even that length if you do not wish...

Spring Home Touch Ups

Spring bring with it warmer weather, blooming flowers and lovely new green growth everywhere. It’s a time of renewal, a time of rebirth. It’s the ideal time to renew your home with some simple, effective spring touch ups, as well. Working with a remodel contractor can help you add more beauty and usability to your home in some surprisingly simple ways. What should you know? Changes to the Entryway The entryway to your home is more than just an access point. It’s part of your home’s personality and style, and other than the exterior of your home, is one of the things responsible for the first impression first-time visitors get of your home. You can improve the entryway in a number of ways, from building a foyer to adding a beautiful new front door, a copper awning and more. Renewing Windows You can also make changes to your home’s windows. You can add double-paned windows, look into energy efficient options that block harmful UV rays from penetrating inside, and much more. Working with a remodel contractor can allow you to completely change your windows at a lower cost than you might expect. Add Insulation With spring here, that means...

Make it a Great Room

Remodeling your home is an important consideration, particularly if you want to build in more enjoyment without the immense cost and time expenditure involved with buying a new home. Working with Ridgecrest Homes, a custom remodel contractor, can provide you with the means to create the ideal living space for you and your family, and can offer innovative design options, like combining your kitchen and greatroom. A combined kitchen and greatroom offers quite a few advantages. For instance, the kitchen is the most used room in the home, and the most likely place for people to gather. Opening it up to the living room to make one large room gives you convenience and other benefits. People seated in the kitchen can interact with those in the living room, and you can still add definition and the illusion of “separate” space by arranging your furniture properly. By opening up the kitchen to the living room and creating a “greatroom,” you can also change the entire feel of these areas. You gain the ability to add different lighting, to extend the same type of flooring throughout both rooms and to even tie in your kitchen cabinetry with furnishings and other elements...

How to Choose a Remodel Contractor

Remodeling your home is one of the best ways to achieve a number of goals. You can add considerable value to your home if you’re considering selling it down the road. However, you can also add more enjoyment to your current home by expanding it. Whether you’re contemplating an addition or looking at a kitchen remodel or a bathroom remodel, you’ll need the help of an experienced remodel contractor. How do you ensure that you choose the right professional? It all begins with research. You can’t afford to hire a remodel contractor blindly, so be prepared to do a little digging. First, start building a list of contractors in your area capable of offering a kitchen remodel or bathroom remodel project (or whatever other project you need). Look for recommendations from family and friends, but also check the Internet and even the phonebook. Once you have an initial list built, you will need to start your research. There are several factors about each contractor that you’ll need to consider. For instance, you will certainly want to find out how long they have been in business. While there’s nothing technically “wrong” with hiring a remodel contractor who has only been...

Custom Cabinets

If you’re thinking about giving your kitchen a makeover, consider having your custom remodel contractor forego the standard cabinetry and getting some custom cabinets built instead. A skillful custom remodel contractor, like Ridgecrest Homes, can build you kitchen cabinets that will not only look absolutely stunning and turn your kitchen into a showplace, but provide a wide range of useful features that you won’t find anywhere else. Custom cabinets are an art form where craftsmanship meets functionality, with nifty extra features like a spice rack pull out, so that all of your spices can be easily stored and accessed. No more searching through a jumble of small bottles, dropping them on the stove or having them fall on your head when you open the cabinet door. A microwave drawer frees up counter space and places your microwave conveniently and safely at hip level for easy access. With custom cabinets, you can choose the wood type, stain color and finish, cabinet door style, moldings and decorative hardware. Select the number and layout of shelves, drawers and other types of storage space. Add built-in cutting boards, appliance cubbies, glass door panels, wine racks and more for your very own, signature kitchen...

Depot Bay Remodel

Ridgecrest Homes was brought in to renovate this Depot Bay kitchen….. Gutted and ready to get started… New Merbau hardwood flood floor material ready to be installed. Finishing up cabinet installation New kitchen cabinets… Almost finished…. Paint and finish being applied to cabinets and interior woodwork Paint and finish being applied to interior doors Taped off and ready to paint…. New counters and sink…. Finally their dream kitchen!

Turning Your Master Bedroom Into a Sanctuary

Remodeling homes is the best way to make the most of your budget while giving you additional space and the look and feel that you want. In fact, more people are choosing to hire a remodel contractor to reinvigorate their homes than opting to buy new homes these days. One of the most popular options in terms of home remodeling is to hire a custom home contractor to transform your master bedroom into a sanctuary from everyday life. Why would you want to remodel your master bedroom? Why not start with the kitchen or the bathroom? While kitchens are certainly the most popular room in the home to remodel, this is technically family space. By opting to remodel your bedroom, you are able to build a hidden sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of an overscheduled life. You can create a hidden oasis that’s yours and yours alone, without the worry that you’ll have others intruding on your solitude. What can you do to transform that master bedroom from a place only for sleeping to a secluded hideaway? An experienced remodel contractor can give you an amazing range of options, or you can come up with your own...

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