Never Hire A Contractor On Price For Your Cottage Renovation

What's more important when hiring a contractor, their price?or the confidence in them to work in your cottage when you are not around for long periods of time and still give you what you want and do it in an appropriate way?

If you said the price then you really are setting yourself up for disappointment as the job will most likely turn into a renovation nightmare.

What I have found in the renovation end of the construction industry is that there is a reason for some companies to be a lot cheaper then others and its not because one company is making a lot more money then the other, here are some of the main reasons;

1. They Simply Don't Know How To Estimate. Estimating takes time, energy and a lot of thought, those are 3 things that a lot of contractors do not have or want to have. A lot of contractors want to return you a quote quickly because they believe that is the way to win a job. So they put some numbers together and send you a price. This means that they actually don't know what the cost of doing your renovation actually is, they are guessing that they are putting enough money in it to do the job and to make a profit.
2. Omission. This is one of the classic things that low bidders do,they omit things on the estimate. You ask for a bathroom renovation and they price you a new bathroom. What they don't include is any of the bathroom fixtures like the toilet, sink, vanity or tub. When you ask about it later they say that it is up to you to supply them.
3. No detail on the estimate. Your estimate is short, it doesn't have any detail other then a rough outline on what you are getting in your estimate. It doesn't tell you what fixtures your getting or what your tile allowance is. This is how they can give you bill for extra's later or force you to settle for something that you don't want.
4. A verbal estimate with a full cash option. There's a reason that things are written down in an estimate, its so everyone knows what everyone gets, because of this you pay tax, to avoid tax you don't write anything down and all transactions are in cash. Sounds great until your realize that your tax avoidance plan also leaves you with no way to prove what you paid for or if you ever had hired the contractor at all. In fact engaging in an all cash deal to avoid paying tax is illegal.
5. Being A Legal Contractor Costs Money. Being properly insured, paying your taxes, paying your employees, paying your suppliers, paying your WSIB, giving warranties on your work, creating proper estimates cost money. That means that the best companies will be more expensive, it doesn't mean that they are making more money, it means they are doing everything legally and properly.

So when you are calling contractors to come and look at the work you want to be completed at your cottage (while you are not there) don't just look for the best price. Look past the price and find the contractor that you can trust to do the job right, legal and provide you with a warranty for the work that they do.

Pick security and a job done right over the bargain basement price.

Rob Abbott

Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Winter Is The Best Time To Renovate Your Cottage

Winter is not the nicest time to be at the cottage for you, especially if the cottage is older, drafty and lacks a proper heat source. This doesn't make for an ideal time to enjoy yourself, but it is an ideal time for you to have your cottage renovated.

The best time to renovate is when you are not there, not needing to use the place, this allows your contractor to get in and fix, repair or renovate everything they need to without you in the way. It actually cuts down the cost because they don't have to remove all their material and equipment every time you come up to use it on the weekend. The job can start and finish without a lot of delays.

Now sometimes in the winter, work can be slowed or delayed because of the extreme weather but because you won't be using the place until the spring it won't affect you the homeowner.

With modern technology of text messages, pictures, videos, phones calls and emails there's no reason that you can't monitor what is happening at your cottage.

Tile and flooring can be purchased anywhere and shipped to the site along with plumbing fixtures and windows. There's almost nothing that can't be done on the internet or through email to help plan and choose your finishing's for your cottage.

But you are running out of time to secure your contractor for this winter, if you don't do it soon you will miss the winter window and have to settle for a spring renovation when you want to use the place.

Start calling around for those cottage renovation contractors now.

If you are looking to renovate your cottage email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc,.

Cottage Humidity Problems?

Did you have humidity problems in your cottage this year from all the high heat and humidity this summer?

Well join the club, most people with older cottages found that there cottages were "moist" this year, wet to the point of growing surface mold in a lot of places.

With the weather getting warmer every year this summer will probably be more the norm then the exception, that means that you will need to start getting used to the high humidity.

Since high humidity is going to be common you need to come up with a plan to deal with it.

Here are some idea's to remove the high moisture content in your cottage;

Air Conditioning

Air conditioning removes moisture from the air, so the act of cooling your cottage when it is to hot does the double duty by removing the moisture out of the air. Whether its from an air conditioner that is attached to a furnace or its small window air conditioner they all work to remove humidity out of the air, doing this helps keep the cottage dryer.

 Dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers remove large amounts of moisture from the air. Whether they are the portable kind our the bigger ones that are a permanent fixture dehumidifiers do what they are designed to do and they work best when placed in a basement and left on as much as possible.

Insulation

Better insulation in the walls and in the basement slow or stop the air exchange in the cottage when the windows are closed. This allows you to regulate the humidity and the temperature more easily inside the cottage.

New Windows

New windows do the same thing as new insulation as they help regulate the air exchange in the cottage and new windows open easier allowing more airflow when there is a cooling breeze.

Whatever you do you need to do something to limit the humidity, if you do nothing you risk having mold grow unchecked in area's that does not get cleaned a lot and this can lead to health risks. If moisture builds up inside the wall cavity rot can start along with the growth of mold.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

What Parts Of Your Cottage You Really Need To Renovate

Renovating whether it is in your home or at your cottage is expensive, the cost of material and labour has steadily risen every year, especially the last couple of years. Because of that you need to be smart with your renovations, no matter how much money you have everyone has limits to their budgets. The best thing you can do is prioritize what you want to get out of your cottage and what you need to have repaired or remodeled. This will help you get the most out of your renovation budget no matter how big or how small it is.

Cottages are different then the home you live in, they are not used all the time, that means that they are closed up for long periods of time. The way you use your cottage will determine what you need to focus on. If you don't use it in the winter then the heating system isn't as important as other parts of the cottage.

Roof

The roof is one of the most important parts of the cottage and is usually the one thing that is neglected until its to late and the rain is coming in.
There's no reason to finish anything inside your cottage if there's a chance that it could be ruined by an old leaky roof.
If you don't want to re-roof then you can opt for a steel roof which will last as long as you own the cottage.

Electrical

Old cottages have old electrical. Fuses are not only annoying to change when they blow but they can also be dangerous as people will keep upsizing them so that they don't blow them as often. This can lead to electrical fires.
Updating electrical panels and wiring will help when you go to renovate, if you plan to add lighting, heaters and plugs then you need more room in your panel and maybe a bigger panel overall.

Plumbing

Old plumbing can be just as damaging as a leaky roof when they fail. Re-do the plumbing, especially if you are planning a bathroom or kitchen renovation. The cost isn't great but the new plumbing will last a life time.

Bathrooms and Kitchens

No matter if its your home or the cottage kitchen and bathrooms are always worth the renovation. Kitchen and bathrooms are used more then any other room in the cottage and renovating them always adds more value to the resale value so you never lose money if you invest in them.

Outdoor Space

4 season rooms, screened in porches and decks. These are the places that are going to be used the most and also where your going to make the most memories. Done right and they can make the cottage experience memorable.

There are always other things that you can fix or renovate in a cottage. You can renovate the entire thing if you really want too, but everyone usually has a budget, that means that you should prioritize what you want to fix. Start with the above mentioned and then if you have money left in your budget move on to some of the other rooms in the cottage that aren't used nearly as much.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Insulated Vinyl Siding

One easy way to have your old warn cottage freshened up is to change the siding on the outside of it. There are a lot of different products that you can us on the outside of your cottage;

• Wood, pre-painted or rough. Pine or cedar. 
• Cement siding (pre-painted).
• Stone, manufactured or real.
• Vinyl Siding.

The cheapest and simplest of the above is Vinyl Siding. If you are looking for an economical way to spruce up your cottage then vinyl siding is for you.

One of the biggest flaws with vinyl siding is that it has to be installed properly. If it's not installed properly then you will have pieces of siding blow off in high winds, the siding will buckle in the heat and the overall installation will not look straight with a good fit and finish. So hiring a professional that knows how to properly install it is key to the job looking good when it is finished and far into the future.

Vinyl siding has several advantages to other forms to siding;

• By far the cheapest to buy and install.
• Goes on fast.
• Many different colours and styles to choose from.
• Do not require strapping or an airspace behind the siding, this saves time on the installation.
• Can now get it with insulation built into the siding.

The last one is what I really want to talk about. Most old cottages are very poorly insulated. Either their under insulated, badly insulated or the insulation is so old that its just not effective anymore. 

New vinyl siding comes with the option of having insulation that is pre-attached to it. This makes the installation of the siding and the insulation pretty quick since the insulation is stuck to it, all you have to do is install it like any other vinyl siding and you have a layer of rigid foam insulation across the entire outside of your cottage. This also gives you a thermal break over all the studs in the house, this is especially effective in those colder months when the wind blows off the lake.

Insulated Vinyl siding even comes with insulated corners so that the entire outside of the walls of your cottage will have the same insulation value.

Insulated Vinyl Siding also has the affect of making your siding a little stronger to impact damage. When things strike the outside of the siding the insulation adds a cushioning affect to it helping it to resist cracking and breaking.

So if your cottage is looking old and tired and a little chilly in those colder months then think about some new siding, the right stuff can not only make your cottage look better but also save you money on heating as well.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Custom Home Builder Stokes Bay

These days its getting harder and harder to find a good contractor, especially in the Bruce Peninsula. The Bruce Peninsula has become a very popular spot to vacation and cottage in Ontario.

One of the things that is becoming more popular is building new custom homes/cottages in the Bruce Peninsula. One of the things that is enticing to people is the fact that you can still buy waterfront lots on the great lakes for a reasonable price.

You can buy that lot but then you have to find someone to build that new custom home for you. That's were a lot of people run into trouble, because there just isn't enough contractors on the Bruce Peninsula for the amount of custom homes that have to be built.

Well if your reading this then you might just have found your contractor.

Great Lakes Custom Homes is a builder of fine quality custom homes and cottages. We service the Bruce Peninsula and we build in Stokes Bay and Pike Bay were there are an abundant of vacant water front lots for you to choose from.

I actually have a place in Bradley Harbour so I know the appeal of living on the big water of Lake Huron.

Great Lakes Custom Homes has the contacts and knowledge to get your plans created, your driveway installed, your dock built and of course we can build you a high quality custom home for you to enjoy as a full time home or a wonderful cottage in the summer.

If your looking for a reputable contractor up the Bruce Peninsula email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com and lets see if I can help you fulfill your dreams of a new cottage.

Rob Abbott

Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Putting An Addition On Your Cottage

Your looking at buying a cottage on the Bruce Peninsula but all the cottages that are on the water are too small for your ever expanding family? Don't let that stop you from getting in on the waterfront market.

If the cottages are to small for you then you have two options, you can either buy something small and tear it down and build a new cottage OR you could simply add more square feet to the small one.

New builds scare a lot of people, so the alternative is to buy a cottage and make it bigger, adding an addition to your old cottage could be the right thing for you.

Because of the limited amount of waterfront that is available on the Bruce Peninsula you might have to settle for a smaller cottage that is in the area that you want to be, with a piece of land that works for you and of course with the water views that you really want.

If you buy a smaller cottage and then add on to it you will have the ability to use the cottage right away, even if its a little crowded.

Adding an addition to a cottage is actually easier then you think.

The first thing you will need is a proper set of plans, the plans should be drawn by an architectural technologist or an architect. They will be able to help bring your vision on to the page and then into real life, these plans will also be what you submit to the township for a permit and they will be what your contractor will use to create your budget.

Getting your plans created might be the easiest thing that you have to do, finding a contractor to do it is probably going to be the hardest.

There are a limited amount of good quality contractors that work on the Bruce Peninsula.

If you are in the process of designing your addition or thinking about an addition then you should be actively looking for a contractor, the sooner you lock one up a contractor the sooner your addition can actually be built.

Great Lakes Custom Homes is one of those contractors that works on the Bruce Peninsula.


Great Lakes Custom Homes prides themselves on building with a high degree of quality and professionalism, we believe that we are not only building for people but we are making the best kind of references for the future.

If you are thinking about putting an addition on your cottage then email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com and lets see if we can help you get that addition built.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.