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K&J Contracting

aging in place

Prepping For A Kitchen Remodel

Remodeling a kitchen is an exciting time with a beautiful and functioning kitchen to look forward to at the end! But in the meantime, you need to know what to anticipate and how to handle it. 

Here is what to expect if you live in your house through a kitchen remodel and how to prepare for it:

Make Preparations and Get Organized

Plan to do the following before demolition begins:

  • Carve out time to pack up the kitchen properly or arrange for movers since it’s a big task.
  • Think about whether some sort of refrigeration will be possible. Perhaps there’s an old fridge in the garage or a mini-fridge elsewhere in the house. It may be worth renting a small one or buying one secondhand. Just be sure there is a place you can plug it in outside the kitchen.
  • Include takeout food and restaurant expenses in your overall renovation budget. 
  • Get in the mindset of getting the groceries you need daily as opposed to shopping for the week or month. A lot of times, you just won’t have the space for that!

Set Up a Makeshift Kitchenette

If possible, set up a mini kitchen in another room. Think about what equipment might come in handy for throwing together meals. Suggestions include:

  • Coffee maker
  • Electric teakettle
  • Toaster or toaster oven
  • Slow cooker
  • Portable electric grill
  • Electric frying pan (if you have a place to clean it)
  • Mini-fridge
  • Find portable kitchen appliances

If your house has a mini kitchen or a wet bar elsewhere, you’re in luck. This is a great spot to set up. 

Think about how you’re going to handle a small-appliance cooking mess before you make it – this may involve the patio, a hose and a dishwashing tub.

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We Care About You and Your Home

Yes, it can be a bit of a hassle to live in the home while a remodel is taking place, but that is why we care so much and put a lot of effort into making sure we:

1) Contain dust and keep our jobsite clean and organized

2) Focus on great communication

3) Work tirelessly to keep the project on schedule to limit the disruption to your home and life.

How can we help you? We love what we do and love helping homeowners through the remodeling process! If you have a project in mind, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to answer any questions you have.

What We Do Before We Swing A Hammer…….

Before we ever swing a hammer, we work with you to
make sure there is a detailed design plan for your
project to ensure it stays on time and on budget!
We find that spending the time upfront to make sure
the details are clear and the selections for your
project are made, makes all the difference in your
experience during the remodel. If you’d like to learn
more about our remodeling process, give us a call
today!
BEFORE WE EVER SWING A HAMMER

How Can We Help You?

It’s a new year! January is the perfect time to stop going with the flow and start being intentional about what we want our lives to look like.

Whether you’re making significant changes this year or setting small intentions, we hope you are successful in achieving all you wish for in 2022.

How can we help you?

If remodeling your home is on your 2022 goal list – reach out!

We love what we do and enjoy helping homeowners through the remodeling process!

Simply reply to this email or give us a call today with any questions you have or to talk about a project.

Hello April!


  This has been a challenging time for, not just our community, but the entire nation as we rally together to stop the spread of COVID-19. We care deeply about our community and are eager to help support you in any way we can during this time.

If you have questions about a past project we’ve done on your home or something you’re working on completing with the unexpected increase of time at home, reply to this email or give us a call! We’d love to help answer any questions!

If you’re wanting to talk about a remodeling project you have in mind – let’s meet virtually! We can do that via FaceTime or Zoom, discuss your project, get some measurements, and share some ideas and thoughts with you. If that’s something you’re interested in, let us know.

We hope you are able to use this time to deepen your connection to those in your home. We have a strong community and we will get through this time together! Stay safe and healthy!

Hello March!

March 21st is the First Day of Spring! Spring is a time to think of new life and new beginnings. It’s the time when we undertake spring cleaning for our homes and planting seeds in our flower beds, preparing for the summer ahead. Did you know that it’s also a great time to “plant seeds” for a home remodeling project? A successful home remodeling project doesn’t happen overnight. It requires some behind the scenes thought, planning, and preparation. Doing your homework now means that when it’s time to actually start your project, you’ll be better prepared. Where should you start? It helps to prioritize your needs. A simple chart like the one you see here can help you identify your home renovation needs according to things that are “Must-haves”, “Nice-to-haves”, and “If-money-was-no-object”.



Prioritizing this way helps you budget for the things that really matter to you. But sometimes, you may find that some of the “nice-to-haves” (and even some “if-money-was-no-object” items) aren’t much more expensive because the labor/workmanship is already factored in. After you’ve determined what you want/need to do, then you can start looking at ideas on sites such as Pinterest or Houzz for ideas and reach out to us! We have experience transforming homes and can bring some fresh perspective on your space. We would love to turn your home remodeling ideas into reality. Seeing your vision for your home excites us! Reply or give us a call today to share your dreams for your home and start the remodeling process.

Hello February!

Every four years February presents us with an extra day – and this is one of those leap years!

Unconventional Thinking For Your Home

There are times when remodeling your home requires a bit of a leap as well. Maybe you want to make some changes to your kitchen, your master bathroom, or even add an extra bathroom or a media room to your home—but when you look at your existing floor plan you don’t see a way to do what you want to do. You may have to turn your conventional thinking on its head—but how?

That’s where a consultation with us can really pay off. Years of training and experience enable us to look at your situation a little differently than you do—both from a design and a structural perspective.

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you want more space in your kitchen, but the physical dimensions of the room really don’t provide any opportunity to expand. We might be able to look at that space and tell you that the wall separating your kitchen from the dining room (which you rarely use) isn’t a load-bearing wall. We could suggest taking out the wall to significantly expand the size of your kitchen—and make better use of the space. You could end up with a larger, eat-in kitchen that actually feels bigger than it is because of the open space that’s created.

Or maybe you really want more storage in your bathroom—but there’s no way to make the room bigger and there’s no space to put in another closet. Are you stuck with what you’ve got? Not necessarily. We may be able to find “hidden” space between the wall studs to install recessed shelving or cabinets.

Those are just a couple of examples of how we sometimes have a different perspective on how to use space. Where you might see wasted or unusable space (in an attic or in your basement) we may see potential. That’s why it’s important to clearly convey to us what you want to accomplish and let us draw on years of experience and knowledge to come up with a solution that meets your needs. That’s the power of unconventional thinking!

Leap Year Traditions

In addition to giving us an extra day, Leap Year has also given us some rather interesting traditions.

In 1288 the unmarried Queen Margaret of Scotland is rumored to have enacted a law that allowed women to propose to men on leap-year day. But—as a “fair warning” to the man—the woman had to wear a red petticoat.

In fifth-century Ireland, the legend is that a nun asked St. Patrick to grant women permission to propose to men after single women complained about suitors who were too shy to propose. Supposedly, he agreed and allowed proposals every leap day. While the historical veracity of these events is unlikely, the concept of having some conventions turned on their heads remains. If you need help getting creative with your remodeling needs, reply back or reach out anytime!

Happy New Year

It’s a new year and a new decade! January is the perfect time to stop going with the flow and start being intentional about what we want our lives to look like. Whether you’re making significant changes this year or setting small intentions, we hope you are successful in achieving all you wish for in 2020! You may have goals to eat healthier, develop a new hobby/skill, exercise more, read more, get more organized, or you may have some home remodeling goals like: Remodeling your kitchen to help you become more organized Opening up your floor plan to make it easier to gather with family and friends more often Transforming your bathroom to help you have more relaxing mornings Updating your laundry room to give you more storage space Renovating your kitchen to encourage you to cook at home more  If your 2020 goals are remodeling related, we’d love to help! Whether you’re looking to update your kitchen, create the bathroom of dreams, or open up your floor plan, we can help you reach your goals! How can we help you? We love what we do and love helping homeowners through the remodeling process! Simply reply to this email or give us a call today with any questions you have or to talk about a project. We’d love to help you make 2020 the year your home is transformed!  ______ Here’s a little inspiration as you look at your days! “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” – Annie Dillard
We believe that the best way to make new friends is through our old friends!
That’s why referrals are so important to us.  Please keep us in mind as you are talking to your friends/family/colleagues.

Ideas to make your home more accessible as you age

The idea of leaving your home as you age can be overwhelming and discouraging. Fortunately, there are several home modifications you can make to help your home become more accessible as you age.

Here are 3 home modifications that can help you enjoy your home while you age in place:

  • Move Your Master Bedroom to the First Floor

If your master bedroom is currently on the second floor, move it to the first floor so that you will have the option of avoiding stairs in the future. Removing rugs and replacing them with carpet can eliminate a potential tripping hazard and create a softer floor. Creating a full master suite, with an updated master bathroom, is the best way to ensure you’ll enjoy the space for years to come.

  • Modify Your Bathroom

Speaking of master bathrooms, there are many updates that make a more friendly space. A walk-in shower is one way to help eliminate trip hazards. It’s a good idea to include grab bars and a handheld showerhead as well.

  • Update Your Kitchen

Consider rounding countertop and cabinet edges to decrease sharp edges. If your stove isn’t already close to your sink, consider moving it so that you won’t have to carry heavy pots of water very far. Switching up your pantry and cabinets to include pull out drawers, as opposed to cabinets you have to kneel and reach into, is another helpful way to make sure your kitchen is functional for you and your family.

Whether you want to update your home to make it a better environment to age in place or to enjoy new trends and updated features, we’re here to help make the process easy from start to finish!