Creating beautiful living spaces in the Bancroft, Haliburton and Apsley areas for over 20 years
Planning & Decorating
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PLANNING &
DECORATING
PROJECT PLANNING & DESIGN
What is really costly is bad design and planning. Projects that are well planned and designed will increase in value and are more energy efficient. Often, a well-designed 1500 sq. ft. cottage or home can feel like 2,000 sq. ft. if the design is efficient.
In Ontario, all permit applications for structural work must be accompanied by a design that is stamped by a licensed Designer or Architect. By working closely with several licensed designers, we provide a concept-to-reality, cohesive & cost-efficient building experience for our clients.
We can provide you with a Custom Design for a new building or renovation to suit your very special personal requirements. During the design process, as always, we will take into consideration your plans, your dreams, your needs, your family's lifestyle & listen to your concerns & budget restrictions.
Often a customer comes to us with their own design or blueprint to begin the project. Sometimes, this may not be budget-conscious or may require costly re-fits to comply with local building codes or practical building methods. We can help to make suitable changes to your own plans, but can often save you time & money by beginning the process with a set of plans that we help you to design.
We are constantly researching new technology, products & building methods and are always interested & open-minded about new or alternative materials, methods & designs, which provides plenty of opportunity for innovative & creative buildings. Our emphasis on Energy Efficiency can mean significant savings on fuel bills, environmental protection, and a more comfortable living space. And talk to us about how to plan your renovations to qualify for significant GOVERNMENT REBATES and tax incentives.
Choose How You Want
To Remodel
The Traditional Way
1. Find an Architect/Designer you like
2. Create beautiful/creative plans
3. Request an estimate from several
contractors
4. Go into Sticker Shock
5. Go back to designer and compromise,
compromise, compromise
6. Generate new plans
7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 until estimates
match your budget
8. Decide on a contractor
9. Overrun 10-20% on price for things the
contractor missed
10. Re-plan your life around project delays
and compromises
The Design/Build (DKGC) Way
1. Talk with DKGCs Design/Build Team,
describing your hopes and dreams for your
space
2. Discuss how use of your space will change
over the next 5-10 years. See
3. See plans that make your heart sing
4. See one estimate that meets your budget
5. Begin construction with a fixed cost and
completion date
Design/Build Remodelling means one firm is your designer, advisor, advocate and builder.
GUARANTEED ESTIMATES
PEACE OF MIND
Trust is a major factor in the success of
any contracting project.
We aim for a worry-free project from concept to completion.
Accurate proposals are based on current knowledge of the building code, constant updating of our training and skills and over 20 years of experience. All final proposals/estimates are guaranteed (with a time limit). This means no surprises when the bill arrives.
Sometimes, especially on older home renovation, it may be necessary to change the scope of work, but all changes in work contracted will be in writing & signed by all parties.
Remember that the lowest estimate is usually not the least costly in the end; if a contractor doesnt correctly anticipate all the necessary work to be done, or purposely gives a lower estimate just to secure the job, hidden add-ons can greatly increase the overall budget. We always make sure that our estimates include all the details required by our clients.
We are committed to the concept of a complete building process, and all proposals are done with careful consideration for all aspects of every unique situation. We do not have a stack of extra work orders in the wings that will eventually raise the price of the project beyond our clients' budget.
Contracts, Insurance & Warranties
We carry $5 million liability insurance and all of our crew and subcontractors are covered by WSIB, which is a very important legal consideration for anyone planning a home building or renovation project.
No one likes costly surprises!
Combined with extraordinary expectations of our crew's quality of workmanship, we assure our clients that the job will be done right the first time. Work is always done with the required permits, and inspections are done at all necessary stages to make sure no costly mistakes are made.
Some people believe that bypassing permits, paying cash and avoiding taxes means that they are getting a deal, but lose out on services and safety nets.
We guarantee all of our work for 2 years from completion, including any work done by our subcontractors.
That means that if we overlooked anything, we'll come back and fix it, free of charge. We've been in the construction business in this area for over 20 years, and we want to maintain our excellent reputation.
Happy customers mean repeat and referral business.
All of our subcontractors have any licensing required in their trade. Any new-home construction is covered by the Tarion New Home Builders Warranty. Although this warranty is required by law, many contractors are still building without this, which leaves the client with serious issues if the work is not completed to their satisfaction. We will be pleased to provide you with copies of our insurance, certificates & home warranties
We welcome you to check out our references, see other work that weve done in the area, or visit a current job site to meet the crew and see how they work as a team.
DECORATING ADVICE AND SERVICES
Our Selections Coordinator, Victoria Koppin, will be pleased to help you with decisions about interior and exterior finishes like siding, light fixtures, flooring, trim, kitchen cabinets & hardware, bathroom fixtures, even paint and fabric (like draperies & upholstery), appliances & furniture.
She has access to a world of supplier and will provide you with lots of creative ideas, current product information, catalogues, resources, samples and websites, carefully selected with your budget and lifestyle needs in mind. She can accompany you to suppliers, even shop the marketplace for you and bring or send sample products or photos to you if requested.
We try to support local suppliers if possible and you will be surprised by the variety of products available in this area. We do a lot of research to find innovative, economical and environmentally-friendly products, technology and services.
We hope that this will provide a building experience
that is less time-consuming and worry-free for our clients.
Victoria worked in the Bancroft area for 15 years as a realtor and then owned and operated an Antiques/Vintage/Home Décor shop called Divine Discoveries. She has loads of energy, a creative flair for decorating, and good common sense about the decorating and renovation process. She has been renovating her own varied living spaces for over 35 years and has the resources and organizational abilities to help you with your project. She is currently taking the necessary certificate courses to be a Staging professional, so If you need some advice about how to improve your home or cottage for sale, for rental, or to organize or enhance your living space, please call to set up a consultation appointment.
She has access to a world of suppliers and will provide you with lots of creative ideas, current product information, catalogues, resources, samples and websites, carefully selected with your budget and lifestyle needs in mind. She can accompany you to suppliers, even shop the marketplace for you and bring or send sample products or photos to you if requested.
We hope that this will provide a building experience that is less time-consuming and worry-free for our clients.
Victoria worked in the Bancroft area for 15 years as a realtor and then owned and operated an Antiques/Vintage/Home Décor shop called Divine Discoveries. She has loads of energy, a creative flair for decorating, and good common sense about the decorating and renovation process. She has been renovating her own varied living spaces for over 35 years and has the resources and organizational abilities to help you with your project. She is currently taking the necessary certificate courses to be a Staging professional, so if you need some advice about how to improve your home or cottage for sale, for rental, or to organize or enhance your living space, please call to set up a consultation appointment.
Book a free consultation with our
Selections Coordinator at:
Victoria_DonKoppinContracting.ca
ENERGY AUDITS & GOVERNMENT REBATES
Significant Federal & Provincial government rebates are available to help you to improve the Comfort and Efficiency of your home,
cottage or commercial space.
If you think you're paying too much to heat or cool your living or working spaces, you find some areas cold or drafty, you have condensation on windows, dry air, summer overheating, ice dams on roofs or peeling exterior paint, these are all symptoms of problems that an Energy Audit can help you to solve, problems that without solutions can cause health issues and considerable damage.
Almost any home, commercial building or heated cottage qualifies for this program, whether it is your principal residence or not, despite the age of the building. It is amazing how even newer buildings can have significant heat loss due to improperly placed insulation or ventilation.
In conjunction with a licensed Energy Auditor, we are now recommending this important cost-saving service for our clients. For $375.00, (up to $150.00 of which is refundable via the rebate program) the auditor does a "blower door test" to determine where energy losses occur from the attic to the basement and lists ways that these losses can be remedied and the rebate amounts available for each improvement. The owner then has up to 18 months to complete any work they decide to do, has a subsequent blower door test to determine the results, and then applies for the rebate.
Some of the work can easily be done by the homeowner, such as sealing leaks around windows and doors. Sometimes, the suggested remedies may require professional help. We can determine the costs involved, and schedule the work within the 18 months so rebates can be obtained.
For example, if you are currently considering replacing your windows, updating your insulation, planning a renovation or addition, adding an insert to your fireplace or finishing your basement, an energy audit done prior to contracting the work can save a homeowner hundreds, even thousands of dollars in provincial and federal rebates.
As of January, 2009, the Federal Budget has added even further incentive to update the Energy Efficiency of your building: a 15% tax rebate up to a maximum of $1,350.00.
And as of March 30th, 2009, the Federal Government has announced a giant 25% increase in the rebates available, which may soon be matched by the Provincial Government for their share of the rebates.
THE PROCESS
Lets talk:
We meet again:
Design Phase One:
Is everything okay?
Design Phase Two:
Work Begins!
"We're planning for the future - with energy-efficient design and advice, a "healthy home" philosophy, and environmentally-friendly building methods and materials."
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