Lisa and Paul love where they live.  I mean who wouldn't?  They have a little space and room for their pony and goats whom our kids delighted in during this project.  Our kids also delighted in the endless supply of Pringles and LaCroix left by Lisa.  We really are lucky to work for such lovely people!  

​Lisa and Paul want to stay put.  And they also wanted an updated space.  And boy, did they ever get one, including:

• a new master suite including a brand new master bath with steam shower and freestanding tub
• a new master closet
• a new hall bath
• a new powder room
• new carpet, refinished hardwoods and newly tiled entryways
• new paint throughout
• new interior doors and trim throughout
• new exterior doors
• new baluster
• a new fireplace and fireplace surround and mantle
• and even some new windows

This was a huge project.  Paul and Lisa were troopers through COVID and all.  We are grateful for them and hope that we can come back and visit the animals someday soon!

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Bunn & Sons Home Renovations is a full service general contracting business specializing in design/build kitchen and bath remodels in Broomfield, Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Arvada and Westminster, Colorado.  Give us a call today at 303.625.4045 or hello@bunnandsons.com.

It has been such a delight to work with Gina and Ryun.  Gina is a mover and shaker in our community.  She works hard to serve many, many people and we are so happy to be able to give her a space of her own to retreat and relax.  

Updates include:

• A brand new five piece master bath with claw foot tub, new tiled shower, his and hers vanities
• Luxury vinyl plank throughout the upstairs
• An expanded master closet
• A custom barn door 
• Replacement of a baluster wall with a baluster rail
• And the rest of the works - new paint, base and case, lighting fixtures, plumbing, etc.

​This project was also a fun one for us because it is one of the first with our new cabinetry line and it's one of our first that we were able to see through from design to completion with our new designer, Lori!  She did beautiful work here.  
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We are grateful for Gina and Ryun's patience through these crazy COVID times and hope they enjoy their new space for years to come!

Dave & Brenda are troopers.  They stuck with us through all the COVID craziness and have been wonderful to work with.  They wanted to open up their kitchen from the day they moved in 17 years ago.  They also wanted to add cabinetry in their laundry room.  They finally decided to take the plunge and update so they could enjoy the updates while they still live there!  They also updated the rest of the laundry room, refinished their hardwood floors and updated the fireplace surround.

We asked them what their favorite part of their new space is and they said, "Hmmm...it's hard to decide which is our favorite updated space as we love it all!  The renovations have updated our living spaces and we love the look and functionality."

The most satisfying aspect of our work is seeing people happy in their new spaces!  Thank you, Dave & Brenda for trusting us with your project.  We hope you enjoy it for years to come!!

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Bunn & Sons Home Renovations is a full service general contracting business specializing in design/build kitchen and bath remodels in Broomfield, Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Arvada and Westminster, Colorado.  Give us a call today at 303.625.4045 or hello@bunnandsons.com.

We love Missy & Kevin.  They are some of the nicest people around and this is the second project we've done for them.  They remodeled their kitchen a few years ago and were looking for an updated fireplace, flooring, powder room and baluster in their main living area.  It's been fun to see this one progress and we are so grateful to have been able to help them out again!

Taylor and Carly are young and fun and so so sweet.  And this year they added a new little peanut to their family.  But before they did, they redid a huge portion of their home converting it from Taylor's bachelor pad to an updated space to welcome home their new addition.  Their renovation included a finished basement (their had flooded), new laundry room, new hardwood flooring on two levels, updated bathrooms and an updated baluster.  It's a lovely home and we are so excited for them to enjoy it with their baby girl!

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Bunn & Sons Home Renovations is a full service general contracting business specializing in design/build kitchen and bath remodels in Broomfield, Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Arvada and Westminster, Colorado.  Give us a call today at 303.625.4045 or hello@bunnandsons.com.

North Boulde,r or "NoBo" as it's affectionately referred to by locals, is a trendy new development with fun shops, lots of condos and easy access to the foothills.  Dave reached out to us to remodel his condo's master bath.  He brought creative ideas to the table that make this a unique space including a sleek tile layout and custom vanity, shelf and privacy wall.  The dark floor, bright walls and warm wood make it a spa-like space that turned out just lovely!  Thanks for trusting us with your project, Dave!  We hope you enjoy it for years and years to come! 

Every time I think our clients can't get better we meet new ones that blow me away with their kindness!  Nancy and Asa are just that way.  They are so nice, fun and easy to work with that they basically just spoiled us for the time we spent converting their unfinished basement into a guest suite and living space complete with custom barn doors, a sparkling new bathroom and cozy living room for watching all the sports and drinking all the bourbon.  

It turned out to be a bright and happy space for them and visitors alike.  We hope they enjoy it for years and years to come!

Best,
​Brook

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Bunn & Sons Home Renovations is a full service general contracting business specializing in design/build kitchen and bath remodels in Broomfield, Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Arvada and Westminster, Colorado.  Give us a call today at 303.625.4045 or hello@bunnandsons.com.

It's been a crazy couple weeks, am I right?  The coronavirus crisis has impacted us all in varied ways.  We hope, sincerely, that you are all doing ok.  We are hanging in there, but it is a trying time for small businesses for sure.

Having a little extra time on my hands has afforded the luxury of catching up on some to-do's that have been sitting on my white board for a while, such as, you know, updating our portfolio/blog.

This little project is near and dear to my heart, because it's our project!  We live in a 1973, tri-level, 1500 square foot house...with four kids!  Two of which are now potty trained.  We realized that our upstairs bathroom, which we all share, was going to soon be overrun by all the little people needing to simultaneously shower or use the potty and brush teeth/do hair/wash hands, etc.  Not to mention, that the grownups might also want to be able to do those things in privacy too!

The tile was also crumbling and there were some super fun hairline fractures in the plastic bathtub that we were a ticking plumbing disaster time bomb.

To make it all work, we put in a wall with a pocket door that would separate the toilet/shower from the vanity area.  We also increased the vanity size to accommodate two sinks and medicine cabinets.  The vanity also has enough drawers that the small people can have their own someday.  

On the beauty side, I stole ideas from all our clients basically.  They all have great taste from Bethany's light fixtures and medicine cabinets to Elisse's tile selections.  It was fun to put it all together in our own way, but knowing that some really lovely people aided in the inspiration.

Now that all the noisy construction is done, we are really enjoying the new space and most especially the new door. :)

All the best,
​Brook

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Bunn & Sons Home Renovations is a full service general contracting business specializing in design/build kitchen and bath remodels in Broomfield, Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Arvada and Westminster, Colorado.  Give us a call today at 303.625.4045 or hello@bunnandsons.com.

Scott & Elisse are so sweet!  They've been some of the most laid back clients we've ever had and they picked such fun, vibrant colors in their bathroom.  The wall-covering is super fun and ties in to the blue accent tile shower wall perfectly.  It's been awesome working with them and we hope they enjoy their bathroom for years and years to come!

One of our most recent home remodeling projects was inspired by HGTV's Fixer Upper.  Joanna Gaines has great style!  But it got me thinking about the differences between home buying and fixing up in reality vs. what it looks like on reality TV.  I asked one of my favorite Realtors in the Denver metro area, Holly Carpenter, to give us the low-down on three of the key differences she sees between reality TV and home buying reality - especially in this hot Denver market.  Holly is truly wonderful both as a person and a real estate expert.  I would highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for a home!

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HOME BUYING IN THE REAL WORLD     
By Holly Carpenter, Broker Associate
LIV Sotheby’s International Realty 
Holly.Carpenter@SothebysRealty.com, 303.589.7449

If you’re considering buying a new home, it’s likely that your weekly TV line-up includes thereality show, House Hunters, on HGTV.  We all love to weigh the pros and cons of the three homes the buyers have toured and guess which one they’ll choose. They make it look so easy!
 
If you’re a first-time buyer or if it’s been years since your last home purchase, you might be basing your homebuying expectations on your favorite reality show.  
 
Here’s some insight on what buying a home in the Denver metro area is really like.   
 
Low Inventory – While the rapid year-over-year price appreciation in our metro area has cooled, the inventory of available homes is still at a historical low.  This means, unlike shown on House Hunters, there may not be three homes to see in one weekend that match your search criteria. Depending upon the neighborhood your targeting and your price range, you may need to watch for new listings over a period of weeks before you find three that are worth a look.
 
Competition – Lack of inventory fuels fierce competition amongst buyers.  On television, buyers leisurly select their favorite house and decide to move forward with an offer.  In reality, our Mile High market requires buyers to act rapidly.  Homes that are priced right and show well often have multiple offers and “sleeping on it” isn’t an option.   
 
Timing – The period from the day your offer is accepted to the day you move in is longer than a commercial break.  Typically, it’s a 30-day process from contract to closing, but it could be longer if the seller needs to find a replacement home.  In a competitive situation, the move-in date is a negotiation point you’ll want to address in your offer.  Being flexible with your move-in date is just one of many terms that can make your offer stand out from the competition.  
 
Inventory, competition and timing vary widley across price points.  For example, a home in the Denver metro area priced under $500,000 has a much larger pool of potential buyers than a home priced over $1,000,000. If your budget is under $500,000, be ready for some competition.  If you’d like a micro-market report for more insight on your specific price point and neighborhood of choice, contact me anytime.  
 
Happy Hunting!
Buying a home in the real world is a bit different than reality television. It’s a process that takes time, patience, and perseverance, but owning a new home is well worth it!

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Bunn & Sons Home Renovations is a full scale general contracting business specializing in design/build kitchen and bath remodels in Broomfield, Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Arvada and Westminster, Colorado.  Give us a call today at 303.625.4045 or hello@bunnandsons.com. ​

We are so excited to mix up our project blog posting this time around to bring you a Q&A post from the homeowners of our latest finished project which was a whole house remodel in Lafayette.  Bethany and Mike are about the cutest couple you can imagine.  They are young and joyful and recently purchased their first home.  Bethany was kind enough to take a few minutes to answer a few of my questions about her project.  We are so happy with how it turned out and hope they enjoy it for years to come!

​What was something that was more challenging than you expected about doing a big remodeling project? 
It's extremely time-consuming! Even though it was super great to have someone else managing all the sub-contractors and details of the project (plug for hiring a GC!), there were SO. MANY. DECISIONS. I really had to convince myself daily that all the hours I was spending researching colors, fixtures, design elements, etc. would be worth it in the end. It was also stressful when things went wrong (which they inevitably will with a major project), so it's helpful to set your expectations ahead of time about things not going perfectly.

Where did you find most of your inspiration for the design/look of your project? 
Most of my inspiration came from Fixer Upper (which is the most cliche answer, but true!). I really like Joanna Gaines' style of design so I took a lot of inspiration from the show. I also spent hours on Pinterest (too many hours, probably) pinning photos that had elements of my style. Having photos for inspiration also makes it a lot easier to describe to the contractor/designer what you're wanting in a space--I was constantly pulling up photos and using them for reference.

What are a few of your favorite fixtures in your space? 
The freestanding bathtub and marble hex tile in the master bath. In the kitchen, the natural wood barn door and matching open shelves. All the light fixtures throughout the house that tie together. It's hard to pick only a few! I just love the cohesiveness of everything.

Bunn & Sons Home Renovations is a full scale general contracting business specializing in design/build kitchen and bath remodels in Broomfield, Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Arvada and Westminster, Colorado.  Give us a call today at 303.625.4045 or hello@bunnandsons.com. 

Remodeling projects are some of the most expensive investments you'll ever make.  How do you know you're entrusting your hard earned cash, home and all those who live there to someone trustworthy?​

Before I became a construction company owner, I worked for over a decade in the business world.  One of my business gigs was franchise consulting for a large tax corporation.  My job was to help franchisees fully maximize their connection to our brand and do my best to advise them how to grow their business.  I quickly learned that the best tax professionals often didn't have the skill set to be effective tax office owners.  

The same is true in the construction world.  Just because someone knows how to build beautiful things, doesn't mean they have a lick of business acumen.  

We've personally seen terrible mismanagement in the form of a low-bid contractor who literally shuttered his businesses overnight.  Another walked off a half-way completed job when he realized money had run out.  We've seen terrible final products including foundations that didn't support additions properly, load bearing walls left unsupported, leaky tile jobs and rotten exterior walls just to name a few.​
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What do all of these projects have in common?  They were either done by a low-bid contractor or a contractor who had no idea how to manage a project effectively combined with a homeowner who didn't fully consider the value of a good contractor.  

What is the difference between cost and value?
Cost is defined as "an amount that has to be paid or spent to buy or obtain something".  Value, includes cost, but encompasses much more.  It is "the importance, worth or usefulness of something" and/or "a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life."  

Cost is simply the dollar value placed on a project.  
It's the price tag and nothing more.  It's a piece of the value proposition, but isn't the only factor in determining value.  

Value is everything else you care about in regards to your project.  
It's making sure the final product is useful and worth what you paid for it. It's a project completed with great communication, high standards, in a timely manner and with quality that will last for years. It's alleviating the pain point that's causing you to want to demolish part of your living space and rebuild it despite the inconvenience that will bring.  And much more...

Here are some questions to help weed out insolvent, sketchy or just plain clueless contractors by considering not just the cost of a project, but also the value of a project and a good contractor.

Important questions to ask yourself about value:

• Why is this project important to me and/or my family?  
• How will a new kitchen/bathroom/basement improve my life?  
• What pain point will it eliminate?  Will it give us more space, better function, an updated look, a place for our parents/kids to live, etc.  
• Is it worth the temporary inconvenience that it will cause?
• If I'm considering a low bidder, what will that mean for the quality of the project?
• Do I like the contractor and others who work for him/her?  Does he/she seem like someone I would like to interact with everyday?  

Important questions to ask potential contractors about the value (or liability) they bring to the table:
Communication & Customer Service:

• Tell me about your communication style. How often will you visit my job site, answer my calls, emails and texts?
• How will you handle situations when something goes wrong with materials or subcontractors?
• What do you do to mitigate construction mess?
• Do you have a list of past clients I can speak with?
• Tell me about a time when a client was disappointed.  How did you handle the situation and what did you learn from it?​

Solvency:

• How do you calculate your deposit amount and what do you do with deposits?  
• How can I ensure you won't spend my deposit before any materials are ordered for my project?
• Which subcontractors can I speak with? (Ask them if they get paid timely. Did you know subcontractors can put liens on your house if they aren't paid timely?)
• What's your current ratio? (If they don't know what this is or can't provide it, they have no idea if their liabilities exceed their assets. You're looking for a number greater than 1.)
• Are you charging enough to cover overhead and make a profit? (I mean, you want them to be in business for the long haul, right?!)

Time Management:

• How many projects do you work on simultaneously? 
• How can I ensure that my project will progress in a timely fashion?
• What kind of delays have happened on past projects & how did you deal with them?

Subcontractors:

• How will I know that there are good people working in my house since my spouse, kids, animals and valuables live there too?
• How frequently have you worked with your electrician, plumber, painter, framer, etc.?
• What qualities do you look for in your subcontractors?
• Tell me about a time when a subcontractor didn't meet your or your client's expectations.  What did you do?
• Are your subcontractors insured?

Integrity:

• Are you insured?
• Will you permit my job, so that the city doesn't close down my project before completion?
• What kind of materials will you use and how will they hold up for the long haul?
• Why do you enjoy this kind of work?
• Do you have a construction agreement that will spell out your responsibilities and mine, payment terms, etc.?

Planning & Project Management

• Will the end product of this renovation be what I want?  How will I ensure that before you ever swing a hammer?
• How can I ensure that we will be on the same page about the plan for this project?
• Who does design work for your projects?  Who is your architect?
• What kind of project management software do you use for communication & scheduling?

Experience:

• How long have you been doing this kind of work?
• Tell me about a project you've done that's similar to mine.
• What is your web address and where are you rated online (Yelp, Facebook, Houzz, etc.).
• Which structural engineer do you work with and do we need one for my project?
• Tell me about your business/project management experience (not  construction experience, but experience running a business...they are two very different things!)

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There are about 100 more questions that could be asked to uncover the true value of the contractor you are interviewing.  

From a contractor's perspective, we've learned that we can't be "cheap", because we don't want to provide a cheap final product.   

When shopping for a contractor, make sure to consider value in addition to cost to help avoid a construction nightmare.  We hope these questions will help you do just that!

All the best,
Brook

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Bunn & Sons Home Renovations provides general contractor, kitchen and bath remodeling, basement finishing and custom carpentry services in the Broomfield, Arvada, Louisville, Lafayette, Boulder, Westminster, Erie and other North Denver Metro areas.  Contact us at hello@bunnandsons.com or 303.625.4045 today!

Bradburn is a community in Westminster that's new, but still charming.  With an intentionally small-town feel in the middle of 'burbs, it's got a hopping little city center with yummy restaurants, shops, row homes and offices. If you're looking for a fun breakfast spot, check out Early Bird.  Or ice cream?  Head over to to 5280 Ice Cream on a warm summer afternoon.

Bradburn is also the location of our latest kitchen, powder room & mantel remodel for Deana & Stew. I keep saying it over and over again, but we seriously work for the best people (we are picky like that!).  

Deana was constantly sending home cookies and other treats for us and told Tom he could have free reign in her pantry as long as he let her know what she needed to replace. :) She and Stew have been a joy to work with and so supportive of our ever growing family...oh yeah, we also had twins during their project.  A lot has been going on around here!  Amiright? 

This kitchen turned out just brilliantly.  I mean, it practically glimmers with its bright and inviting quartz countertops, white and gray cabinetry, Dacor stainless steel appliances and custom made barn door, cafe door, island, floating shelves, butler's pantry and more.  
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The redesign also included a new single french door, updated powder room, refinished walnut floors and an updated mantle.  

The end results are something we are really proud of and hope Deana and Stew enjoy it for years and years to come!  We are grateful for the opportunity to put it together for them! 

Friends!

This project was so fun to watch.  The transformation was, well, incredible.  Before you look at the pictures in this post, I want you to close your eyes and imagine this basement in its before state - envision a dark basement with cement and paneled walls and no egress window.  It was the kind of basement you hope you don't get attacked by spiders in when braving it to do your laundry.  

Now, it is so lovely.  With the addition of a bedroom/sitting room and bathroom, Scott and Isidora will have a lovely guest suite for visiting family and friends. The added egress window brings in a ton of light and adds safety in case of an emergency. We reused the original doors, deep sink and Scott refinished the original windows so it retains it's 1920's charm while getting 2019 worthy upgrade of comfort and warmth (think beautiful barn doors!).

We are so pleased with how this project turned out and are grateful to know Scott and Isidora.  With every project, we feel like our little construction family grows and by the end of them can't imagine not knowing the friends we've made after spending so much time in their homes.  

Scott and Isidora have been a true pleasure to work with and were insistent on celebrating along the way with after work beers with Tom and some fancy pants whiskey after final inspection!

Our job is fun and we are grateful!
- Brook

Guys - you have to check out this kitchen!

In order to make the best use of the space, the kitchen and dining room were actually flip-flopped.  Two giant windows and a french door were added to let in tons of natural light and show the fun terraced landscaping in the backyard.  Heather & Kevin picked out two-toned cabinetry for that extra pop and painted all the trim black. I love all the finishing touches they picked out: the farm sink, the pendants, the fun backsplash tile...It all turned out so lovely!  And we hope they enjoy it for years and years to come!

Best,
​Brook