This issue’s musings ponders how to be sure a contractor’s competitive bid is fair, accurate, and complete. Not only is comparing apples to apples important, getting to the apple core is equally essential. The Seed for a Shiny Apple Place yourself in the contractor’s position. How would you determine how much a project is going to cost before you actually do the work, and also be certain it is exactly what the homeowner wants? You would need a very clear description of every aspect of the... more

His own nightmarish experience as a client inspired Wade Freitag to found one of Portland’s most respected design/build firms, Craftsman Design and Renovation. An architectural designer at the time in 1994, Freitag hired a general contractor to restore his 1907 dream “fixer” home but ultimately finished the job himself. Arts and Crafts kitchen integrates period style cabinets with the latest appliances for a timeless design. Mid-Century kitchen combines restored and new cabinets... more

When you want to “renovate” an old home, sometimes stuff happens, and you just have to roll with the punches. When Noel Larson’s house suffered a house fire, the first thought was to do the usual fire restoration, such as remove the charred wood and alleviate the smoke damage and smell. This would have been tough enough, on this noble 1914 French Provincial stucco home right on Alameda ridge in Portland; but things were bound to get more complicated. And then, more complicated still. Fortunately,... more

In the world of “Do It Yourself,” there are the wannabes and the masters. Fred Smith is one of the masters. I have been involved in construction all my life, and have seen good jobs and not-so-good jobs. A lot of time, when people want to do part of the project themselves, I cringe, because I know that their workmanship will reflect on the overall job…and it usually isn’t very good. So when Smith said he was going to do “every-thing” except install the cabinets, I was a little skeptical.... more

Richard and Marie* were frustrated with the building of their dream house. What should have been a nine-month project was taking 18 months and they didn’t know how to motivate their contractor. The situation was definitely complicated. Because they were building out of town and building a log home, they had limited choices when choosing a contractor. Add to that, the contractor lived four hours from the job site, which made it more difficult to manage. They didn’t know how to get the contractor... more

Being your own GC can be a lot easier when using experienced consultants. Tom and Marie Quarles bought their acreage in Beaver Creek with a 1980s era home that they planned to remodel into what Marie, a gourmet cook, called a “truffle house” — not too large but very rich inside. They hired their friend Benjamin Tarcher, a San Francisco architect, to design it. After interviewing several contractors, they decided to try to build it themselves with the help of Skändia Design, Inc., as a building... more

Owners have always been involved in some way in building their own homes or remodel projects, and in the last 15 to 20 years the phenomenon has mushroomed along with stores such as Home Depot and Lowe’s. Some homeowners are fearless and take on the projects solo, while others prefer to have professional guidance to help them through the confusing process of planning, design, budgeting, finance, permits, and... more

Skändia Design and Remodeling is a design/build firm that works throughout the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. Established by Paul Olson in 1993, Skändia has enjoyed 11 years of making friends while remodeling their homes. Although the name “Skändia” implies a distinctive Scandinavian style, the truth be told, Skändia Design works on projects of every style and description. Paul Olson says, “By choosing... more