Are you thinking about hiring a Phoenix home remodeling contractor?  This series of blog posts is designed to provide you with tips for hiring a home remodeling contractor, making your project go smoothly.  Specific requirements may vary from household to household; however, the following information includes helpful and important guidelines from which everyone can benefit.

When looking for your Phoenix home remodeling contractor one thing is important above all - personal recommendations.   When I say personal recommendations I mean people that you know and trust.  While personal recommendations on the web or in somebody’s office are great to see, they can be falsified.  If you can go to the house of a friend or colleague and see the work that the contractor has done for them you will instantly feel better about the project.  You will probably also feel better about giving them the run of your house!

The next 3 blog posts in this 4-part series should help you in making your decision when it comes to choosing a Phoenix home remodeling contractor.

Hire Republic West as your Phoenix home remodeling contractor. We provide all home remodeling services, including kitchens, bathrooms, interior remodeling, room additions, energy efficient window and door replacement, cabinet re-facing and more.

A professionally managed home remodeling project in Arizona can increase the value of your home dramatically. Sometimes, however, your budget can get out of hand.  That’s why we’re here to provide you with tips on how to plan your home remodeling budget.

Let’s start with the basics.  Have you ever “worked” with someone who focused only on telling you what you need instead of listening to what your own wants and needs?  It’s best to hire a designer and installer that will work with you to assess all your needs and help you stick to your budget.

Arizona home remodeling can be very affordable or very expensive depending on what you want to do. It’s best to have a good idea about what you want in advance so you can set your budget and stick to it. If you’re looking for functionality, (i.e. energy efficiency) be sure to choose features that incorporate the use of quality products because, in the end, you get what you pay for.

Clearly define your budget first. Then, you can begin your home remodeling project with a threshold that you won’t go above. This will help you pick and choose the things that are important to you and your home remodeling solution. It’s also a good idea to find out what kinds of payment methods the home remodeling company will accept!

When you think about and plan your budget, you should also bear in mind the long term effects of having a professionally remodeled home. In fact, your project will most likely increase the value of your home and may provide you with a positive return on investment (ROI). This should definitely be taken into consideration when budgeting for a home remodeling project in Arizona.

Contact Republic West for home remodeling in Arizona, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodeling and room additions.

Once you choose a professional home remodeling company, find out what their timeline is. Some companies who are in high demand may have to push your project out anywhere from a week to a couple of months. However, their schedule needs to match yours, especially if you’re involving other contractors on the project. Also, you’ll want to take into consideration the type of project you’re doing. For instance, if you’re incorporating a lot of new locations or different elements into your design, you’ll want to make sure that they’ll all be complete within a reasonable time of each other.

Everyone wants their project finished as quickly as possible. Be patient and plan carefully - this will cause the least amount of stress for all parties involved. You should also be aware that your project probably won’t be the only job they’re working on. However, if you can find out how many jobs they’re working on at once, you can try to schedule yours at a time less busy so you can avoid dragging the project out for weeks, or worse, months.

Contact Republic West for home remodeling services in Arizona, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodeling and room additions.

Honest, professional Tempe home remodeling contractors will always offer a guarantee on their work. Find out what, if any, of their products or services are under warranty. You should also be aware of what, specifically, is covered and the length of the guarantee. You can expect that things like building materials and hardware will be covered under warranty.

Whatever you do, don’t choose a professional Tempe home remodeling contractors that leaves you in the dust once your project is finished. Chances are, you’ll have questions about a particular feature or how to replace something if it does break. Make sure the company you choose will be available to you to answer questions and work with you after your project is complete. You shouldn’t be stuck figuring it out on your own.

A revolutionary company, Republic West hires, trains and staffs best-of-class operational management, customer service personnel, division administrators, design and sales staff, and senior and apprentice foremen ensuring that for every project, “service” does not become a byword.  “T.O.P. Assurance” stands for our thorough operational process, a 3-phase, trackable process designed to create synergy before, during and after your home remodeling.

Contact Republic West for home remodeling in Tempe, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodeling and room additions.

Recipe 4 of 4:

Harvest Pear Crisp with Candied Ginger

TOPPING

½ cup all purpose flour

½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp fine sea salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 cup old-fashioned oats

½ cup coarsely chopped whole raw almonds

¼ cup of ¼-inch cubes crystallized ginger

FILLING

½ cup sugar

2 Tbs. cornstarch

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼  tsp. fine sea salt

4 lbs. firm but ripe pears (6 to 7 large), peeled, cored, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

TOPPING: Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter. Working quickly so butter does not soften, rub in with fingertips until moist clumps form. Stir in oats, almonds, and ginger. Chill while preparing filling. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

FILLING:  Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add pears; toss. Transfer to 13×9x2-inch oval baking dish. Sprinkle topping over pear mixture.  Bake until topping is crisp and golden brown and juices are bubbling,about 50 minutes. Serve warm.

8 to 10 servings

Contact Republic West for home remodeling in Tempe, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodeling and room additions.

Recipe 3 of 4:

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil - 1 turn of the pan

1 shallot, chopped

1 ½ lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed - small sprouts left whole, larger sprouts halved

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup chicken broth

Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 1 turn. Add shallots to the pan and sauté 1 to 2 minutes. Add brussels sprouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften and then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.

4 servings.

Contact Republic West for home remodeling in Arizona, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodeling and room additions.

Recipe 2 of 4:

Pear, Chestnut & Sage Dressing

While this recipe calls for baking the dressing separately from the turkey, it can easily be used as a stuffing. Simply pack the unbaked dressing loosely into the turkey cavities and follow the roasting instructions included in the back of this booklet for a stuffed turkey.

1 lb. loaf rustic country bread

½ lb. pork breakfast sausage, casings removed

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch chunks

1 large carrot, cut into ½-inch chunks

3 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch chunks

1 Bosc pear, cored and cut into ½-inch chunks

1 cup peeled and chopped, steamed or

roasted chestnuts

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/3 cup chopped fresh sage leaves

4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

4 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth

(See Creamy Giblet Gravy page for recipe)

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Tear the bread into ½-inch chunks, spread out on a baking sheet, and leave out to dry overnight.

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter a large, shallow baking dish.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, brown the sausage, stirring and crumbling with a large fork, until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Melt the 1 Tbs. butter in the pan, and add the onion, carrot, celery and pear. Using a large spoon, sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the vegetables to the bowl with the sausage along with the chestnuts, parsley, sage, melted butter, broth, salt and pepper and stir to mix. Add the bread chunks and stir to mix well. Spoon the dressing into the prepared baking dish and bake, uncovered, until the top is golden and crisp, about 1 hour. Pass the stuffing at the table to serve.

Serves 10 to 12.

Contact Republic West for home remodeling in Scottsdale, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodeling and room additions.

The Thanksgiving holiday is right around the corner and Republic West would like to give thanks by giving back… to you!

As many of you know, we hosted a Thanksgiving cooking class to benefit The Big Wish. It was a huge success and we’d like to share the recipes and cooking tips of Chicago Chef Frank DiMaria with you. This is our way of saying thanks for everything - your business, your referrals and your support of our community outreach programs.

We hope that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Here’s the first of 4 featured recipes:

Roast Turkey

In the kitchen at Wheatleigh, turkeys are soaked in salt-water brine before the chefs slowly roast the birds for the hotel’s Thanksgiving dinner.  The roast turkey is served with creamy giblet gravy and a savory pear, chestnut and sage dressing.

1  fresh turkey, about 16 lb.

2  lbs. kosher salt (about 2 ½ cups)

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

4 fresh thyme sprigs

4 fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs

16 T. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 double-thick piece of cheesecloth, 2 sq. ft.

Remove the giblets and neck, if included, and if desired, reserve them for making gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. In a large pot or 5-gallon bucket, stir the salt and 1 gallon of cold water together. Carefully set the turkey into the water and cover turkey with additional cold water by 2-3 inches.  Refrigerate or set the turkey in a very cold place (32º-40ºF) for 8-12 hours.

Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.  Let the turkey come to room temperature, at least 1 hour but no longer than 1 1/2 hours.

Position a rack in the bottom of an oven and preheat to 450ºF.

In a large bowl, toss together the onion, carrot, celery, thyme, parsley and half of the butter. Pack the body and neck cavities loosely with the vegetables. With kitchen twine, truss the legs together loosely and secure the neck flap to the back with a couple of trussing pins or sturdy toothpicks. Rub the turkey with half of the remaining butter and set the bird on its side on a rack in a large roasting pan. Roast the turkey for 15 minutes, then turn it on its other side and roast for 15 minutes more. Reduce the heat to 325º.

Soak the cheesecloth in the remaining butter, turn the turkey breast side up and place the cheesecloth over the breast. Add about 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Continue roasting, basting with the pan juices every 15-20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast registers 165˚F and inserted into the thigh - but away from the bone - registers 180˚F. If the breast begins to cook too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil. Total roasting time should be about 3 hours. Let the turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Serves 12.

Contact Republic West for home remodeling in Phoenix, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodeling and room additions.

Expecting a crowd this holiday season?  If you’re entertaining family and friends over the holidays, there’s no doubt that you’re also cleaning your house from top to bottom.  You may even be thinking about doing some home improvement or remodeling.  Sure, the holiday season is still a few months away – but it’s never too early to start thinking about a remodeling project!

Not quite sure where to start?  Here is the first of 4 tips that should help you put some Phoenix home remodeling ideas together:

Window & Door Replacement – Many people overlook the value of doors and windows.  A simple upgrade can completely change the look of your home and give it the curb appeal you’ve desired for years.  By replacing your windows and doors, you’ll leave a lasting first impression on your friends and family.  Plus, Republic West custom designs and fabricates replacement windows using our exclusive PROtec™ glass system.  PROtec™ is a high performance glass system that provides maximum efficiency, comfort, optimum light transmission and the highest long-term energy savings.  In addition, new windows and doors can help you save on utilities, reduce dust and noise, increase your home’s value and eliminate harmful UV rays.

Get ready for the upcoming holiday season! Contact Republic West for home remodeling in Phoenix, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodeling and room additions.

Expecting a crowd this holiday season?  If you’re entertaining family and friends over the holidays, there’s no doubt that you’re also cleaning your house from top to bottom.  You may even be thinking about doing some home improvement or remodeling.  Sure, the holiday season is still a few months away – but it’s never too early to start thinking about a remodeling project!

If you plan ahead, you can have your home ready in time for holiday entertaining.  Many people wait until the last minute to take on a home improvement project, hoping that it will be finished before the holiday season arrives.  Unfortunately, their procrastination rarely pays off!  It takes time to plan and design all of the elements that go into a home remodeling project and it is definitely in your best interest to get started as soon as possible.

Get ready for the upcoming holiday season! Contact Republic West for home remodeling in Arizona, including window and door replacement, custom cabinet re-facing, kitchen and bathroom remodeling and room additions.