Current Projects

On August 16 we started construction of our latest project at the North end of Swan Lake in Vernon BC. This project features 2000 square feet on the main floor and a 3 car garage. The workshop under the garage adds another 750 sq ft to for a total of 2750 sq ft on the lower floor of the walkout basement. The home is situated on 2 acres of land overlooking the North end of the Okanagan Lake and the Spallumcheen Golf Course.

Cost of Construction

In 1978 when I started building homes, the average builder had about $35,000 gross profit in a new home, this continued to increase until early 2008 when the builders gross profit went as high as $250,000. Today the builder's average gross profit in a home is near $100,000.
To estimate the cost (materials and labour only) on a 1800 sq ft 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath walk out rancher with fully finished basement granite countertops, hardwood and ceramic tile floors (carpet on the basement floors) and a 2 car front drive garage; use a figure of $195/sqft or about $350,000.

By comparison the same new home construction from the average builder including his profit as well as materials and labour is about $450,000 or near $250/sqft.

At Hartley Homes we can save you thousands of dollars in construction costs because we only charge $9,000 per month to build your home, how do we do it, easy! We estimate the time it takes to build your home, usually 4 to 7 months, that means your cost is $36,000 to $63,000. Prior to the start we agree on the time frame to build the home and that becomes a fixed cost, no cost over run we will keep you on budget even if it takes longer than estimated. This can result in a savings of $30 - 60 thousand dollars!

We know it's critical to be on the jobsite every day all day long to supervise every aspect of the construction process. While we are on jobsite supervising and coordinating, we also do much of the labour such as clean-up, prepping, forming and rebar placement of all the concrete slabs, even the finishing work! So instead of hiring a sub contractor like other builders do, we do the work of the subcontractor at no additional cost. Bottom line we save the owner thousands of dollars in construction costs.

We update your budget weekly so know exactly where you stand, plus you will see the exact cost we are billed by every contractor, nothing is hidden, you pay exactly what we pay.


At Hartley Homes we deliver the look and function exactly as promised!

Selecting Your Custom Home Builder

This is by far the most important task of the new home construction process; there are four key words for this task, passion, commitment, integrity, and fit.

· Select a builder who truly enjoys the entire process of planning, coordinating and physically working on-site, someone who get excited by new ideas and who has the ability to translate the customers dreams into reality.
· The builder is fully responsible for making your dream home a reality, he needs to be on-site 100% of every day from the beginning of the project through to completion. Any builder building more than one house at a time can't be 100% committed to your dream home.
· Your builder must have the homeowner’s wants and needs at the forefront of every task during the building process. The builder must ensure a clean and safe work site and clearly define the tasks for every trade. It is the builder’s responsibility to ensure the customer’s vision is translated into the look and function exactly as promised.
· Above all, the homeowner needs to feel comfortable with the builder after all there are as many personalities as there are people. Trust your instincts with this, first impressions are usually correct, make your final choice from a small group of builders capable of delivering passion, commitment and integrity.

How much ?

The most common question people ask me is "How much does it cost to build a new home?" Most people tend to believe they can determine their budget based on the average cost per square foot, nothing could be further from reality! The cost per square foot changes rapidly with the size of a garage, the cost of excavation, style of home, and the level of finishing and amenities including the number of bathrooms ,the style of cabinets, floor coverings, finishing and right down to the quality of the paint.

My response is a common sense approach, my first step is determining how much money the owners are willing to comfortably spend. The second step is helping them to understand what features of the home are important to their lifestyle. From here we can get to a mutual understanding of the size, look and function of their dream home that fits their budget.

At Hartley Homes we build dream homes for every lifestyle, every budget and deliver the look and function exactly as promised. If you are interested in speaking to a professional quality focused home builder, talk to us and let us make your dream home a reality.

Reasons to Engage our Home Building Services in Kelowna

Clients engage the services of Hartley Homes and Consulting Ltd because they understand our passion will make their dream home a reality In Kelowna.
Clients engage the services of Hartley Homes and Consulting Ltd because we save them money, without cutting corners, and deliver the look and function exactly as promised

At Hartley Homes we :
−eliminate frustration and stress
−make the process of building easy and joyful
−deliver the look and function exactly as promised
−get the best value for your money
−have documented systems and controls so everyone understands the requirements
−build to meet code requirements and exceed customer expectations
−handle customer concerns before they become problems
−are committed to building the customers dream home

Brian Roth

Hartley Homes & Consulting Ltd.
“Quality Construction built for Life”
Kelowna BC V1V 2S3
Phone (250) 808-1148 Fax (250) 765-0730

email HartleyHomes@Shaw.ca

How to install Kitchen Cabinets in Kelowna

I found this article a few years ago on the Web, good stuff to follow if you're into installing your own cabinets.

Brian Roth

Hartley Homes & Consulting Ltd.

"Quality Construction built for Life"

The cabinet design is complete, the cabinets have been ordered, now they have arrived on site; it is now time to install the kitchen cabinets. Using the layout plan, match up the cabinets to where they will be positioned in the room and follow these steps:
1. Determine the height of the upper cabinets; the cabinet designer can provide this information. The normal counter height from the floor to the top surface of the base counter top is usually 36". The desired space from the top surface of the counter top to the bottom of the upper cabinets is normally 16". If these are the dimensions you desire, you will begin with an upper corner unit. Measure from the floor and place a mark at 52" near the corner; this will represent the bottom of the upper cabinets. Using a level, continue this line out from the corner for the length of the cabinet run.

Note: If a soffit is present, ensure it is level and plumb throughout; if all is plumb and square, use the soffit as the upper guide. If there is a low spot, strike a mark at that point; this will become the benchmark point for the top edge of the ceiling cabinets. You will then measure down the height of the cabinets and make a mark which will represent the bottom of the upper cabinets. Using a level, strike a level line to the corner to represent the bottom of the upper cabinets.
Major Hint: If there is no one available to assist in the holding of the cabinets, build a support box or install a temporary guide board to support the cabinets as they are lifted into place. If you do not mind putting screw holes in your wall that will be in sight; you can tile over the drill holes or patch and paint them. Place a straight edge 2x4x8' even with and just below the guideline; use two or three screws and attach it to wall studs. Ensure it is level; the cabinets will rest on it; after the cabinets are installed, it will be removed.

2. Always begin from the corner, measure out to one side the distance that will represent the edge of the cabinet and make a mark. Using a level or plumb line, scribe a vertical, straight line from the soffit down or using the 52" mark upward to the height that the upper cabinet will reach.

3. Using a stud finder, locate the studs along one wall from the corner and mark the studs with a pencil below the line representing the bottom of the upper cabinets.

4. Remove the doors and shelves from the corner unit in preparation to lift it into position.

5. Grab the drill with the proper size drill bit and a screw gun with proper screw bit, and the proper screws recommended by the cabinet designer, usually 2 1/4" screws. Have a helper assist with lifting the corner cabinet into place. Use the bottom level line and the side plumb line as guides and lift the corner cabinet into place. Pre-drill three holes evenly spaced through the back of the cabinet into the corner stud.

6. With the corner unit held up with three screws, confirm that it is plumb and square. It is very important that this beginning corner unit is square, level and plumb, use shims if necessary; the straightness of the cabinet runs in both directions will depend on the positioning of this corner unit; check it twice. Using the stud markings below the cabinet as a guide, secure three screws into each stud that is covered by the corner unit; drive all screws in tight.

7. With the corner unit set as the benchmark, all other cabinets will be set from here. With the doors off, lift the next unit into place, and have the helper hold it in place while you clamp it at the front frames; ensure the edge where they meet are even and smooth, no ridge. Using two heavy clamps, draw this new cabinet up tight to the corner unit frame; use rubber pads or other wood strips to prevent damage to the cabinet frames. Using the stud markings, pre-drill and screw this unit into place with three screws into each stud; use shims, if necessary.

8. It is time to connect this new unit to the corner where the frames that are touching, held together with the clamps. Use two screws, one at the top and one at the bottom of the frame. Pre-drill and counter-sink the holes to the proper depth; drill through one frame and 3/4 the way through the corner unit frame; you will use a shorter screw; maybe 2" depending on the thickness of your frames. Draw the two frames tight together with the screws; remove the clamps. Where the frame edges touch, the two surfaces should be exact with no ridges; smooth to the touch.

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until the one wall run is set in place. Repeat the process for the other walls until all the wall units are hung and the doors replaced.

10. Time to set the base cabinets; begin with the corner unit. Ensure that the floor where the cabinets will be placed is flat and level. If there is a high spot, knock it down or use the high spot as the benchmark point of the cabinet run. It will be necessary to shim all cabinets to meet this height. Set the corner in place, tight into the corner. Using extreme care, ensure that it is level and square; use shims to ensure that it is perfectly level and square. Pre-drill and screw the corner unit into the corner stud. Again, check for level and plumb; use the previous stud markings to connect the base cabinet to the studs using the nailing boards built into the cabinets at the top and bottom of the cabinet frames. Ensure there are no pipes in line with the screws.

11. With the corner in place, set the next base unit in the plan, use two clamps to clamp the front frames together, smooth with no ridges; confirm for level and plumb; use shims where necessary. Screw the unit to the studs. Connect the frames together at the front where the clamps are located; pre-drill and counter-sink the holes and drive the screws into the frame; just as was done for the upper cabinets.

12. Continue to follow the cabinet design, placing the base cabinets in line and securing them to the studs and connecting the front frames. Ensure level, plumb, and no ridges exist for the entire run. Repeat steps 10 and 11 for the adjacent wall.

13. With all the base and upper cabinets set in place, shelves installed, doors replaced, the next step is to install the counter tops. Later, you may want to install crown moulding at the ceiling and the kick plates at the floor. If all is level and square, installing the counter tops will go smoothly.

Have fun., Brian Roth

Understanding Home Construction Lending In Kelowna by Philippe Daigle

To build a home is the dream of many people. While it conjures up images of happiness and family life, the whole process can difficult and emotionally draining. Such a project is fraught with financial risks; the most common are delays and associated cost overrun. To minimize those risks, it is important for people to be well prepared and have a clear plan. Many people place offers on a vacant lot and approach me to arrange lending with one or two week window; which is way too short for most situations.
Financing construction is very different from getting a mortgage for an existing home. For a start, lenders typically lend up to 80% of finished appraised value without requiring CMHC insurance. Interest rates are commonly set at prime plus 2%. With construction financing, your loan may be drawn down in stages while making interest-only payments until construction is complete. Completion for homeowners means that the house is 100% complete and has its certificate of occupancy. Different lenders may have more or less the same number of ‘funding’ stages; the following is a common example:
1. Lock-up stage: foundation, framing, windows, doors, roofing, etc (approximately 40 % of funds)
2. Drywall, insulation, wiring, and plumbing ( approximately 30 % of funds)
3. Finishing: exterior and interior ( approximately 20 % of funds)
4. An additional advance may be requested to assist in purchasing the land.
5. Additional advances may be requested subject to an appraiser’s inspections to maintain sufficient cost to complete.
Lending for construction is usually planned for 6 to 9 months depending on the project and the institution. At each stage of funds being advanced, an appraisal and inspection of the property and a lien search is typically required. The goal here is to ensure that construction is following the plan as stated in the application.
Construction loans are ‘story’ loans. That means that the lender has to know the story behind the planned construction before they're willing to loan you money. To be successful an applicant must provide most lending institutions with the following:
Ø a complete set of plans
Ø specification of materials
Ø cost estimate for the proposed building
Ø a time table for completion
Ø an appraiser will examine site survey plans, construction plans, specifications and cost estimates in order to produce an appraisal on a completed construction basis
Ø a copy of all contracts relating to the construction is a must
This list is not exhaustive and will vary between lenders.
This article is meant as an overview and specifics will vary between lenders. In writing the article I searched the internet for information, and I did not find much. The reason is simple, each project is specific and each lender adapts their practice to the local environment.

For further information Ckick Here please feel free to contact Philippe Daigle at 250 801 1279.