By the ARG Team based on an Interview with Adam Galbraith and Jenn Knourek | August 2026
Timing your Kelowna home renovation timed around your winter travel means the chaos happens while you’re kicking up your feet in Arizona, Costa Rica, Mexico, or wherever your timeshare takes you. At the end of the season, you come home to a finished kitchen instead of a construction zone.
Around one million Canadians head south for the winter every year, according to the Canadian Snowbird Association, and plenty of them own homes right here in the Okanagan that could use a big update. We caught up with ARG President Adam Galbraith and Office & Systems Coordinator Jenn Knourek to chat about how ARG approaches Snowbird renovations.
Skip Living Through The Renovation
Renovating while you’re living in the house isn’t sunshine and rainbows. There might be dust, masking plastic, loud saws, a crew knocking at 7 a.m., a kitchen you can’t cook in, or a bathroom you can’t shower in. Renovating while you’re away means none of that touches your lifestyle. What a relief!
It also changes how the crew works. With a transformation renovation underway in an unoccupied home, trades can move through rooms back-to-back instead of working around your schedule, your pets, or your Thursday book club.
“With the home unoccupied, our team has the flexibility to work efficiently without having to work around your routine. Fewer interruptions help keep the project moving, giving you the best opportunity to return home to a completed renovation.” — Adam Galbraith, President of ARG Construction
How A Kelowna Home Renovation Works While You’re Away
Most renovation timelines move through four stages:
- Design
- Material selection
- Construction
- Final walkthrough.
For homeowners who leave every fall and return in spring, the goal is to line up the slow, decision-heavy stages (design and selections) before you leave, so the noisy, disruptive stage (construction) happens while the house sits empty. That’s the ideal strategy behind a Kelowna home renovation built around Snowbird season, and it only works that well if the planning starts in the Summer or Fall.
Stay Connected From Anywhere With Buildertrend
ARG Contracting runs every project through Buildertrend, construction management software built to keep homeowners, trades, and site supervisors on the same page from wherever there’s an internet connection.
“Even if you’re hundreds or thousands of miles away, you’ll always know what’s happening with your project. We keep you updated with photos, videos, schedules, daily logs, and direct communication.” — Adam
Through your Buildertrend portal, you can:
- See dated photos and video from the site
- Check the schedule and daily logs
- Review and approve selections or change orders
- Message your project team directly, whatever time zone you’re in
No guessing what’s happening back home, and no waiting until April to find out.
Start Planning Before You Book Your Flight South
If you’re thinking about renovating while you’re away this winter, now is the time to start the conversation. Planning ahead gives us enough time to work through the design, budgeting, and material selections so everything is ready to go before you head south. — Jenn Knourek, Office & Systems Coordinator at ARG Construction
Before you go, you’ll want to have these locked in with your contractor:
- The design and layout
- The budget and material selections
- A start date that lines up with your departure
Once the scope is clear, ARG Contracting can usually turn around a first estimate within a day or two. That way, nothing sits waiting for your signature from a beach chair in the Caribbean.
Why Snowbirds Choose ARG Contracting, Kelowna’s Renovation Contractors
ARG Contracting built its reputation on straight talk and strong builds. Clients work directly with the people in charge of their project, and the crew fixes what isn’t right (even when no one would have noticed).
“With the home unoccupied, our team has the flexibility to work efficiently without having to work around your day-to-day routine. Fewer interruptions help keep the project moving, giving you the best opportunity to return home to a completed renovation.” — Jenn
Quick Answers For Snowbirds Planning A Renovation
Q: Do I need to be home during construction?
A: No. With Buildertrend, ARG Contracting keeps you updated with photos, videos, schedules, and daily logs no matter where you are.
Q: What if I need to make a decision while I’m away?
A: You can review and approve selections or change orders directly through your Buildertrend portal, so the project doesn’t stall waiting for you to get home.
Q: Does an empty house actually speed things up?
A: It can. Without a family living around the crew, trades move through the home more efficiently, which helps keep the schedule on track.
Q: When should I reach out?
A: Probably yesterday. The earlier ARG Contracting has your scope, the more of the slow stuff (design, budget, selections) gets wrapped up before your flight leaves.
Book Your Renovation Consultation Before You Head South
A Kelowna home renovation doesn’t have to compete with your winter migration. Start the conversation with ARG Contracting before you head south, and let the crew handle the noise, the dust, and the schedule while you’re getting some sun instead.
