Remodeling is a very complicated business in which it’s very difficult to be successful. Each project is custom, which means there are unlimited ways for a company to make a mistake and lose money. And a company that loses money will not be in business very long. A contractor in trouble may even go out of business on your project or, worse, entangle your home in their business quagmires with liens or other legal problems.
Philadelphia
Multiple Bids = A Race to the Bottom
Most home-renovation buyers have heard about multiple bids. Lots of people will tell you that you should collect three bids from contractors when you are considering a remodeling project. Is this even good advice?
“Bidding” means that contractors involved in that process are trying to find the cheapest way to complete your project so they will be awarded the job. Do you think these guys are going to bring care, consideration or thoughtfulness to your project? Will they go beyond code to do something “right” not just get it done? More than likely, they will bid low to be awarded the project, then tack on lots of extras as the project develops. In the end, conflicts and arguments arise from the bid process.
Our Fearless Leader in Action
To check out Tamara Myers in action click on our new video updates link! You will find it at the top right hand side of the links column on the right!
Think You Need an Addition? Think Again.
We often receive phone calls from folks who think they need us to build them an addition for their home. I wanted to share my perspective as a design/build remodeler with you about this: you shouldn’t build that addition before you maximize the space you already have!
Now don’t get me wrong. We like nothing better than to build stuff. The bigger the home-remodeling project, the better!
After & Before – Chairs
Here are two chairs I recently had reupholstered for use in my sunny living room.
I got the two tatty blue, but underneath it all, very good chairs from my neighbors who were moving to Florida.
You can see that these were from the 1970’s. The fabric was a faded indigo velvet. We kept the welts and general tailored look but deleted the skirt.
I’m delighted with the results.
Aging In Place
Aging in place. That’s a heavy phrase. But the fact is that many of the people I know are thinking about either their parents or themselves aging. Some folks have moved from thinking about aging to actually feeling it!
While most of us aim to stay healthy, eventually some physical limitations begin to affect our quality of life. For me it became ‘real” when losing weight became harder, and I got my first progressive eyeglasses. Ouch! How’d THAT happen?
Welcome! A Great Entryway We Helped Create
Here is an example of a great entryway we helped create.
This used to be an open breezeway, unsuited for four season use. Now its a warm welcoming entryway with radiant heat in the slate flooring. These doors let in a lot of light but are super insulated.
A new life for your space. A better life for you.
Recycling Our Stuff
Here in metro Philadelphia there’s a great resource for all the recycling news from our pals at Recycle Now. You can find out what and where to take your hazardous waste, keep up with the latest legislation, and even catch some of the video clips from Free Range Studios on “The Story of Stuff”. Check it out at recyclenowphiladelphia.org/rnp_resources.html.
Bacon Cups!
Tamara’s friend sent her this link. It’s just too yummy to pass up!