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A residential design firm bringing homeowners and contractors together for efficient, effective communication. |
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Loading ...Finally! A portfolio of past projects is available. You can see a creative and varied set of projects from porch additions to bath remodels to new construction, AND the kitchen sink.
Check out the Portfolio Page here.
Homeowners, are you nervous about selecting a contractor? Do you know how to select a contractor based upon his or her quality of business? Comparing price is easy, but does it make us feel good?
We’ve all heard, “you get what you pay for”, and “never take the bottom bidder” but how then are we to make that decision?
…continue reading Top Ten Mistakes… »
As we look at our homes, and are trying to make things work (possibly on less money) there are oftentimes many options to make little changes for big effects. To give an example, I’m going to walk you thru a very simple kitchen remodel that also changed the dining and living rooms.
…continue reading Saving space »
I am hearing a lot about people looking for the “better deal.” Absolutely, I’m all for saving money–been trying to do a lot of that myself. However, I’m here to say that a better deal could spell trouble for you.
Sure, 5-10% less might be reasonable (and there are regulations coming that could make your project quite a bit more – more below), but a good business person running the contracting business is what you want. That means that this person will be making sure you are served WELL.
Sadly, I have heard of, and seen many projects of late where the homeowner got
…continue reading Is NOW the time to get a better deal? »
Yes, we all know that our country – the entire world – is having hard economic times. It has been hard for many, and I’ll admit that I’ve taken it hard as well. So, I’m trying to count blessings: those things that I may not have learned or understood without the recession.
Family time has been increasingly special to me. I’ve found hard work to be very rewarding, yes even the diminished buying power-it has given new perspective on priorities.
One business related benefit is
…continue reading Thankful for a recession? »
In this world of blogging, sometimes it is hard to come up with ideas, especially good, useful, and most importantly, desired information. While looking for my own ideas, I came across this site, that gives a few pointers. Thought I’d pass it on…Improve your blog tips. I hope it helps.
So that I don’t have to say it all by myself, I have been looking for articles that say much of what I’d like to say. I ran across an article on the Motley Fool on Smart Home Remodeling. They keep it short and sweet – just 4 tips. I was especially drawn to tip #4: Stick to the budget. This is what Design/Build is all about – watch both design & financial investment at the same time – and when the homeowner is happy, we’re happy!
I would add one tip to the Fool’s tips – make sure you plan. I’m sure that this one is implied in their tips, but I wanted to bring it out explicitly.
How does a house fire even fit within the same thought as designing your home?
My wife’s family was out of town last weekend, and, to make a long story short, had a couple of thugs break in, ransack, and start a fire in their house. So, last week, I was helping to sift thru the belongings, those that were left, and try to redeem anything possible. The hardest part was trying to catalogue the items that were lost. Sure there were probably items that they couldn’t remember, and there were a few items that weren’t completely burnt, but smoke or water damaged.
How does this tie to design – especially professional design?
…continue reading Fire and design? »
Just starting out, someone questioned the model of Design/Build for residential projects. “If the designer and builder are working together, who’s watching out for the homeowner?” he asked. Still new, and trying to figure things out, I didn’t have a great response. Now, I do. It’s the..
…continue reading The beauty of Design/Build »
Check this out! Our first video. What do you think? What can I improve?
Thanks for watching! Do let me know what you think.