Whether you’re expecting a family or you’ve already outgrown your current home and need a new one, find out which features to include in your family home design. From the initial floor plan to the storage and outdoor features, use convenient measuring tools to start mapping out your ideal design Read more
Figuring out which areas of your home need to be updated is, arguably, one of the most stressful parts of the home renovation process. Should you replace your light fixtures? Or should you focus on updating your kitchen appliances instead? While some renovation projects will give you a good return-on-investment, Read more
This is an article I wrote 3 years ago at the height of our nations’ recession and is still a good reminder for homeowners’ today who are planning on remodeling this year. Renovating In a Recession: Why It Could Cost You More If You Don’t Include These 7 Key Clauses Read more
A tile contractor whom we have known for about 4 years, and whose work is excellent, recently shared with my husband a situation he was up against with a customer. This contractor has been doing tile work in high end homes around the San Diego area for the last 10 Read more
More and more people are turning to online reviews when choosing a product or service provider. After all, isn’t an internet review just an online version of good old reliable “word of mouth?” It turns out that it is not. Many companies are engaging in unethical practices that result in Read more
You’ve heard it before. You’ve read it on websites, books and brochures offering tips on hiring and working with contractors. Never give cash for remodeling projects. Yet, there are some people who do based on the notion that they will get a discount in price for cash. And they believe Read more
For most homeowners who are planing to remodel, getting bids from contractors can be a daunting task. For one, deciphering the bids amongst the different contractors can be misleading if you’re not actually comparing apples to apples. Unless you have been “schooled” in learning to understand how to interpret bids, Read more
Including a final retainer clause provides you with additional protection. Retainer clauses allow you to retain an agreed upon amount for 2 weeks or up to 30 days after the project is complete. The retainer amount is typically 5% to 10% of the final draw amount or payment made to Read more
That’s a question I’ve gotten a lot over the years and based on my prior experience in hiring contractors, I can only say yes. Then there are those homeowners who never conducted a background check on their contractor, did just the usual routine of checking references, license checks and interviewing Read more
Interesting article from Forbe magazine: http://www.forbes.com/sites/investopedia/2013/05/19/6-things-you-think-add-value-to-your-home-but-really-dont/