Couple of items most folk do not even think about. Drain hot water tank for sediment and just cleaning out the drain traps.

Thanks for the visit and comment.

I get irritated because this is an industry (Home Improvement – Remodeling) that wants and needs to be taken seriously as “Professional”. It seems that they just don’t get it.

Thanks for the visit and comment.

I have worked with and for a few DB contractors in my career as a designer and business development consultant.

TRUST ME WHEN I SAY… “YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE DESIGNER!” – Even when you don’t use it! The mark up is the same for a kitchen as for a new roof.

If it sounds too good to be true… (you know the rest!)

Thank you for your post!

I think the same thing when I hear those ads and read those signs. I get a little irritated only because I wonder how stupid do they think I am by these obvious and transparent ploys. Nothing worth having that’s for sale is free – pay now or pay later, your choice.

Have most companies just lost their creativity? I mean, it’s like saying “I’m really honest.” If you have to state it, then you must not be all that honest, right? If you’re licensed and insured and good at what you do, the client should be able to see that. But, what makes you tick?…what makes you love what you do?

~Splintergirl
“Licensed & Insured, but so much more than that and passionate about craftsmanship”

Well at the conclusion of this meeting, I innocently (honestly) suggested they might want to consider putting the house up for sale and finding a house that might suite their needs better. I explained that with all the work we’d just discussed we were probably looking at investing a couple hundred thousand dollars into a house that was probably only worth $450,000 – $500,000 to begin with. This would severely out price the neighborhood.

After a couple weeks, Joan called to tell me that they had done some investigating on the possibility of moving and that they were going to pursue that line of thinking for now. “What have I done?”

We stayed in contact and just before Christmas (2010) Dave and Joan moved into a new home. The new house met all their requirements for living space, with the exception of the deck/patio which they would like to discuss remodeling – after they get settled in and rebuild some finances.

Just a few weeks ago, Joan called me and it seems Dave just got a big promotion at work. The promotion is so big that they are being relocated back to Boston (home for both of them) at the end of September.

I wish them luck and the reality is that this attempt to explain a common situation, for both a homeowner and a contractor, was an excellent exercise. In fact, I’ll be looking for other common real life remodeling situations to explain in much the same way. Stay tuned!

Enjoy,

Paul