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Minneapolis remodeler Marty Schirber observes that potential home buyers often like some feature of a house simply because it's something they couldn't imagine building for themselves. One such example is a master suite, which Schirber calls "sanity space."
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This year's study offers two gut-and-replace kitchen remodels: a mid-range price project at $43,213 and an upscale kitchen -- same size, different components -- at $70,368. The price difference in specing granite vs. other types of materials for countertops, for example, may be $5,000, Dawn points...
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Depending on the product and the color, new siding can change the whole shell, the character of the house, as defined by the outside look, says San Antonio real estate agent Pat Clay.
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As Minnesota remodeler Marty Schirber points out, a homeowner thinking of selling might solicit 10 bids from 10 roofing companies and go with the cheapest.
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Bob McCay, owner of McCay Building Company, Birmingham, Ala., says prospective home buyers with experience -- that is, those who've already bought and sold homes -- notice windows. In this year's Cost vs. Value Report, an upscale window replacement project -- with a national average of $15,502...
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People usually add on to stay put, points out Kerry Butler, owner of Butler Construction Services, a full-service remodeling company in Kelso, Wash. "They like the neighborhood, the school district. They've looked at newer, larger homes and decided to invest in the home they have and stay in the...
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Resale values for the 2001 Cost vs. Value Report were estimated by the following real estate professionals.
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Seen strictly from the standpoint of resale, carving a bathroom out of existing space, especially in a home that has only one or one and a half baths, might be the most productive remodeling project you can undertake. Even first time buyers, whose expectations may not be as high, "want a master...
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For Stephanie Witt, owner of Kitchens by Stephanie, Grand Rapids, Mich., the question comes down to, "Do you want a payback on your investment or the room of your dreams?" Replace all fixtures to include standard-sized tub with ceramic tile surround; toilet; solid-surface vanity counter with...
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About one-third of the projects built by Ryan Schleper, owner of All City Builders, Buffalo, Minn., are basements. Schleper says clients want their basements finished for two reasons: They need space, and it's usually about a third of the cost of an addition, because mechanicals, foundation, and...
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Does remodeling pay? Our annual report gets to the bottom of the age-old question.
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Anytime you increase space that's centrally heated and air conditioned, you increase the per square foot value of the house," says San Antonio real estate agent Pat Clay. Homeowners usually add a family room because the family's grown or because they're dissatisfied with the configuration or size...
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New NGC (dba National Gypsum Company) recently announced a $347 million settlement that will protect it from present and future liability claims stemming from lawsuits against the recently bankrupt Asbestos Claims Management Corporation.
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Looking back on trends and changes over the past year, I find it difficult to separate what's going on in the larger world from the home remodeling industry. Mark Richardson is president of Case Design/Remodeling, Bethesda, Md., (301) 229-4600, mrichardson@casedesign.com.
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The suit sought to hold the makers liable for lead poisoning in approximately 35,000 children in the state since 1993. Officials in at least six other states are contemplating bringing lawsuits against companies who once manufactured lead paint.
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Mold has long been a hot-button issue in the remodeling industry. The bill's sponsor, Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), became interested in the issue after one of his staff members moved into a home that had a mold problem.
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A study released in June by Harvard University reported that construction activity on single-family homes hit an all-time high of $206 billion in 2001. The majority of our report doesn't deal with future projections," says Rachel Drew, a researcher at Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies...
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Like other business owners in the wake of September 11, Skeeter Coleman watched his business revenues drop off this year, from $2.6 million in 2001 to less than $2 million. Coleman hired a marketing consultant to help him create a strong brand identity by tweaking the company logo and rethinking...
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Rosemont Remodeling owner Ed Sutherland went to the gym to bulk up his business. "I couldn't have done any better as far as dollars spent and the people I want to talk to."
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A Web site can multiply your business presence, but more likely it's just the icing on the cake, the final stroke that solidifies your reputation. With that philosophy, design/build remodelers Sharon and Jeff Rainey, owners of Home Equity Builders in Great Falls, Va., launched a postcard campaign...
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For many salespeople, the best way to make a sale is to ease their way into it.The study's cost can become part of total project cost if the client proceeds, so you can argue no additional money is spent.
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Marketing hinges on a simple truth: No recognized, admitted need goes unfulfilled. The trick is finding potential clients with recognized, admitted, yet unfulfilled needs who can pay for services. Buy good mailing lists from reputable sources.
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Neil Kelly Co. partnered with its local utility company to promote the restoration of a 1928 English cottage using sustainable remodeling and energy efficient practices. Tom Kelly, president of the Portland, Ore., remodeling company, says although the goal of "The Legacy House" was to win business...
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Critique courtesy of Janet Wagner, Ph.D., associate chair of marketing, R.H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, www.rhsmith.umd.edu. Wagner holds a B.A. in graphic design from Cornell University; her graduate degree is in marketing.
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A Keogh will do nicely if you're incorporated, but sole proprietors and partnerships need to look into traditional or Roth IRAs. --Howard Scott is a business writer and small business tax preparer in Pembroke, Mass.
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There are two common ways to use a percentage to arrive at a selling price that includes gross profit. Selling price for the same estimated costs as in the above example is still $3,732 ($2,650 x 1.4085).
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As the name implies, this liquidity ratio is the most demanding because it measures current liabilities against cash alone. --Judith Miller is a Bay area construction business consultant and trainer.
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Spending time on the production team and systems will get the results you want. --Mark Richardson is president of Case Design/Remodeling, Bethesda, Md. (301) 229-4600; mrichardson@casedesign.com.
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Repair and replacement costs can take a bite out of your operating budget. Philbin's crews also pay to repair their tools, unless the damage was due to negligence of a co-worker, but Philbin pays to sharpen or replace bits and blades.
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Assume prospects know nothing about working with a contractor. This way, your company is instantly the most qualified and, so far, the easiest to work with.Show pictures and plans and explain why prices differ.
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The InkLink tracks the position of the pen on the paper and sends the result to either a computer or PDA (personal digital assistant). --Joe Stoddard, a technology consultant to the construction industry, can be reached at stoddard@cbczine.com.
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Computers have made it easy to packrat away all kinds of data, but not so easy to find it again. The numbering scheme can be something you create, but it's probably better to base it on an established source like NAHB's Chart of Accounts (see www.nahb.com/builders/chart.doc).
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Chris Paquette says an online referral service has been a boon to his business. It outdistances similar services because people, not computers, match clients with contractors, according to the Philadelphia-area remodeler.Paquette, who usually does $350,000 annually in kitchen, bath, and cabinetry...
The Reijnen Company in Bainbridge Island, Wash., focuses on very large, very complex remodeling and custom home projects. Because these resources are outside his direct control, Reijnen wanted to be sure that all of their subs and vendors clearly understood exactly what was expected of them.
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When one of Marty Schirber's 1,287 former clients is thinking about buying a house, the Minneapolis contractor is often called in to give his opinion.In addition, when clients sell the house, they usually recommend that new owners contact Schirber and his company, Castle Building & Remodeling...
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Leadership, Joss points out, "is defined not by your title, but by taking an action."About three years ago, management, recognizing that many of those best practices originated among carpenters and laborers in the field, began soliciting their input and inviting them to planning meetings.
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Whether it be from client-generated change orders, contractor-generated change orders, or unforeseen conditions, the reason doesn't matter. Jill Liptow, of The Remodeling Center, a Pewaukee, Wis., design/build firm, calls it "the final agony."
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One of the biggest reasons remodeling companies don't make money is because job costs are greater than the amount estimated.
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Usually a warranty ceases to be in effect when it expires in writing. That is "on the high side," but not excessive, compared to that of other companies in a peer review group Wills belongs to.
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Gary Crowley, owner of Crowley Construction, recently came back from a 12-day vacation and nobody even knew he was gone. A year and a half ago, fed up with solicitations he received at the office and not particularly happy with the "repetitious and impersonal" nature of answering machines, Crowley...
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Few systems in a home are as important as its heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and air treatment systems, and few systems cost the homeowner as much to maintain and use each year. According to the Department of Energy's Annual Energy Outlook 2002 with Projections to 2020 report, energy...
The ToolPak FannyPak organizes small tools with three internal partitions and tool loops in the lid. The Cargobat Storage System cargo tray fits into the canopy of most truck caps and mounts on the truck's bedrails, leaving the truck bed unobstructed.
The Ducks Unlimited LSII hard tonneau cover is equipped with a lift assist system that makes opening and closing the cover easy, says the company. Also pictured is the Ducks Unlimited CX series truck cap.
The new One-Coat Stucco System is a pre-blended mix to which sand and water are added on the jobsite. Sto Corp. Powerwall Stucco is a factory-blended cement, lime, fiber, and additives mix that yields a Portland cement stucco base coat that is breathable and resists wind-driven rain and...
A two-part waterproofing system prevents leakage, condensation, and seepage. Xypex Chemical Corp. HD-150 penetrates into the structure of concrete walls and floors, creating a non-soluble crystalline formation that seals the concrete.
Ergonomics in the hand and power tool industry is the applied science of designing and adapting tools to accommodate the physical needs or capabilities of the user. The results of all these tests will be a Hand Tool Ergonomic Data Sheet defining the ergonomic strengths and weaknesses of a...