Since the last time we connected I have attended the National Remodeling Show in Indianapolis and have become a Certified Renovator through the EPA’s Lead Safety program. In response to these two experiences I have one mental picture that I’d like to share and one action that I am asking you to take.
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Thompson Times
| 03.24.11
10 DIY Safety Tips Under $10
Last week I was in a safety seminar that our staff attends annually and as we were moving through slides I grabbed my smart phone and posted these 10 Safety Tips on the Thompson Trio Facebook page. I have not posted the catastrophic photos that illustrate the importance of these tips as a courtesy. Here they are for the benefit that heightened awareness will bring you.
On the Radio
| 03.22.11
5 Plumbing Tips You Need to Know
Last week on the Home Improvement Show, Pat, Sandie and I did a segment on 10 Common Plumbing Tips and we rated them based on how practical, beneficial, and probable people are to actually benefit from these tips. Here is my list of the 5 essential tips, nothing more:
1. Move one room at a time. Kristin's latest creation in our home is our daughter's big girl room. Her makeover was fun, less than $250, and Reagan loves it.
Thompson Times
| 03.22.11
Thompson Tips - A/C Units
1. Change your air filter monthly in peak heating & cooling seasons. Restricted air flow is the #1 cause of HVAC service calls.
1. Turn off the power at the electrical panel or remove the "key" fuse on the gray box outside.
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Love Where You Live
| 03.22.11
Historic Work Trip
Twice per year I surround myself with a small group of individuals that represent the best and brightest of the national remodeling industry. We submit ourselves to a process of peer review, an exacting yet loving business community where we trust each other enough to help us become better people who happen to be professional remodelers. This act has enabled me to grow in large (easy to quantify) and more subtle ways. The bottom line, because of these people pouring into my life, I become more helpful to my clients. It is the process of perfecting my craft.
The biggest cost drivers in a kitchen remodel are 1) New cabinetry, 2) Relocating fixtures and appliances, and 3) New countertops in that order.
Thompson Times
| 03.22.11
The Dreaded Ice Dam
In the last month I have spoken with a handful of clients about ice dams and it felt like every other call to the Home Improvement Show on Newsradio WOOD 1300 has been on the same subject. West MI Morning News even had me on last week for an interview regarding Ice Dams. Click here to listen to the podcast of that interview. In brief written-form here are the essentials you need to know about Ice Dams:
Love Where You Live
| 03.22.11
Trapped!
Today I was on the phone with a client who at one time felt trapped in her home. When they bought it, they loved that they were on the river and that the kitchen was larger than the one in their previous home. They love fell apart on the day they moved in as rain was dripping in the house in multiple places and kept dwindling as the years passed. After their flat roof leaked for the 3rd time, they had had enough. He declared, "It is time to get a real roof on this house." We created a beautiful octagonal roof where the flat roof once was, along with an addition that housed a new kitchen that was better suited to their lifestyle. We solved the major problems with the home and transformed the old into a house built for entertaining and enjoying the water. Her advice to you all reading this, "I wish we had thought to rent a storage facility or POD instead of stacking up a ll our future during the project," and, "It takes time in a home to figure out what you like and dislike, but with mortgage rates being what they are, this is a great time to fix the problems in your home. Our first mortgage on this house was 16%."
Location, Location, Location. When you look around your home, do words like cozy and familiar morph into words like cramped and out-dated? Is great design and a strategic remodel in a few areas of your home the difference between loving and hating your home? Strategic remodeling is doing what your home needs to stay current - nothing more. We consult with literally hundreds of homeowners each year on what they need to get what they want at home. The one thing we are not is One Trick Ponies. The satisfying variety that comes from analyzing the needs of each home I am in is one of the main reasons I am a professional remodeler. We help people like you "Love the home you're in."
How much you enjoy your home on a daily basis is also return on your investment. Trust that you have good judgment when you make major remodeling decisions. Resale value only matters on the day you sign a purchase agreement. On the other days, it is more or less academic. Over time, real estate increases in value in a beautiful way.
