« June 2007 | Main | August 2007 »
July 31, 2007
Change is the only constant
I recently learned that a former boss of mine is leaving the company to take a new job. After my initial shock, I began to worry about his ability to sell his house in this market. While Knoxville, Tenn., hasn't been hit quite as hard as other parts of the country, there are an awful lot of houses with "For Sale" signs in their yards. I felt especially bad because Jim and his wife just finished a wonderful kitchen remodel less than a year ago. Turns out my concerns were unwarranted.
Jim sold his house in something like two days, thanks largely to that terrific kitchen. That's a confirmation of the value of remodeling. While some might think, "Why remodel? We won't be here forever," others know that keeping a house up to date pays off when it finally comes time to sell.
I had to leave behind a newly remodeled kitchen myself when I moved to Knoxville, and oh, how I miss it! I'm already making plans to fix the kitchen, which was outdated when the house was built 14 years ago. The floorplan is absurd; it's impossible for two people to work in the kitchen at once. The cabinets were poorly chosen, and it's pretty obvious that the original blueprint called for more of them. And after the quartz countertops I put in the last house, I really, really hate the cheap laminate in this one!
But in this market, I wonder how realistic it is to expect a reasonable return on investment for remodeling. Jim's experience is encouraging, of course.
What do you think? How are you remodelers selling jobs in a market that doesn't guarantee the same ROI as it did a couple of years ago? Or is it even a problem for your clients? Let me know.
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 9:53 AM | Comments (4)
July 25, 2007
More info on green building (part 2)
There have to be a lot of incentives from individual states and cities for going green, too, and the IRS is giving people who make certain green improvements a tax credit, at least for this year. Check out the following:
http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_5296967,00.html
http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_5641292,00.html
http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_4757784,00.html
The last article has a link to a map and database that will help you figure out what your state specifically offers.
As far as finding a contractor, contact your local chapters of the National Association of Home Builders and the National Association for the Remodeling Industry (www.nahb.com and www.remodeltoday.com, respectively). They should be able to steer you to a green builder or remodeler.
However, don't expect to much in the way of a discount on a project; this is what these companies do all the time, and they probably have their schedules pretty full already with projects like yours. No matter how passionate the company owners may be, the costs for labor and materials stays the same.
Good luck on your project! You're part of a quickly growing trend as more and more homeowners go green.
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 9:48 AM | Comments (0)
More info on green building (part 1)
I'm getting some questions about resources for green building info and incentives. I'll post some in this blog, and some more in another one. I'm limited to only three live links per blog; hence the two articles. Response Part I:
Check out some of the articles on our site; we have several about how economical it can be to go green. Especially note the editorial packages at http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/green_building/ and http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/pac_ctnt/text/0,2595,HPRO_20196_60293,00.html; the latter has a lot of info about budget green building. And don't miss http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/dj_technology/article/0,2619,HPRO_20157_3456777,00.html.
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 9:45 AM | Comments (0)
July 23, 2007
Following the PATH
Okay, I admit it. I'm a construction nerd. I love reading about new building technologies, which is why I've enjoyed all of the PATH case histories posted on our site. While some of them cover the same technology, others deal with stuff I'd never heard of before.
Case in point: the article about corrugated stainless steel tubing. Although I've been reporting about the construction industry for almost 14 years, this material and this use were new to me. And, like the other PATH technologies, it makes perfect sense. I'm all in favor of anything that can save time (and money) for builders and remodelers.
I wish I could provide links to all of the case studies, but there are too many. However, if you search for "PATH case study" on HGTVPro.com, you'll get all of them -- and then some. Take some time and read these fascinating, first-person reports about the latest in building science.
What's your own favorite time-saver in construction? Do you have a technique or material that you turn to repeatedly? Let me know; I'd love to find out what builders are doing out in the field.
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 1:23 PM | Comments (1)
July 16, 2007
Professional certifications
One of the first things I learned about when I started writing about the home-building industry was professional certifications offered by trade associations. I immediately jumped on the bandwagon; I'm something of an education junkie, and these programs made a lot of sense to me. After all, most other professions have some kind of official thumbs-up for those who really know what they're doing.
But in talking to builders and remodelers over the years, I've gotten feedback that the certifications aren't worth the time and trouble. I always take such comments with at least a grain of salt. And I have to say I don't know too many people who used to have a certification but let it lapse for some reason.
What is your take as a construction professional on the value of certification? Does it make a difference to your customes? If you have one, do you use it in marketing and sales? What do you see as its greatest value -- or maybe its lack of value? Let me know.
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 9:49 AM | Comments (4)
July 3, 2007
Disconnect between best practices and codes
I'm hearing more stories about builders who are trying to build the best houses they can in spite of the local code. As one builder told me, "A house built to code is the crappiest house you can legally build." Well put. Code is the bare minimum the local government will accept.
So building a house that exceeds code would seem to be a great idea. The problem, though, is that inspectors are so used to "the crappiest house" that they often have trouble seeing anything better as a good thing.
Case in point: Vented crawl spaces. They may have been a good idea when the code was first established, but in the day of central air conditioning, they are a liability. Humid air enters the crawl space through the vents, hits the A/C ducts, and condensation happens. The result? A wet crawl space.
What other local idiosyncrasies have you run into? How did you convince the inspector that your way was a better way to do things? Or were you able to convince the inspector at all? Let us know.
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 10:00 AM | Comments (5)
