Find summertime Home Contractor Services Today With The Home Owner Ideas Directory

Expanding a home with an addition is a terrific way to offer a family more room in the house and improve the value of the property. Any home owner who is considering an addition on their home where a construction crew would be involved would need to research local contractors before making a choice.

Several issues may impact whether a particular contractor is right for the job. Smart home owners will want to consider every angle of the project before making their choice on competing estimates from contractors.

1. Reputation

A building contractor’s business thrives on happy customers, and one of the primary ways such professionals obtain additional work is through the recommendations of satisfied home owners. Asking friends or family who might have had work done by a local contractor about their experience is a good first step in determining whether the contractor will deliver.

The internet is another valuable resource for researching the reputation of a local contractor, but home owners should beware that what might be found on the internet regarding a contractor’s reputation might not always be accurate. Speaking to real-life clients of a contractor or building company will always be the most truthful way to determine a contractor’s reputation. The homeowner should also look for multiple reviews online as opposed to just one person’s review. Free review sources such as Google reviews and Yelp can be great sources for this.

2. Experience

The amount of time a particular contractor has been operating is a good indication of their reputation as any contractor who doesn’t perform well will suffer from a lack of new projects. Experience also showcases a contractor’s dedication to his profession, and the number of projects he might have completed that had similar goals as a client’s present request.

3. Price

Simply choosing the lowest cost estimate is never a good idea when it comes to home improvement projects and complicated installations like an addition to the home. The budget is often the biggest wildcard associated with a significant home improvement project, and will often be one of the determining factors regarding the choice a home owner makes.

Estimates that are too low reveal the inexperience of the contractor, while estimates that seem too high might be a more accurate representation of what the project may cost. A home owner might want to spend no more than a certain amount of money on a project, but sometimes what the home owner wants would cost much more.

4. Time

There are two considerations regarding time that every home owner should think about when choosing the right home estimate. One consideration will be the amount of time the contractor or building professional took to come to a decision on how long the project would take. No contractor worth his cost will ever offer an estimate over the phone. Good contractors always request an on-site investigation of the premises to be modified for accurate budgeting.

In addition, the completion time offered should also be under consideration as this timeframe might offer clues as to which contractor is telling the truth about how long it might take to finish a project. By comparing the estimates of time given from each of the contractors, it’s possible to come to an average timeframe and eliminate any estimate that seems suspiciously short when compared to the others.

When considering which bid to accept for a home addition, each of the preceding factors should be considered before any decisions are made. Speaking with each contractor or building professional more than once is recommended to get a feel for how each project may play out when the project gets underway. Careful decision-making regarding the contractor will be the best way to get a fabulous looking home addition.

Tags: average time, contractors, estimates, experience, home addition, home improvement, price, reputation, summertime, time

It’s almost summer and for many homeowners this is the best time to spruce up their home decor for a more summery look. This need for sprucing up may be especially urgent if the rooms have been looking a bit drab and outmoded of late. One room that can really use a spring and summer makeover is the kitchen. Here are some ideas to help a kitchen welcome the warm weather.

Area Rugs
These rugs can be quite beautiful and don’t merely have to be functional. They can be made out of colorful rags, like traditional Swedish rag rugs or be striped in different bright colors. They not only provide color and interest but protect the floor.

Kitchen Table and Island Centerpieces
Flowers aren’t the only things that make beautiful centerpieces. Fruit and vegetables can also make wonderful pieces that may be placed on your island or kitchen table. A nice display would be a group of Transvaal daisies in an urn-shaped, milk glass vase, a tiny, green porcelain vase that holds just one yellow rose, a straight-sided vase full of white, red, yellow and orange ranunculus and a white, porcelain footed bowl full of fresh, ripe peaches.

A single, shallow bowl of red or green apples or walnuts is also good. Not only are these centerpieces good to look at, they’re also good to eat. The same is true, of course, for the peaches. As the comestibles disappear, they can always be replenished.

Another centerpiece idea is a large clear glass vase filled with pink peonies anchored in place by seashells artfully arranged in the bottom of the vase then covered with water. Some of the seashells can be scattered around the vase on the table as accents.

A grouping of candles is also lovely, especially votives that aren’t in danger of being knocked over. These too, can be paired with flowers. A sleek, white, porcelain tea service along the lines of Luigi Colani would also be a topic of conversation.

Replace the Dishpan and the Dishdrain
Now’s the time for the dishpan and the dishdraining rack to be replaced, because they’ve both seen better days. They are both cheap, easy to find and come in any color that can match the rest of the kitchen. Homemakers may think that guests don’t notice what’s in and around the sink, but they do.

Window Dressings
Now is the time to change the window dressings. With the warm weather and abundant sunlight, some people will get rid of curtains or blinds altogether and allow the window to go undressed to allow in the most light. Other people might change their old cafe curtains for new ones made of sheer, light-colored fabric like cambric, which also lets light into the room.

Wall Ideas
First of all, the wall should be thoroughly cleaned because, let’s face it, they’re grungy after all these years. Then, they should be painted a light, summery color. Shades of white are excellent, as are bright yellows, pale greens and pale blues. The homeowner might go for a combination of all of these colors, though care needs to be taken to make sure that they don’t clash. But a kitchen that’s in shades of white like off-white, cream, pearl, ivory or brilliant white does give an impression of airiness. It also makes the room look bigger than it is.

New Drawer Pulls
This is just about the most inexpensive way to give a summery feel to a kitchen. The amount of draw pulls to choose from is bewildering. They can be basic black knobs, either round, square or oval, to contrast with white cabinets. They can be made out of clear or colored cut glass or carved out of stone. They can be bar shaped cabinet pulls made out of polished, oil-rubbed or hammered metals like brass, bronze, steel or iron. They can be simple or very ornate.

Lighting
If the kitchen has fluorescent hoops, they need to go. There are now fluorescents that come in compact form. The hoops that once hung above the kitchen table or the kitchen island can now be replaced by a multi-armed chandelier with little fabric shades or a triplet of pendant lights with ribbed glass shades and shiny chrome accents.

Tags: area rugs, kitchen, kitchen island, lighting, summertime, window dressings

Tag: summertime

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