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Remodel it KC

Your Home, Your Memories, Your Future

Looking for a Remodeling team you can trust and afford?

Remodelitkc.com We listen to your dreams, and we promise results.

Hi, I’m Brad, RemodelitKC.com. Visit our website for 5% off materials, or to learn my trade secrets, for free.

Or call me to talk about your dreams.

This Remodeling Video is of a Deck.  This is not a remodel “How To” video. 

These people have lived in their home for quite some time, and have decided to stay there for  a very  long time.

When you decide to stay in the home, the economics of remodeling are different, because, your strategy is long term, and the only people you are trying to satisfy is yourself.

This is a very, very, nice Deck.

Painting – DIY versus Professional Contractor

Painting.  This video we are going to show you about painting, some of the issues that you should consider when you are deciding should you paint yourself, or should you have a contractor do it.

Usually, when you get a few bids you notice that painting bids seem very High.  Well, when you break that down you should look to see if the bids require preparation.

We are going to show you, in this video, the many places to do preparation for your home, before you paint.  And Painters assume that they are going to have to prepare.  And perhaps you are underestimating how much work that really is.  Show we will show you that on an average home in the video, today.

The second issue is how much time will it take to do the job, if you do it yourself.  You are probably going to do it when you get time like over a weekend, or weekends.  A painting crew can do about a 2000 square foot house, interior, in about 4 to 5 days.  So that is something to consider, how long do you want to be disrupted?

Another thing to consider when you are going to paint, is the quality of paint.  When you go to the store and look at, let’s say, brown paint.  Why can you spend $35, $45, $55, $65 dollars on Brown Paint.  What is the difference?

Rather than tell you all of the different ingredients that go into paint, let me share with you the experience that I have had.  An inexpensive paint will wind up taking more coats in order to just look equivalent to a more expensive paint.  So, since the labor is the highest cost to painting,  it is often wise to give yourself the luxury of a high dollar paint from a reputable dealer like Porter, Sherwin Williams, I like Benjamin Moore, myself.  It is 2013, and my favorite paint color is Alexandria Beige.  It comes with a Litchfield Grey, and a Desert Tan.  These color schemes are created by designers to blend well together and it happens to be the highest selling paint in the Midwest.  So why would I use anything else.  Our homes sell faster and for more money when we use those paints. And for people staying in the home, they find that they love the comfort and ambience created for them by the Benjamin Moore paints.

So, if you like the video, tell your friends.

Hello, I Brad with Remodelitkc.com.  And today we are talk a little bit about painting.  Sometimes when you go out and get bids for painting, you will be surprised at the difference between a low bid and a high bid.  So today we will look at those differences, plus,  we will look at what happens when you do the work yourself, or when you have a professional do the job.

We are at our friend, Morgan’s, house.  And she just had her house painted.  The job never got finished, she had her boyfriend do it, which is common.  He wanted to do  it, and how hard can it be to put on paint.  So after nine months, we will show you some pictures of how he was in process for nine months, and she never got her house put back together.  She felt uprooted all of that time.  We are going to spend about 4 days here and get her house painted on the inside.  The difference between a professional job is just that, we get it done in four days.

But also, doing the work properly.  So the house has just been painted but you’ll notice just behind me there are a lot of splotches on the wall.  What are those?  A professional painter wants a nice flat surface.  After you have been in your home a few years, there are some bumps and bruises on the sheetrock, which is just a hard chalk.  These gentlemen are filling those bumps in, and then they will do a nice sanding job, so the walls are nice and smooth.  And then, begin painting.

So, let’s take a look at some of the other pieces of the house.

You will also have places in your house where just from settling and normal usage, your sheetrock will need some repair.  This home had a big patch missing right up here.  There is a window, there is a door, and going in and out of the door causes movement.  Movement causes a home to start showing their time and their wear.  So, if you are painting, you should fix that, and then paint.

So here is a wall that we are going to start with.  It has been painted.  And  it looks pretty much like the rest of the walls in this house.  It will have some spackling put on it, as well.  Sometimes, it isn’t just a place or two.  It is pretty much the whole wall.

Some walls are going to take more than others.  This wall, for example, is near an entry.  An entry.  People are coming into the home, a lot more traffic, the chances of bumping the walls are pretty high.  You bring things in, you take them out…get the idea?

Or a stairwell, which is a high traffic area.  You are going up and down, you often have things in your hands, and sometimes you are at high speeds.  And so, the walls get dinged up a little bit more.

Should you paint first, or should you paint last?  If you are doing quite a bit of remodeling, you are probably best to paint last.  Why is that?  Well if you are doing tile work or carpet work, look at the contracts and you will see a mention that they could bump and bruise your walls.  Since you know that is going to happen, why not paint last?  It gives other contractors an incentive to stay neat and clean, and to get done quickly.  So, as you are assembling your team and everyone is talking about who should go first, and who should go last, remember, paint is best if it goes on last. 

The second person who will have a good argument about going last is the carpet guys.  So, if you don’t want people traipsing across your new carpet, then have carpet go in last.

Definitely one of those two, paint, or carpet, should go last.

CREDITS

Brad Schuttler, with RemodelitKC.com has completed

many projects in the Kansas City area.  He typically

works in homes that are $200K and up in retail value.

Although our video and production quality are

average, or below, our message is simply for your

benefit.  We want you to have a positive remodeling

experience.

Contractor Referral in Kansas City with Advice from Experienced Customer

Hi, I’m Brad with Remodelitkc.com, and today we are with Susan in her home.  We are going to ask her some questions, because she has done a few remodels.  Her opinion might be of great value to those of you with less experience.

So Susan, how many remodels have you done in your home, we know you have been here about 20 years.

“I believe 8”

Over that same time, have you used the same contractor each time?

“No, we haven’t.  I think six or seven.  Sometimes because they were specific type of contractor, but sometimes it was because I wasn’t pleased with the last one.”

So you find a different one.  How do you go about picking a contractor?

“That is the problem, because you have more than one to choose from.  Word of mouth, advertisements, but often it is by Hook and by Crook.”

So, there is no fool proof method?

“Not that we have found.”

So, even though you have done 8 remodels over 20 years, you are not a professional contractor picker?

“Not at all.”

Well, I would say you are above average, because 8 remodels over that period of time is quite a bit and you seem to go at it with a good attitude.

When there is a contractor working in your neighborhood, and you approach that contractor, have you ever done that?

“I sure have, we have done that twice.”

So, thinking back, what was your criteria for picking that contractor.

“The one I had talked to a neighbor who had had her kitchen remodeled, and we wanted a bath remodeled.  They cleaned up, had a good work ethic, they showed up every day, and she liked their work.”

So, just showing up matters.  In our economy, just showing up makes a difference.  Later, we will do a video about the mathematics of picking a contractor, because it is really easy to determine which ones are going to show up, and which ones are not.  In the interview they kind of tell you that, not verbatim, but they tell you with their information.

So, when you make that final payment to a contractor, when do you think you will see them, again?

“Well, there is always that optimistic hope that you will see them again, soon, if something goes wrong or comes up.  Realistically, once I write that last check, I figure I won’t see them again.  I would like at least a phone call, but maybe never see them personally.

We’ve talked about this, but you really feel that the relationship between you, your contractor, and the job has a lot to do with money.

“Money, yes, but actually there has to be a level of trust. I need to be able to believe him when he says what is going to happen, and what is going to be done, and I guess he needs to make sure I have got a good check.”

How important is planning to a remodeling project?

“Oh, I don’t know, I would think everybody would need some planning.  You wouldn’t just start a project on a whim.  I think you need to know your end result, and how much is it going to cost to get to that result.  And then go from there, it is like anything else.  You should set a goal, and determine the most efficient way of getting there.

And I think that is wise.  So if you find that you and your spouse are sitting around talking about a bathroom remodel on Wednesday, and you plan to start it the same weekend, you might want to slow down a little.

Would it be beneficial to using a General contractor over and over again?    You would know that this person is practiced at getting projects moving and completed, week in, week out, even though it might cost more in the short run?

“Yes, I would be willing to pay a little more, because in the long run you sometimes have to do these jobs over.”

And doing them over costs a lot more, doesn’t it?

“Right, it does, and it is just irritating.”

Our company, New Look Tile, has done a little work for you, what kind of recommendation would you give us?

“Oh, I highly recommend you.  You do good work, you come back, and if there is an issue, you come back!  It is the best part, I have already written the last check, and yet you come back to resolve an issue.

What kind of advice would you give to a young couple who has purchased an older home, and let me tell the viewers that you were raised on a farm and that usually farmers tend to do things from the ground, up, and so what sort of advice would you give these people?

“Well, the very first thing if I was going to buy a house, again, is to spend the extra money and get your own inspector.  You have to have an inspection, anyway, but have more than one inspection before you purchase the home.  Spring for the money to have an electrician and a plumber come through the home, have someone look at the roof, and make sure these things are not going to cost you thousands of dollars three months after you move in.”

“Then, after you have been in the home and you begin to look around at the things that you might want to change, I would start with the kitchen, but I am a caterer.

Pick your priority of what you want done first, and determine how much money you have to work with. You may not be able to get granite or high end backsplash you wanted.  But get the best you can for the money you have.

In another video, we talk about planning and how you can only go as fast as you can afford, so that is great advice.

When you are young, you want all of the fine things, because…

“Because you do!”

Yes, because you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
httpv://youtu.be/v5dbScUhAGo

Learn how to ask for  Remodeling Contractor referrals.  This video has many old contractor tricks embedded in the script.  Asking the proper question, instead of a generic question, will keep a remodeling contractor on the hot seat to produce what you need to feel comfortable starting a remodeling project with them

Referrals are often known as a customer list, and typically it is best for the contractor to have 2 or 3 people who he can ask to field calls from customers from time to time.  Since most people do not actually make the call, it works out well for the contractors.

But, logically thinking, the contractor gives you plenty of information to decide who to call.

In the sales process, they usually are anxious to tell you how many jobs that they have going.  To the contractor, he feels that you are impressed when he has 5 to 10 jobs working.  You should pay attention to that number.  A logical question is to ask how many people in his main crew.  If he has 3 in his main crew, and 10 jobs working, then how long does each job have to wait, just to see some one from his crew?  That discussion is for another blog post, but you can begin to see the math.

For referrals, you only need 2.  The most recent job is key, because they are just fresh off of the experience with this contractor.  They have experienced the best, and the worst.  Wouldn’t that be the best person to call?  The second is a customer that is 3 to 5 years in the past.  They can tell you how the contractor services his work, and how well the work holds up to day to day living.

Be persistent with these specific questions, and you will not fall into the tricks of a contractor taking great care of 2 or 3 customers to keep good referrals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
httpv://youtu.be/v5dbScUhAGo

Free Home Improvement Strategies

Home Improvement for Bathroom, Kitchen, carpet, remodeling, painting projects often make home owners begin executing a vague plan for home improvement.

Having a sound strategy in your remodeling project will give you the control that you need to monitor the cost, and quality of your contractor’s efforts.

A strategy comes before a plan.

Three phases of the strategy are Contemplation, Planning, and Execution.

Planning tests the first phase, Contemplation.

Sequence matters, as getting these components out of sequence causes rising costs, inefficiencies, and creates conflicts between the home owners and the contractors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
httpv://youtu.be/v5dbScUhAGo

Remodeling Contractors, How to Hire Construction Contractors for your home remodeling Project.

Use “The Cycle” to gain control of the process of selecting a remodeling contractor. 

The Cycle is a sequential process that efficiently outlines your goals, and establishes a dominant position in what the Contractor feels is a Sales opportunity.  Your goal is to slow the process down enough to gather information and confirmed opinions of the claims made by prospective remodeling contractors.

Use the process for purchasing anything that you simply cannot write a check for and forget about it.

Use it for buying Carpeting, Painting, Kitchen Remodelers, Flooring installers, and more at RemodelitKC.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
httpv://youtu.be/v5dbScUhAGo

This post is about Remodeling, Contractors, you, and predictable behaviors that will affect your Carpeting, Painting, Kitchen, or bathroom remodel.

Personality Types affect results at work, home, family, and nearly every aspect of our lives.  So how does personality type affect your remodeling project?

Michael Gerber has written a best seller called the E Myth.  “E” stands for Entrepreneur.   This book dissects the probability of success of a small business based upon the blend of personality types that are prevalent in small business.

It is particularly pertinent as we examine who, typically, is the Entrepreneur of a small contracting company.  Often, the “boss” is the best tradesman in the company.  Sometimes the “boss” is the worst tradesman in the company.

Gerber determined that each small business has at the helm of the company a blend of Entrepreneur, Manager, or Technician.  And we have determined from our video of you, your contractor, and the Bell Curve that you will likely be dealing with a small business if you hire a contractor for your project.  What behaviors or symptoms can you observe to determine which personality type is running the show on your project?

Secondly, consider that you, the customer, also bring a personality type to the mix of behaviors and expectations to the project.  We often select people to work with that remind us of ourselves, but in this case you may be a Manager type, and so your propensity to select a manager type is higher than normal.

Two managers overseeing a group of technicians is a recipe for conflict, low communications levels, and an adversarial work climate.

We will be posting more blogs of the intricate nature of blending the right personality types as you select a contractor.  Also, we can examine behaviors and strategies for dealing with contractors who are not like you, giving you a better chance for a satisfying remodeling project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
httpv://youtu.be/v5dbScUhAGo

Survival of the Least Fit?  How can a tool to measure High School and College classroom performance give us necessary insight into the success or your remodeling project?

First, let’s review what the Bell Curve is, so we can become clear that the Bell Curve absolutely affects the success of your remodeling project.

The Bell Curve has become a tool to measure performance expectations using an average, or mediocre as a midpoint for comparison.

So, in school, a grade of C was considered average, and a B predictably higher, and an A the highest.

Each student was compared to one another to determine their grade, or quality of their ability to learn.

So, in a class of 12 children, 6 were going to get a C, 2 were going to get a B and 2 were going to get a D, leaving 1 to get an F and one to get an A……every time. 

Carl Frederick Gauss used large samplings of numbers to create this theory, and it does a great job in establishing some sense of order to remodeling, which mixes a structure built by one builder, to be altered by another builder often after many years of service, and making the judgment about how well it is getting accomplished is a person who may not have any building experience…..at all.

Here is how it works, for you.

What do you expect in the performance of the Remodel?

If I asked you to put an expectation on how you would like this remodel to look when it was finished, would you plot that expectation in the middle of the Bell Curve?  At the left most edge, where the kid who gets the F is plotted?

Or would you put your expectation more on the right side of the curve, where the A’s are plotted?  Most of us would say that our expectation is really high.

So, now let’s use the same curve to plot where you would put your expectation to pay would be located.

Of course, you know it is good business to get 3 bids, and certainly you should take the low bid.

Or should you?

How would your contractor score if you charted his building ability, his communication ability, and his ability as a business owner?

Where do you think you would want the ability of your contractor to be plotted on the Bell Curve?

If you could measure all contractors on various skills from carpentry, plumbing, electrical, flooring, and design, how would that chart look?  Probably most contractors that you find would be charted in the middle.

Survival of the Least Fit might be the best way to describe the “Average” contractor.  If he was the “best,” wouldn’t he also be the highest price?  Wouldn’t he have the biggest business?  And if he did, why would he be working in your house, where you want the best, but want to pay the least?

Using the Bell Curve to plot your expectations of performance, price, and other expectations will assist you in determining where you may become frustrated, before you even get started.