One of the hottest trends in remodeling today isn’t in kitchen and bath fixtures, flooring or countertop materials, or color choices. The big news in remodeling today is de-stressing the process as much as possible by using a human buffer.
If you’ve ever been through a remodeling project or talked with someone who has, you’re probably aware that what starts out seeming like a great idea to improve your home all too often disintegrates into a nightmare.
And no wonder. There are any number of things in any phase of the project—from planning to permitting through execution— that can go wrong. If you don’t know the ropes, beware.
Patti McGavic acted as her own contractor to build her two-story home and came away with these insights:
1. “Just because you see their name everywhere doesn’t mean they’re good” and
2. “Lots of people move here from other areas and start businesses when they don’t know what they’re doing.”
McGavic, who has a three-year-old son and is Sarasota County Manager of Finance and Admin., saw a need for a facilitator between homeowners needing repair or remodeling work and area contractors. She had seen an article in Working Mother magazine about a woman in New York who was a go-between of this sort, so McGavic called and talked to her, finding her a willing source of information and even the forms she had perfected for use in this area.
McGavic’s “Home Service Connection” business prescreens licensed and insured professionals, get their references, and connects them with homeowners who need work done. It’s a match made in heaven and can keep your project from going to hell in a hand basket—a common occurrence these days with so many people competing for good workers. Best of all it costs the homeowner nothing.
Here’s how it works:
• The homeowner signs a job order form for referral
• McGavic faxes the form to an appropriate contractor
• An appointment is scheduled between the contractor and the homeowner
• A quote is given
• There is no obligation for the homeowner to use this contractor, nor for the contractor to accept this job, unless both parties feel it’s a good fit
• When the contractor bills the homeowner, McGavic bills the contractor for the referral. For more information check out McGavic’s web site at www.homeconnect.com or phone her at Home Service Connection, 322-6767.
Sometimes remodeling isn’t a choice but a necessity, like in the case of Laurie and Larry Dunham. At 2:30 am June 4, a Saturday, their family was jolted awake in the middle of the night by what sounded like lightning hitting their home, and then an extremely loud smoke alarm.
Larry stumbled through what he thought was thick smoke in the living room when he realized he didn’t need to get the fire extinguisher after all because the “smoke” was actually cement dust. A truck had crashed through the front wall of their home and it was the truck’s horn blaring, not a smoke alarm.
The huge bank of windows that had comprised much of the front exterior wall was now inside, the metal frame crashed into their giant TV, shattered glass everywhere.
The adjacent wall (of the bedroom where their children were sleeping) was cracked, but not collapsed, and a section of the cement block wall that had been next to the front door had landed against the kids’ guinea pig cages. The front of the truck covered the floor space where their Sheltie dog, Kobioshi Maru, usually slept. (Luckily, “Kobi” was found shaken, but uninjured in the kitchen.)
If at that moment you’d told the Dunham’s that their nightmare was only beginning, they probably wouldn’t have believed it—though this might have been a clue of things to come: as they stood in the rain in the dark of night and placed a cell phone call to their insurance company, the answering service informed them that they were not allowed to contact the insurance company on the weekend “unless there had been a fatality” and to call back Monday. |
They stood huddled in the rain with their
children and dog, staring at each other in
disbelief, while the firemen and police oversaw
the tow truck’s extraction of the vehicle from their home.
When they finally did get through to the insurance company it was slow going, only to result in what Laurie Dunham calls, “... such a ridiculous lowball estimate that even a novice knows they’re being had.” (The figure did indeed turn out to be about 20% of what the actual amount needed was.)
The entire family was running on their last nerves within the chaotic ruins of their home when a friend told them about public insurance adjuster Michael Barral, a former private insurance adjuster for some of the largest national insurance companies, and now owner of Claim Quest Inc. in Venice.
Barral knew exactly what went on in such situations and how to deal with it. His web site, www.claimquest.net, features two fiveminute videos of him being interviewed on legitimate news shows (not “advertorials,”) one on a Tampa Bay station, the other on CNN, and has a lot of good information.
“He really helped us a lot,” says Laurie, “especially in the beginning. I was so overwhelmed it was unbelievable: I was having a terrible time getting contractors to even come out and give a bid. They would say it was too much paperwork to give a written bid, or they were too busy to do the job. For the most part they either didn’t show up or never sent the bid. Michael came right out and brought two contractors and a structural engineer with him; they went all through the house taking pictures and measurements.
He gets the bids together, deals with the insurance company, sets up visits with contractors—he even comes out evenings if need be.”
As this article was written in October, four months after that horrific night, the Dunhams were finally getting their first draw for the repair work. Where they’d have been without their intermediary is anybody’s guess. So whether you’re remodeling for fun or necessity, before you reach for the first swatch book or catalog, reach for your laptop and check out what may be the best decision of your entire project: Getting an expert’s help. Charmaine Engelsman - Robins
Remodeling is BIG
Remodeling expenditures saw record growth in 2004, up 12.3% from 2003, and the National Association of Home Builders sees continued growth ahead. Americans spent $198.6 billion on remodeling projects last year according to the U.S. Census Bureau, up from $176.9 in 2003 and the largest increase in more than a decade.
“A combination of increased home sales, more owner equity and low refinance rates all contributed to the tremendous growth last year,” said Remodelors Council Chairman Don Novak, CGR, CAPS, a remodeler from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In addition, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelors Council™ forecasts continued growth throughout 2005 to $209 billion, but at a less torrid increase of 6.3%.
Rising home prices have encouraged remodeling in several ways, including:
• Remodeling has become easier to finance with the increased equity that a homeowner can tap into, either through refinancing or home equity loans.
• Homeowners may decide to remain and improve their homes when faced with sticker shock from home prices, as homes nationwide have appreciated by 15.1% (35% here) over the last year.
• Rising prices make improvements look like better investments, as a greater percentage of the cost will be recouped in any sale. In markets with rapidly rising prices, it is not unreasonable for the homeowner to expect to eventually recoup the full cost or more of an improvement project.
SOURCE: The NAHB Remodelors™ Council represents the 14,000 remodeling industry members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
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