Hire a PROfessional for National Remodeling Month

Find a PRO-fessional to get your project started for Oregon and National Remodeling Month!

May is Oregon & National Remodeling Month

Home owners reap many benefits when hiring a professional remodeler for their home renovation. According to the Professional Remodelers Organization of the HBA of Metro Portland (PRO), experienced remodelers bring a multitude of skills and qualities to successfully execute a home remodeling project.

“Professionals just do home remodeling better,” said Steve Stolze, 2013 PRO Chairman. “They not only bring advanced construction skills, trained remodelers better manage customer service and business management to improve the remodeling experience for home owners.”

What qualities do professional remodelers provide to a home renovation?

Bring home the benefits of hiring a professional home remodeler for your renovation. Harness their skills and knowledge to create a more comfortable home.

1. Customer Service

Knowledgeable home remodelers understand that they are providing a service, not a one-size-fits-all product. Just as every home owner is an individual, each home is also unique. A professional remodeler knows how to create customized solutions for the residents and provide continuing customer support.

2. Business Management and Integrity

Running a business well is part of the responsibilities of a professional remodeler. This includes having systems for the business, writing clear contracts, having insurance, providing warranties, and more. Better business management means better service for home owners because they can rely on the remodeler to perform with integrity.

3. Experience

Do you know what to expect when you take that wall out? A professional remodeler understands the structure of a home and is prepared for surprises behind walls. They’ve developed expertise from performing home remodels, attending trainings, and are familiar with laws and regulation pertaining to home construction.

4. Longevity

Anyone may be able to purchase a truck and some tools, but only professional remodelers have the skills to remain in business for the long haul. By understanding the practice and business of home remodeling, these professionals can manage changes in the market and return to service your home for years to come. Use the remodelers you can trust to fix problems and keep a home in good health for the long term.

5. Creativity

Home remodeling frequently involves problem solving, such as maximizing existing space, strategically building additions, or navigating limited budgets. Professional remodelers can help home owners manage challenges and meet their needs while staying within the budget. Experience and skills help remodelers propose choices and solutions to satisfy their customers.

Work with a PRO!

For  a searchable directory of professional remodelers, builders, designers and other industry professionals visit http://hbapdx.org/member-directory/ and look for the PRO logo!  Please feel free to contact the Professional Remodelers Organization of Metro Portland at 503-684-1880.

Your Home, Our “PRO”fessionals

Your Resource for  Remodeling Professionals

As we look forward to spring and early summer and the remodeling “season” kicks into high gear, homeowners all over the Portland Metro area are searching for a resource for professional contractors and service providers.  At the PRO, we are that resource.

The  Professional Remodelers Organization of the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland (PRO) consists of the area’s top remodelers, subcontractors, and suppliers who work together to promote

quality and professionalism in the home remodeling industry. In the past 13 years, the organization has grown to 220 members and currently is the third largest in the United States.

“Our members take pride in their craft, have years of experience in the field and are knowledgeable about the newest and most innovative products on the market,” said Mitch Stanley, former Professional Remodelers Organization chairman. “One of the big reasons our group continues growing fast is that we are committed to ethical business conduct and we encourage our membership to invest in training and education.”

The National Home Builders Association estimates that Americans will spend $145 billion in home remodeling in 2013. Remodeling accounts for 2 percent of the US economy and 40 percent of all residential construction.

Each spring, the Professional Remodelers Organization produces the Tour of Remodeled Homes, which showcases the top remodeling projects in the area. They also are active participants in the Home Builder Association’s Spring and Fall Home and Garden Shows, and PRO members are involved in several fundraising events throughout the year to support local charities. In the last several years years, the group has raised thousands of dollars for the Home Builders Foundation, which creates shelter opportunities for the disadvantaged or transitional homeless and provides educational opportunities for future generations of industry professionals.  The PRO also won a national CADRE Award for their participation in the  complete remodel and upgrade of the Cordero House.

The organization has been recognized nationally for its energy, commitment to the industry, dedication to the community and government affairs efforts. To date, the Organization has won 12 prestigious  Council Awards for Demonstrating Remodeling Excellence (CADRE) the highest national honor any organization can receive. Category wins include Outstanding Community Service Project, Outstanding Member Services and Education and Outstanding Public Relations and Promotion Program. The PRO was also recognized nationally  with and Association Excellence Award (AEA) for their volunteer project building the Santa House at Bridgeport Village Shopping Center for the 2011-2013 holiday seasons.

To find out more about the professional members of the PRO, search our online directory and look for the PRO logo!

Translating Contractor Speak

photo by Kenny Grono, Buckminster Green, LLC

 

A brief but informative glimpse into common phrases that your remodeler may use to try to communicate issues or finesse a difficult topic.

Houzz.com contributor Kenny Grono, owner of Buckminster Green, LLC, took a moment to provide a brief list of translated terms that may help homeowners to better understand and communicate with their remodeling contractor.

Contractors didn’t become contractors because they love to communicate. If they did they would have become speechwriters or newscasters (or get a gig writing ideabooks for Houzz). Sometimes what they say seems completely obvious to them, but makes no sense to you. And a contractor might speak euphemistically to dance around difficult topics. These tips should help you translate some of the euphemisms and somewhat curt statements you might hear, so that you get the most out of the client-contractor relationship.

For Example:

7. The design needed some tweaking. Often, this means the plans were unbuildable. Sometimes what’s drawn on paper just can’t be built. A staircase you’d need to crawl on your knees to use, “existing” spaces that don’t exist, a pocket door that would slide through a switch box and the shower valve, etc.

Read the full article from Houzz.com to see a top ten list of common phrases and what they probably mean to you.

Thinking “Inside” the Box

Image by Thinkstock

Check out these 9 great ideas for making your home more livable from Josh Garskof at CNNMoney.com and then find a remodeler to help you get started with the project by searching the directory of the Professional Remodelers Organization HERE.

Now may be a less than ideal time to put a house on the market or to take on big debt — icing your plans to trade up or build an addition anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck living in an uncomfortable home.

For a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, you can make your place “live” bigger without actually making it bigger, says architect Sarah Susanka, a small-space specialist and author of “Not So Big Remodeling.”

Call it thinking inside the box; read the full article on Yahoo for nine creative solutions for cramped homes.

Read the full article here.

Or copy this link ito your browser:  http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/9-remodeling-tips-to-make-your-home-feel-bigger.html

More 2011 Paint Color Trends

Individual style, mixed with budget-conscious decorating, will drive 2011 paint color trends, according to Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert at the Paint Quality Institute.

“There’s no escaping the state of the economy, even for homeowners who want to beautify their homes,” says Zimmer. “Rather than diving into large-scale renovation projects, in the coming year, consumers will search for inexpensive ways to freshen and update their homes. Many will conclude that painting is the perfect solution.”

By incorporating a few new paint colors, either as accent walls or throughout a room, consumers will be able to enhance their living spaces economically with paint, she says.

Zimmer shares three likely color directions for 2011:

Back to Basics
According to Zimmer, “Neutrals provide versatility and allow homeowners to quickly change the look of a room just by adding a few new accessories, without spending time and money to remodel or repaint again. This is the ultimate in practical remodeling, and the time is ripe for it.”

Warm whites, tawny tans, “barely-there” coral, and green are some of the colors that will find their way into countless kitchens, bedrooms, and baths, she predicts.

“Well Worn” Hues
Like a pair of favorite jeans, blue will grow in popularity as not just a wall color but also as a ceiling choice.  “Well Worn Hues” are represented by blues across the spectrum, from denim dark to blue-grey.

“Since most blues tend to be calming colors, this hue helps to create a perfect retreat from many of life’s stresses,” says Zimmer.  “As a secondary or complementary hue, yellow or yellow-green adds a bit of ‘spunk’ when used in family spaces,” she says.

Well Worn Hues is useful for any room in the house.

Shimmer and Shine
For thrifty consumers looking for a bit of sparkle, higher paint sheens and metallic finishes are on the radar for 2011.  Don’t be surprised to see spaces such as hallways and living areas painted in a very glossy hue, from top to bottom.  Zimmer adds, “More gloss means more reflectivity which means more light. Gloss can subtly create a brighter, more upbeat mood in a home, but at the same time, it adds style and pizzazz.”

Dining rooms and master bed and bath spaces are the perfect areas for this sophisticated choice.

Coupled with the “high shine” trend, gold will return as both an in-demand paint hue and as a key metallic choice.

Zimmer concludes, “Paint color is a homeowner’s best decorating tool. You can change the appearance, the perception of size and even the perception of temperature, through the simple use of paint color.”

2011 Color of the Year

The feminine and flirty Honeysuckle has been predicted to be the hot color for 2011.

Pantone says it is courageous, confident and vital.  A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.

For home interiors Honeysuckle is upbeat and dynamic when used on large areas like the entry area of a house or an apartment. It is an appetite and conversation stimulant when used on the dining room walls. In the kitchen, it adds a fun touch on the table in placemats and other linens (patterned or solid), colored glassware, candles and small appliances. Honeysuckle is a great color to cover up shabby kitchen cabinets, or, if that’s too much of a color statement for you, try repainting knobs and drawer pulls. But be warned – once you try this arresting shade, it can become addictive.

The Associated Press says that it is complementary to blues, greens and oranges, though, which will also work in the homes arena. “You’re seeing it in tabletop — it lends itself to striping and patterning in linens — and it’s gorgeous in glassware.”

Goodbye Man Cave, Hello Mom Cave

I ran across an article in the Wall Street Journal the other day that started like this…

The man cave has a secret: Women use them, too. Their new interest comes as these spaces have morphed from cold garage outposts into tricked-out comfy spreads, complete with flat screens TVs, fully stocked bars, arcade games and plush (clean!) furniture.

As a result, men are learning to share with the family while combating the inevitable intrusion of scented candles, flowers and kiddie toys. While couples often cozy up together or party in caves with friends, a growing number of women say they retreat there—even holding the occasional quilting party—without the guys.  Read more…

This article led me to the Homegoods website that is marketing female caves for things like scrapbooking, reading, blogging or just relaxing.  As a matter of fact they have an entire section of thier website devoted to “Mom Caves” complete with tips from experts, videos on organizing and decorating your mom cave and a place to share pictures of your mom cave with the world. 

Which leads me to ask…Do you have a man cave in your home?  When does a man cave stop being a man cave and become just another common space? Do you have a mom cave? What is the difference betwen this one room and the rest of the house?

Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report 2010-2011

Just released… Remodeling Magazines annual report on the relationship between remodeling costs and resale value. You can compare national and regional averages for 33 popular remodeling projects and you can also download a PDF with project data for any one of 80 U.S. cities (including Portland, Oregon).

See the Cost vs Value home page here.  Be sure and check out the Recent Trends and Patterns section which points out that small jobs and replacements that add curb appeal are leading the way.

The release of this report always sets off a flurry of activity in the media, so watch for detailed analysis of the report coming soon.

2010 Home Design Trends

 

Courtesy of AIA

 

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently released their yearly study of home design trends.  According to them…

• Homes are currently being designed with an eye toward affordability due to the dramatic decline in house prices in recent years in most areas of the country. Still, many households are willing to invest in home features, systems, and products that promote greater energy efficiency and accessibility throughout the home.
• Home offices appeal to telecommuting workers as well as to the growing number individuals who work exclusively out of their home.
• Outdoor living areas and outdoor rooms reflect the growing interest in expanding the household’s living space into the outdoors.
• Interest in mud rooms reflects the need for additional closets and other storage space, as well as the increasing informality of space in the home
• For media rooms/home theaters, exercise/fitness rooms, hobby/game rooms, home workshops, kid’s wings/guest wings, interior kennels, and interior greenhouses, a growing share of residential architects responding to this survey indicated that interest in these spaces was declining.
• The systems and technologies in homes that are growing in popularity increasingly have an energy focus. Systems with the greatest increase in interest include energy management systems, solar panels/collectors/photovoltaics, and geothermal heating and cooling heat pumps.
• Residential architects report that home improvement activity is growing at a fairly healthy rate. Both kitchen and bath remodels and additions and alterations to existing homes have healthy sector scores with this survey, with kitchen and bath remodeling having increased from its reading of a year ago. Without an overbuilding problem like in the new construction market, home improvement activity has been able to stage a healthier recovery than new construction.

Not So Big Remodeling

Sarah Susanka’s most recent book Not So Big Remodeling: Tailoring your home for the way you really live has rave reviews including this one from the Chicago Tribune…

The latest book from ‘Not So Big’ priestess lays out steps to take the expense, disruption out of remodeling. Soft-spoken Sarah Susanka wouldn’t seem to be the “I told you so” type, but … well, she told you so. For more than a decade, the architect has campaigned for houses to be built smaller but better. Her basic message: Figure out how big a house you need, and then subtract about a third of the square footage. Good design will make up the difference. Her eighth book, “Not So Big Remodeling: Tailoring Your Home for the Way You Really Live” (Taunton Press, 330 pages, $32), co-written with architect Marc Vassallo. It aims, she says, to help homeowners make smaller remodeling gestures, or, in her parlance, “Not So Big moves.” Susanka’s buffet of remodeling solutions leans toward less expense and less disruption of daily life. She places them in three Not So Big categories: working within the existing footprint; creating room “bumpouts” that extend the space by a couple of feet; and smallish, cost-effective room additions.

If you are serious about remodeling and want to do it better not bigger, I highly recommend checking out her book right away.  You can also read Green Tips from Sarah Susanka here.