May is National Home Improvement Month. Here is a slideshow of some of the smaller projects we have been involved in.

“Sock It To Me” Home Improvement
You may have heard a contractor at one point in time refer to the term “punch list.” For those of you who aren’t familiar with what a punch list is, try this: Go from room to room in your home and write down everything you see that needs to be fixed, improved, cleaned, or changed. Now, look at your list. Does its length knock the wind out of you? If the answer is yes, you’ve got yourself a “punch list!”

Punch lists... Everyone’s got one, and no one wants them, primarily because they smack of unfinished business. Things on your punch list could include wall dings in the front hall; loose floor tiles in the kitchen; broken outlet plates in the laundry room; and a pocket door off its track in the bathroom. Or, your punch list could include big things like painting the entire home exterior; fixing the furnace/air conditioning unit; or replacing the kitchen cabinets.

If you find yourself procrastinating on any of your punch list items, it may be because you don’t feel comfortable about doing the work yourself. If this is the case, give Steve Gray Renovations your punch list and let us do it for you! We’re good at this stuff because that’s what we do for a living. Besides, you’ve hopefully got other things you could be doing around home that’s more fun. Right?

Zach Frederick joined Steve Gray Renovations on April 21 as a full time construction assistant. Zach lives in Carmel, Indiana and has a lot of experience in framing and project maintenance. Don’t let the fact that he’s quiet fool you. Zach is a go-getter and will amaze you with his incredible work ethic!

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Tips for Choosing a Remodeler
We’ve all heard the horror stories about working with contractors. Maybe you’ve experienced one such situation that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck even today. If you’ve got a home improvement project, consider these three tips prior to beginning it. While doing them takes up a bit more time, in the long run, you’ll thank us.

You already know this, but it’s worth repeating... When you hire a remodeler, you are buying a service rather than a product. Therefore, the quality of service you receive from the remodeler determines the quality of the finished product, and as a result, your satisfaction with it. So, make sure you ask for references and CALL THEM. Ask questions like: Was the project finished within a reasonable time? How many cost overruns were there if any? Was the project area always left neat and clean at the end of the work day? Were the contractors respectful within their surroundings? Were the contractors there when they said they’d be there?

Want to really find out about your remodeler? Call their trade references and their banker. Yes, you heard us. These folks will surely be able to let you know how the remodeler is to work with. Specifically ask if they pay their bills on time. (We actually give out our banker’s name and phone number so that our clients can learn more about us and they seem to really appreciate it.)

Also, this is basic customer service stuff, but remember: Only choose a remodeler who returns your phone calls, answers your questions satisfactorily, and has a trustworthy reputation.

If you plan to get bids from more than one remodeler, one simple mistake that we see is when a homeowner allows each individual contractor to set their own specifications for the homeowner’s project. What happens then is the homeowner has several bids based on different things making fair comparison of price nearly impossible.

If price is an issue, have project specifications established up front and give the same information to each contractor. When reviewing bids, compare line items to see if corners are being cut unnecessarily. How many can lights have been quoted for the remodel? What is your flooring allowance? This poses a bit more work for you, but ultimately, you will reduce the potential for nasty surprises in the end. Just like with anything, the more organized you are going into a project, the better off you’ll be.

We recommend, however, that you not make price the deciding factor for your selection. Make your choice based on service, knowledge, ability and communication.

Consider the benefit of working with a home renovation management company to coordinate the messy details for you. These companies can help you identify your project specifications up front and even coordinate the entire project for you if necessary. You can also use these companies as a reference for the remodelers and contractors you’re considering.

[Shameless plug time] By the way, “Messy Project Details” is our middle name!! So, if you’ve got a home improvement project of any kind just begging to be started, give Steve Messy-Project-Details Gray Renovations a call!

Q&A with SGR HELP. ADVICE. ANSWERS! Keep your questions coming! We will be answering some of those questions in upcoming issues. Click here to ask the pros!

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