ConstructionDeal.com Update

How can all those TV show contractors on HGTV and the other cable networks, who all claim to be experts, find time to actually get out there to build anything?

I found a great new site that claims it is the "Antidote to Home Improvement Television." It's the Remodeling Repartee blog and they ask the same question and many more. Check it out.

I love how there are numerous versions of previous blog posts titled "Why I Hate Home Improvement Television." Fun stuff written by two women who are out there doing it.

The shows can provide motivation to undertake a project but the necessity of keeping most episodes to under thirty minutes can give a bad impression. It makes it seem easy. And that gets many homeowners into trouble. A few shows will at least last for several episodes to give people an idea that it's not always something you can do in a day.

What projects have you taken on that you needed professional help to finish?

Well, if you ever get in a bind after watching Home & Garden Television, let us know. We can match you with a local general contractor or a handyman service to "come to the rescue." It's a fast and easy way to find service professionals - at no cost.

Labels: Home Improvement, Home Improvement Shows, TV Shows

Every year, the cycle continues. Kids get older and finish school and head off to college or the world beyond. With each generation, you've got parents who are becoming "empty-nesters". These are the folks with a new empty bedroom or two in their homes. And many don't have plans for that new room...

The trick is -- to renovate the empty nest bedroom as fast as possible... before the kids try to move back!

But, what do you do with that new bedroom? Using it for storage is a complete waste. It can be anything for you -- a specialty room that could fulfill an old dream or that's always been on that wishlist.

The ConstructionDeal.com Update has a few ideas on what you can do with the room:

• You can leave it as-is, dusting it occasionally, to let Junior sleep there when he or she comes back to do laundry. Bad idea. The room could be so much more. Try to think about any of your current hobbies or pastimes. Could the room be used for one of your hobbies?
  

• You could do the obvious and convert it to a guest room. Junior won't like it but it's still a place to crash. A guest room will certainly come in handy... every once in a while.
  

• Go the Specialty Room route. Are you an Arts & Crafts person? Do you sew, scrapbook, paint, draw, or sculpt? The room could be a studio for your crafts. You could add tables, desks, lamps, and shelving for materials.
  

• Use the room for a Home Gym. Add exercise equipment and a few mirrors. Perhaps a stereo system left over from Junior for motivation.
  

• Personal Rooms are big now. Sometimes the husband gets the garage or basement but the wife doesn't have a personal room of her own. Or vice versa. The room could be a library or den for reading, meditation, yoga, or just quiet time. And only you would have the key.
  

You've done your job with Junior... now it's time to work on you. Unleash your creativity on the empty room. Then you'll have no excuse for not pulling out those boxes of photographs and tackling that photo album project you've been talking about... for years.

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If you don't know what to do with your new room, you might consider consulting an interior designer. A designer could give you plans and ideas for just that one room, at a very modest cost. It might even be just to change room colors and window treatments. If you'd like to talk with a local interior designer, submit your request with ConstructionDeal.com today. We'll match you with several in your area and it's free to use our service.

Labels: Interior Design, Specialty Rooms