ConstructionDeal.com Update

These People Should Have Went to ConstructionDeal.com

Labels: construction disaster, construction mishaps, ConstructionDeal.com, video pick

1. Put Your Flag Up
Give Old Glory some fresh air this July 4th and put up a flag holder on the house.

2. Clean the Pool
Know one wants to go swimming in a green pool! Get out your bathing suit, pool brushes and chlorine and get ready to have a pool party.

3. Dust of the Grill
Even though your barbeque tastes so good you might want to clean that grimy grill.

4. Get Out The Paint
Stop procrastinating and take advantage of the long weekend to get some house painting done. When you’re finished you’re guaranteed a big bang.

5. Recycle!
Now that the fun is over and you have a large trash can of glass bottles and other recyclable items. Head down to your local recycling facility and cash in…

The Fourth of July is supposed to be enjoyable. We BBQ food, swim, enjoy the sun and gather together with our family and friends. But with all the joys of the holiday comes potential safety hazards, so be sure to take extra precautions and be safe.

Labels: 4th of july, ConstructionDeal.com, fourth of july, home improvements

With the economy way down, there have been a lot of contractors reported and some indicted for home repair scams. People are taking advantage of those in need so it's important for homeowners to be wary and vigilant.

There are many scams run by unscrupulous contractors. Some scams are brand new and others are as "old as the hills", as they say.

Some common scams that crooks are trying to get away with:

• A very common one is when the contractor will come to the door and report a problem they noticed, talk the homeowner into paying 10%, 25% or more up front to do the work, and then never coming back
  

• Recently, a pair of men in Illinois tricked an elderly women out of her house to show her problems. One went inside while she was distracted and stole jewelry and valuables from her bedroom
  

• Another trick is for a dirty "contractor" will get a call from a homeowner about a problem, say a leak in the roof, and will do an inspection. He or she will report that it will cost over $5,000 to fix. This is usually too much for the homeowner, so the contractor will promise to take care of the financing with a familiar company. The contractor will start work, leave a big hole in the roof, and come back the next day with financing paperwork for $10,000 or $20,000 to sign. When the homeowner complains, the contractor will say the work is worse than originally thought and threaten to leave the job undone and put a lien on the house is the financing papers are not signed.

The list goes on of people being scammed out of their money. These con artists usually prey on low-income or elderly homeowners. But there are things people can do to protect themselves.

Warning Signs of a Possible Scam

• The contractor calls you or stops by your house and you haven't reported any problems or called anyone for service
• He or she is pushy, demanding, and wanting an immediate decision or signature on a contract
• They claim that your home will be a demonstrator house, a show house for a new product, or a model for the rest of the neighborhood and so you'll save lots of money
• The representative makes any claim that sounds too good to be true. There are no free lunches
• He or she says that your repairs need to be made immediately and talks too fast to try to get you to sign on the dotted line
• They claim they have materials or products left over from a previous job site down the street
• The contractor only takes cash and/or wants too much money up front to start the job
• They can arrange financing with a lender who is a close personal friend

What to do if you are scammed or if someone tries to scam you? Immediately contact the police if you were taken. You'll also want to contact your local consumer protection agency, the BBB, and it would be a good idea to talk to the family attorney.

Before a scam even happens you should take precautions. If you are elderly be sure to contact children, other family members or close personal friends before you ever make any decision about any project. Don't buy anything over the phone or pay anyone who comes to your door without talking to others. If you have older parents or grandparents, talk to them about these types of scams and give them warnings to prevent any problems.

To find a reputable contractor online, make sure you get several quotes to determine the best prices. Submit your request to ConstructionDeal.com and get 4 quotes from home repair contractors, usually within the same day for your home repair projects.

There's no cost and no obligation to hire anyone. It's a fast, free and easy way to find local contractors.

Labels: ConstructionDeal.com, Helping Homeowners, Scam Alert

For anyone who owns a home, no matter how old it is, at some point in time a homeowner will need to find a general contractor or service professional, such as a plumber or electrician, to help with installations and problems that arise.

Homeowners need to find professionals for two main reasons - home repair and home renovation. The average age of the American home is close to 35 years so there will be a constant need to upgrade and maintain for homeowners. Besides fixing problems, there has been a significant desire to remodel older homes, spurred on mostly by the Baby Boomer generation. Home remodeling has skyrocketed for the last three decades, increasing year over year in total expenditures. In 2003, remodeling sales totaled $230 billion in 2003, which accounted for more than 2% of the U.S. economy.

Many homeowners in need of such services are choosing to do the work themselves. The DIY craze has been growing by leaps and bounds, thanks to many home improvement television shows, such as the HGTV, the DIY Network and the Discovery Home networks.

Sales at local home improvement stores, like Home Depot and Lowe's, had been on the rise for quite some time but have slowly fallen back down. More and more people have turned away to find more qualified installation professionals and better quality products than those available at the home improvement chains. In fact, some contractors are specializing in coming in to fix do-it-yourself projects that didn't go well. HGTV even has a show called Over Your Head about repairing a homeowner DIY job.

For homeowners who do not have the time, tools, or experience to complete a home repair or renovation project on their own, they have to hire someone. A contractor is an independent professional or company who can design, install, repair, replace, remove, or build parts of or parts within a house. Because these services are done by independent contractors and companies, many do not know how to find a reliable professional.

How to Find a Contractor

There are 3 main ways to find a contractor for an upcoming home improvement or repair project:

• Personal Referrals
• Homeowners should talk to family, friends, and co-workers about reliable companies to help complete projects. It's a great way to get a personal testimonial from some a trust source.

• Advantages of Personal Referrals
• Referring friend or family member may have already shopped around to find the best offer in the area
• Their opinion of the contractor's service is trustworthy
• Homeowners can view the quality of the work

• Disadvantages of Personal Referrals
• Homeowners may not need same type of work done on their houses
• Friend or family member may be able to afford a higher budget
• Friend or family member may have a different style of house or be in a different neighborhood
  

• Yellow Pages/Phone Books/Directories
• Homeowners can use a local directory to look up a contractor. Yellow pages and white pages have anything from a basic listing, which has the company name and phone number, to a full page advertisement, which lists the company's details and full range of services.

• Advantages of Yellow Pages
• Homeowners can choose from companies at their own pace
• Homeowners are able to call as many companies as they would like
• Homeowners can review company details in advance to determine how close they are, possibly how big the company is, and what services are offered

• Disadvantages of Yellow Pages
• Homeowners have to call each company individually, describe their requirements, and answer the same questions
• Homeowners tend to only call one or two companies - receiving fewer bids on a project could mean the homeowner will end up paying a higher price
  
• No direct referrals from trusted friends or family members to rely upon
  

• Online Referrals
• With the Internet revolution, there are a host of online companies that provide contractor referral services. Homeowners can post their project on these websites and let a set number of contractors contact them. It's usually a free service for the homeowner.

• Advantages of Online Referrals
• Homeowners will receive multiple bids, which allows them to get the best rate on the work
• Homeowners only have to post their project requirements once and answer questions one time, which saves time
• Homeowners may be able to find additional online resources, such as financing and informational articles

• Disadvantages of Online Referrals
• The website may not be a trusted resource, such as a member of a building association or the Better Business Bureau
• The online referral service may not have a contractor, in their network, close to the homeowner.
• No direct referrals from trusted friends or family members to rely upon

However you choose to find a contractor or service professional to do work on your home, please make sure you get several bids from several companies. Don't just call and select the first person to answer the phone. The more bids you have, the better the chances are you'll get the best price (check here to find more tips on finding the best contractor for you.)

References:
Joint Center for Housing Studies

External Links:
ConstructionDeal.com - Online Resource to Find a Contractor
Home Time.com - TV Show & Home Remodeling advice
Better Business Bureau
Wikipedia - Home Improvement
Bob Vila.com - Home Improvement Advice
DIY Network - Do-It-Yourself advice

Labels: ConstructionDeal.com, Find a Contractor

Just to pat our own backs, I wanted to post this comment from one of the homeowners who recently used our site, ConstructionDeal.com, to find a contractor:

"I just wanted to tell you how impressed I am with the number of contractors your Website brought in to bid my job! I'm certain that one or another will work out just fine. The process was a lot more convenient than my usual tactic of calling everyone in the Yellow Pages. I'll use you again next opportunity-- and will share your URL with everyone I know who is interested in a construction project.

Thank you very much.

Elliot L"

Thank you, Elliot -- not everyone takes time out of their busy day to let you know you're doing something right and I appreciate and value your time and effort!

Our blog and our website is a valuable tool to help homeowners get their projects done. We want to make sure you've got the knowledge and the contacts to make it all happen. That email was a really great way to start my morning and I had to share. It's great to know you're helping people get what they want.

Do you need to find an architect? A Landscaper? Or a general contractor? We can help. ConstructionDeal.com is designed to give you access to local service professionals. There's no cost and no obligation to use our site. It's a fast, free and easy way to get your home improvement projects done.

Labels: ConstructionDeal.com, Remodeling Contractors, Renovation Contractors, Subcontractors

Welcome to the official blog for ConstructionDeal.com!

We're starting a blog to provide information on our site and to offer tips & tricks for homeowners and business owners who need help with remodeling, building and repair projects.

We want to make sure that every project goes well and so we'll use this blog to help with that process.

Everyone is welcome to submit a post; simply email us at blog (at) ConstructionDeal (dot) com. We'll be posting advice, site updates, frequently asked questions, and articles from various sources.

We want our network of property owners and contractors to post their own home improvement stories, advice, and tips that they have to share.

Power is knowledge and we want everyone to know as much as possible before taking on a new project!


Thanks,

Tim
ConstructionDeal.com
866-663-4711

Labels: ConstructionDeal.com, Home Improvement, Home Remodeling