Good general contractors are good managers of not only their talent, but also their money and their clients’ priorities and expectations. The best don’t mind an opportunity to set upfront expectations with serious customers. Here are three questions you can ask that will give you some insight on your prospective contractor:

1. Can you give me an example of a conflict that came up on a recent job and describe how you resolved it? Murphy’s Law works on building projects just as well as anywhere else. You can tell a lot about a person by how fair-minded they are when they retell a conflict resolution story.

2. Will you work until my project is finished, Read more

In a typical kitchen remodeling budget, almost half the cost is allocated to the cabinets alone—especially if they’re custom made. Custom cabinetry can greatly improve the aesthetics of your kitchen, but just like any home addition, their effectiveness depends on numerous factors. Before you decide to purchase custom cabinets, consider the following tips:

Determine your cooking habits. You’ll be using the cabinets to store ingredients, plates, bakeware and more, so it’s important to understand your specific cooking habits. Take time to decide how much you’ll be using your kitchen, where you cook the most and so on.

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Moving can be a stressful experience, but if you’re well organized and prepared to deal with small problems that may arise, you can often expedite the process and even lower your moving costs. To take control of your next move, consider the following tips:

Packing

• Pack a suitcase as if you’re going on a short vacation. Include a few changes of cloths, medications, toiletries, eyeglasses and other necessities. Keep the suitcase separate from the items to be moved so you’re prepared for the first days in your new home without having to search through boxes.
• When disassembling large items like tables and entertainment centers, tape screws and other small parts to the undersides.

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When was the last time you vacuumed under and behind your refrigerator? It’s amazing how much crud builds up back there, as I discovered while getting a start on my spring cleaning. As I scrubbed away, I began thinking about the origin of this annual ritual.

To find out more, I called Ernie Andrade, owner of Allbright Maintenance Services, a Diamond Certified company. He told me that the idea originated in China. The Chinese clean homes in anticipation of the New Year. A thorough cleaning eliminates bad luck and misfortune from the previous year. In Jewish custom, Passover, which comes around April, is a time of house cleaning as well. And when homes were heated with coal, Read more

As much as half of the energy used in the average home goes to heating and cooling, so making smart decisions about your HVAC systems can have a measureable effect on both your comfort and utility bills. To increase the efficiency of your heating or air conditioning system, consider the following tips:

Annual tune-up
Just like a car, your HVAC system needs to be professionally maintained at least once a year in order to operate as efficiently as possible. Have an HVAC contractor conduct a maintenance test before the peak heating and cooling seasons begin. If you don’t know which elements to address, Energy Star’s website has a “HVAC Maintenance Checklist” that offers many useful suggestions. Read more

Even after you pick the perfect paint color for a room, you still have to choose from five or six different finishes, each with its own unique advantages and disadvantages. To determine the finish that’s right for your particular project, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the benefits of each type and make sure it’ll be a good fit for your lifestyle or personal preferences. Before making a final decision, consider the following information:

Flat or matte
Flat or matte finishes are generally used on walls, ceilings and other low-traffic areas to hide surface imperfections and create a uniform, non-reflecting appearance. Stain removal can be difficult, so don’t use a flat finish in a kitchen, Read more

Being more efficient with your home water usage is often as simple as making a few modifications to your water-using appliances. Low-flow showerheads, faucets and toilets can save thousands of gallons and hundreds of dollars a year without sacrificing water pressure. Aerators can cut faucet water flow from three or four gallons per minute to as little as a half-gallon per minute.

Your plumbing contractor can also help you use your water more efficiently by suggesting ways to lessen your carbon footprint at a minimal cost. Ask your plumber to evaluate your whole plumbing system to see if there are any areas where water conservation could be improved. Read more