Most anyone in the Bay Area can commiserate with me when I say I’m frustrated with service people who don’t return phone calls, and even worse, service companies that promise an estimate and then don’t bother to produce one.

I’m trying to get a couple of projects done around the house — a small area in my backyard needs to be landscaped and I want to remodel a bathroom. For the landscaping, I’m trying a few estimates and I’m shocked that some companies don’t return messages. You keep hearing how tough the economy is, and how people are looking for work, so why not call an eager customer back? I have money and want to spend it! Read more

Here’s How I Did It.

How often do you hear about kitchen remodels costing less than someone expected? Maybe never?

I can proudly say that I came in $15,000 under budget. For one thing, my starting budget was realistic. For another, I hired a contractor who understood my goals and objectives, and we had excellent communication.

Here are some other key things that helped me manage costs:

1) I set up a separate checking account for the kitchen project so I could keep track of the money I was spending every step of the way.
2) Whenever possible, I reused existing materials. For example, the contractor re-installed my old disposer and molding. Read more

One of the Diamond Certified company owners, John Gorman from the Save Energy Company in Petaluma, is today’s guest blogger. I like what he has to say about asking for a “ballpark figure” on windows.
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I recently got off the phone with a potential client who at one point during our conversation had asked me, “So how much are replacement windows going to cost? Just a ballpark figure.” I know that he was anxious about the cost and standing in his shoes I can completely understand, but I had to tell him, “Honestly, it’s so hard to say.”

Because window replacement jobs or any other construction related project is so site-specific, Read more

Because I am in the middle of planning a kitchen remodel and getting some foundation work done, I found these to be wise words from a Diamond Certified Guest Blogger, Michael McCutcheon, owner McCutcheon Construction, Inc.
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I was thinking this morning about the language we use when we discuss negotiating with people. “I’ve got to play hard-ball” with this guy….

“Hard-ball” is a pretty good analogy for taking a tough negotiating stance. Hard-ball is very much a game of intimidation, particularly when the pitcher tries to “brush back” the hitter with one that’s “high and tight.” A pitcher will deliberately throw at a batter’s head in order to get them to “back off” the plate. Read more

Got a Noise Problem? Here’s What to Do? Experts like Diamond Certified’s Paul Asadov, President of Zeus Remodeling, know exactly what to do to reduce noise problems in a home. The most common complaint is about the sound of footsteps in multi-family dwellings. Mr. Asadov explains that the solution to “impact” noise is to replace the original drywall with a detached drywall made of two layers, where one layer is laminated with noise control material. You can also add soundboards inside the ceiling to reduce noise. If your noise problem is street or freeway noise, Mr. Asadov suggests reinforcing the weak spots – doors and windows. Hollow core doors are replaced with solid noise control doors with several acoustical layers inside. Read more