News
News
Harvard Says Remodeling Spending Downturn to Slow
Could the drop in remodeling spending from post-COVID levels regulate soon?
News
Power Home Remodeling Now Offers Subsidized Childcare
The home improvement giant's move seeks to address a greater industry issue
News
Contractor Facing Lawsuit in ‘Major Case’ by Ohio Attorney General
An Ohio custom builder and remodeler faces a lawsuit after alleged losses exceeding $1 million
News
Learn from the Best in Home Improvement and Remodeling
This year’s Pinnacle Experience aims to help remodelers stay ahead of their competitors by featuring captivating keynote speakers and subject matter experts, collaborative roundtable discussions, and networking with proven players from across the country.
Advertisement
Mentoring Salespeople
Of all the people who help form the public's opinion of a remodeling company, perhaps the single most important is the salesperson. The salesperson creates the agreement under which everyone — the bricklayer, the plumber, the installer, the office manager, the production manager — performs.
Higher Education
One of the ongoing issues affecting remodeling firms of all shapes and sizes is how and where to find qualified employees for everything from carpentry to sales. Whether you're in growth mode or simply looking for suitable replacements because of natural turnover, odds are that this is affecting your business as we speak.
Redefining Your Comfort Zone
Do you remember when you first learned how to ride a bike? Did it take you out of your comfort zone? You bet it did. It was something new, exciting and scary. You probably wondered, like I did, if you would ever figure this out. I remember my dad running behind me, holding the back of the bike seat, saying, "You can do it!" Then he let go.
Walking Away from a Customer
Repeat and referral business is the lifeblood of many remodeling companies. These prospects are the most predisposed to understand and like your firm, and the sales are often easier to close. Even so, these leads have to be screened just like any other. And sometimes they're even worth turning down. Jud Motsenbocker asks remodelers Kevin Franklin and Dave Tibbetts how to balance sales and sensi...
Luxury Finds
Now more than ever, your home is literally your castle. Spas and fitness centers, imported fixtures and customized, hand-made interior finishes have become the territory of Everyman, not the stuff of fairy tales. With the country's aggregate home equity reaching $9.6 trillion in 2004, it's clear that consumers are sinking more of their resources into housing.
Building Equity
After pouring years of hard work into remodeling and restoration, Jonathan Wallick had a startling realization about a decade ago. "I was dramatically improving my clients' net worth by drastically increasing the value of their property," he says, while he garnered nothing but remodeling fees. That's when Wallick decided to become the client himself.
Remodel Redux
It's tough enough to remodel a kitchen built in the 20th century, but try working on one that's gone through three centuries of updating. That was the challenge put to HomeTech Renovations Inc. of Lansdale, Pa. Originally a three-story log cabin built in 1722, the Del Viscio's center hall colonial in nearby Villanova had seen a number of renovations through the centuries, including a plaster-co...
Jobsite Safety
Words to Live By Remodeling contractors should understand the following terms as used in OSHA regulations: Competent person means one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
Ashes and Opportunity
Cooks become careless in the kitchen; old electrical wiring arcs; wildfires burn out of control. The result is the same: Home fires that can devastate the lives of the residents. Home fire property damage totaled nearly $6 billion in 2003 not including the Southern California wildfires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Hiring a Salesperson
Help wanted. Familiarity with residential remodeling required. Excellent compensation. Successful candidates must: In remodeling, you might expect a new salesperson to produce $600,000 dollars in volume in the first year. Ultimately this salesperson could sell $1.5 million annually, depending on the type of products and services offered.