Remodel Masters

Top 5 States For Construction Workers

August 10, 2010 By Remodel Masters Leave a Comment

Top 5 States For Construction Workers

Generally speaking, it’s not a good time to be in the construction business right now. Most people are well aware of the effect the economy has had on the building industry. People can’t afford to build or remodel their homes, and many large building companies have laid off workers or reduced hours as business has slowed to a crawl. In what may be a major understatement, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted “the constructing industry has been strongly affected by the credit crisis.”

How times have changed. Just two years ago, construction laborers were so in demand, they made it to Career Builder’s list of America’s 10 Most Wanted Workers. But while things may not be so great for the industry overall, there are definitely some regional variations. Here are the states where things look best for construction workers right now. (Find out which states are the best for an education career in Best States For Teachers.)

Check here to see the top Five states

Filed Under: Construction

Habitat For Humanity

August 10, 2010 By Remodel Masters Leave a Comment

by Robert Wright

There are many organizations that help the less fortunate in our community. Habitat for Humanity is one you can help when you renovate your home.

Give them a hand; I do.

Habitat for humanity builds new homes for many deserving families in our community. They have a selection process for the families and then the family is placed on a waiting list. Not only do these families help build their new home, they also usually help build other homes for other families.

The homes are modest, but the family is in a safe and comfortable home. The homes are paid for by the new home owners on mortgages held by Habitat. When the family wants to move, Habitat buys the home back, renovates it as required and then arranges for a new family to move in.

You may not realize it, but in the U.S. Habitat for Humanity is a top 10 builder in terms of the number of homes built each year. The homes are built by volunteers usually in a short time frame with experienced volunteer supervision. Much of the materials and services are donated. The amount of donated materials and services can vary greatly from home to home. The required materials and services not donated have to be purchased.

The land is usually purchased, however on occasion it is donated. They also have been donated homes which they in turn renovate for use by them or to sell to raise funds. The vast majority of the funds and donations raised in our community, stay in our community to help these deserving families.

So how can you help? They would love it if you could help on a build. You don’t have to worry about skills; you will get taught what to do – you just have to want to help out and learn.

You can also get involved in the organization or at the Restore. If you have time and the desire they would love to have your help either in the office or in the Restore. The Restore is where you can donate building materials that can be reused. You can also purchase things for your own home or cottage. The funds raised in the store are used to cover the local chapter’s expenses and the builds costs.

Over the years I have sent many things to them from doors and windows to tile and kitchen cabinets. Some building material suppliers also send brand new but unwanted products to the Restore – many more could send stuff to them.

So next time you are planning your renovation, please look at what you can provide to them and maybe they will have an item you need. You will be helping out in the community, being good to our environment, and you could be also saving yourself some green.

About the Author

Rob Wright has grown up around construction and in the mid 1990’s, Rob joined and took over Citadel Renovations in Ottawa. Rob has presented seminars at the local home shows on various renovations subjects and is a contributor to the Home Renovation Guide. Rob has been active in the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association for many years and previously served as the Renovation Council Chair. For more information, visit CitadelRenovations.com.

Looking for a local contractor? Visit the Home Renovation Guide’s Complete Directory or Get a Free Quote.

Filed Under: Construction Tagged With: renovation

First Time Home Buyers on HGTV

August 10, 2010 By Remodel Masters

BUYING YOUR FIRST PLACE?

Then HGTV is looking for you!

MY FIRST PLACE, HGTV’s hit series, is coming back for an ninth season and looking to cast first-time homebuyers (and their agents!) in the St. Louis area and in Austin RIGHT NOW!

The show is looking for fun, high-energy people who are just starting the home-buying process for their first place and would like to share their story with HGTV. The goal is to capture all the trials and tribulations of looking for, bidding on and buying your first place.

Taping takes place this summer. Ideal candidates will be enthusiastic buyers with a great story to tell and a desire to share their experiences. Singles, couples and families are all invited to apply!

Candidates who complete taping will receive a surprise housewarming gift as part of the show and also a DVD copy of their episode to document their first home buying experience for all time!

Request an application by emailing:

astoehrmann@highnoontv.com

Filed Under: Construction Tagged With: renovation

The New Rules of Remodeling

May 9, 2010 By Remodel Masters Leave a Comment

by M.P. Mcqueen
Tuesday, May 4, 2010

provided by

You may have noticed the lines at home-improvement stores getting longer or heard the whirring of buzz saws in your neighborhood. After years of economic recession and housing-market malaise, people are starting to fix up their homes again.

But the forces driving today’s action couldn’t be more different from those during the boom. Back then, people wanted to renovate their places so that they could trade up to bigger homes, or because their home equity was soaring and they wanted to reinvest some of the spoils.

Now, the opposite is happening: Many people who bought during the boom years are accepting the reality that they won’t soon be swapping up for a sybaritic spread. Their mortgages may remain above water, but after years of falling home prices, their equity is so low that the transaction costs of buying a new house would leave little for a down payment.

Nowadays, say real-estate agents and contractors, smaller projects like updating kitchens and baths and humble attic-bedroom conversions are more popular, while two-story master suites and $100,000 kitchen blowouts are decidedly out of fashion. Hidden improvements like insulation also are on the rise, as people realize they won’t be able to pass on their drafts, leaks and other problems to the next guy. Tax credits that expire in 2010 are enticing people to make energy improvements, too.

Home-improvement retailers are seeing a clear trend toward smaller renovations. Craig Menear, executive vice president of merchandising at Home Depot (NYSE: HD, News), says there has been strength recently in projects involving simple décor updates such as ceramic tile, interior paint, faucets and bath fixtures. At Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW, News), customers were drawn to products to update flooring, cabinetry and countertops during the last few months of 2009, the most recent period for which data are available, spokeswoman Maureen Rich says.

Part of the reason, of course, is money. With home prices slumping, there is less equity for homeowners to tap. An April 20 survey by American Express (NYSE: AXP, News), the first of its kind, found that 72% of affluent homeowners planned to make improvements to their houses in 2010. But they expected to spend an average of just $11,500. And most respondents planned to pay for their projects with cash; just 16% planned to use debt.

Banks also are making credit less available than they used to. Keith T. Gumbinger, vice president of HSH.com, a mortgage-data firm, says that before the housing bust, banks would often lend for projects based on the value of the house after completion of the project, but they are less likely to do so now because “there’s no guarantee the improvement or the market will lead to price appreciation.” The result: even affluent homeowners aren’t able to borrow as much as they used to.

With little reason to expect huge price gains in the housing market in the next few years, some homeowners are thinking especially long-term.

The New Remodeling Rules

During the bubble, homeowners sought the biggest, splashiest home improvements to boost resale value. Now they’re doing smaller projects that deliver a similar result for far less money.

Filed Under: Construction Tagged With: Remodeling

Remodeling Ideas for your Garage

April 2, 2010 By Remodel Masters 9 Comments

Getting creative with the space you have at home means finding areas that can be easily remodeled, or better utilized to fit your specific needs. For most, this can be accomplished by making better use of the garage.

American families today use their garage for storage, which if not organized efficiently, can quickly get out of control. If this is what your family uses the garage for, then your automobiles are probably already being parked in the driveway.

With a little planning, imagination, and a few remodeling ideas below, the possibilities are endless how greatly you can improve the quality of your household by remodeling your garage.

Before you get started, take some pictures, write down a few ideas, and start planning ways to get the most out of your space.

• Do you want this area to be limited to one specific room?
• Consider using the space as a multi-functional area?

Garage Remodeling Idea 1:

If you are currently using your valuable garage space as storage, get it out of the garage by building a smaller storage unit behind the garage or in your back yard in an inconspicuous location. This building could be used to store your lawn equipment, large tools, bicycles and seasonal items, thus freeing up space..

Garage Remodeling Idea 2:

A very popular idea today is to turn your garage into a gym. We live in a society today that is very fast paced with individual family members going their own ways and doing their own things.

Save time, and gas by not driving back and forth to the gym, plus stop paying for an expensive gym membership.

Garage Remodeling Idea 3:

If you made the decision of making your garage a multi-functional area and concerned about the noise from people and activities that could be all taking place at one time, consider an addition above the garage.

Keep the garage area for yourself and make it into a game room or extra living area and give the kids something they would love to have, space of their own.

If you do choose to add-on above the garage, you may not need to change your original floor plan, and this could potentially increase your home value if you decide to sell your home in the future.

BONUS REMODELING TIP:

1. Divide the area of the garage into separate rooms or sections. The new space could be used as a small office or workstation, while another area could be used for crafting, hobbies, scrapbooking and collections.

Whatever you decide to do with your garage try to utilize existing systems that exist already in the home such as: plumbing, air conditioning and heating units, telephone and cable wiring.

Take advantage of these remodeling ideas, carefully plan, and enjoy your newly remodeled living space. If you need assistance in planning or estimating the costs of garage remodels in Baytown contact us today! Remodel Masters Inc. 281-753-2141

Filed Under: Construction Tagged With: Construction, garage