Know Your Remodeler
We have
found that most of our clients are anxious to know all they can about
the home remodeling process before embarking on their project. This is
understandable. A remodeling project is exciting and can have a
positive impact on a family's quality of life. In addition, a
successful remodel can be an excellent financial investment.
A good place
to develop a deeper understanding of the remodeling process is with
your remodeling contractor. Once you understand your remodeler's
motivation and approach to the work, you're likely to gain a good
measure of respect for the industry and be better equipped to select a
remodeler that best suits your personality and project.
This is not a
mysterious or complex undertaking. It is fundamentally simple.
Remodeling contractors are business people. They possess skills that
lend themselves to home improvement just as you apply your expertise
to your chosen profession. Like many of us, they want to earn a living
doing something they're good at and are passionate about, as well as
leave some positive mark on the world.
As with any
successful businessperson, making money and remaining profitable are
certainly motivations for remodeling contractors. We believe this is
as it should be, as long as it is done honestly and provides an
excellent product for a fair price. The Professional Remodeler
accomplishes those goals by preparing business plans, understanding
and adhering to their client's expectations, and establishing strong
and reliable partnerships with materials suppliers, lenders,
subcontractors, and their peers. We live in the communities in which
we work, and therefore rely on our local reputations to sustain our
business success.
As is the case
in any industry, some remodeling contractors lack adequate business
and communication skills to be successful. Those deficiencies, rather
than some insidious con job, are the cause of most horror stories
about dissatisfied customers and damaged reputations. Only a very
small percentage of remodelers act in deceit, and they are often (and
increasingly) ferreted out and exposed by various regulatory agencies
and industry certification standards that continue to improve the
reputation and professionalism of the industry.
Professional
remodelers work hard to avoid misunderstandings and miscommunication
with their clients. That effort is sometimes challenging. Unlike most
other industries, construction work is exposed and open as it
progresses, in full view of the client. This can lead to
misunderstandings. What may appear to be incomplete or a mistake might
simply be an unfinished phase of the project.
As a homeowner
and potential remodeling client, it is critical to remember that
contractors live the remodeling process every day, year after year.
They develop a solid sense of daily progress and a vision for how the
project will finish to their client's satisfaction. This is a
perspective few, if any, homeowners will ever develop.
Successful
remodeling professionals recognize the difference between their
experienced perspective and the untrained eyes of their clients. They
bridge that gap by respecting a homeowner's questions and providing
satisfactory and timely answers. They understand the significant
emotional investment and the financial risk undertaken by their
clients, and work hard to assuage fears and debunk myths.
Informed
homeowners, in turn, must understand that remodeling is all in a day's
work for a contractor. When both you and your remodeler respect each
other's role and approach to the project, it creates a greater
opportunity to foster open communication, build trust, and achieve a
successful and satisfying project.
Warm
regards,
Austin Schmitt, John Schmitt, Mark Jackson, and
Elizabeth Mitchel
Kingston Design Remodeling
11515 Suburban Place
Fairfax Station VA 22039
(703) 323-6527 - phone
kingstonbuilders@cox.net
www.kingstonbuilders.com
c.
2006 All
rights reserved.
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