I am developing a new model to better help homeowners care for their home and am seeking input.  The survey takes about five minutes to complete and can be found at this link.

The purpose of the survey is to help me research a new business model I am developing.  This model is specific to those that own their own homes and how they handle their maintenance and repair needs.  The  survey is a beginning step in helping me prove (or not) my theory.

Please follow this link to take survey.

If you use social media, please click on the buttons below to share this survey with your networks.

Tips for Prepping Your House To Go Away During The Holidays

The Holiday Season is upon us. Many of us will be traveling to visit family and friends. Below is a checklist of items to take care of your home while head out of town. Some of the suggestions are done ahead of time and some on the day of departure. Happy Holidays!

Items to do at least a week ahead of time:

• Suspend newspaper delivery.

• Have the Post Office hold your mail delivery.

• Contact your neighbors and give them your contact info on how to reach you and look after your house. For an extended period, consider having someone check your house each week. Have contact info for all the people that you have work on your home available for the person watching your house (handyman, plumber, electrician, hvac etc.)

Items to do the day you leave:

• Turn off the water supply within your house.

•  Turn down the hotwater heater thermostat.

• Adjust your thermostats.

• Unplug un-needed electrical gadgets.

• Set timers on lights for safety.

• Clear out refrigerator for items that will spoil.

• Run the disposal.

• Take out your trash and recycling.

Happy Holidays!

Winterizing exterior hose faucets can help save money by preventing freezing and avoiding the plumbers bill to replace a damaged faucet!

This video displays how to install an insulation cover for a hose bib. A simple task any home handyman or DIYer can do to help get their home ready for the winter months.  Insulating you exterior spigots and hose faucets helps to insure they don’t get damaged if they freeze during the winter.

See video tip below.

Seeking established residential remodeling contractors to participate in a survey for a new project I am working on.  The survey maybe done anonymously and takes less than 10 minutes to complete.

Click here to  Take Survey

The purpose of the survey is to help me research a business model I am developing. This model is specific to remodelers,  small home builders and residential general contractors.  The  survey is a first step in helping me prove (or not) my theory.

The next steps will include more in-depth surveys/interviews with remodelers and selecting a small number of remodelers to actually test the model in the field. Then final testing in the field will be with a larger group.

I am looking for favorable results at each stage to decide whether to continue or not to the next stage. My hope is that if the research and testing go well, I will publish the results and remodelers can decide if they want to adapt the model with their own business.

Click here to Take Survey

Thank you for your input and please forward this to other quality remodelers you know.

The maker of the Fringe Screw has recently launched a new website.   Back in April,  I highlighted the Fringe Screw with an interview I did with its inventor (link to posting here).

Visit the new website and see their  other products   at www.fritantechnology.com.

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the EPA is stepping up its enforcement of the RRP lead paint rule.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stepped up its enforcement of the Lead- Renovation, Repair and Painting rule (RRP) with inspections that focus on company certification and other records required under the rule governing the renovation of older homes, according to remodelers and contractors who have been subject to the inspections.

Under the EPA’s lead paint regulation, remodelers and other contractors working in homes built before 1978 must take precautions to contain lead dust — including using lead-safe work practices, establishing dust containment areas and containing dust during the renovation, cleaning up after the project and maintaining detailed records.

See full article on the NAHB site.

Lead was used historically as paint additive up until it was banned from use in the United States in the 1970′s.  Lead poses a serious to adults and children, especially as a result of dust made during various home renovation projects.

If you own or work on a home that was built prior to 1978, please scan previous posts on RRP and lead paint hazards on this blog and also visit the EPA website for full details.

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For you Seinfeld fans, you may recall George Costanzas’ infamous wallet.  Yes, that wallet that was so big it had its own zip code!  George’s wallet is now the object of a new advertisement that is promoting Google Wallet.  Google Wallet is a new way to pay for purchases by using a smart phone.

Enjoy the video below and learn more at http://www.google.com/wallet/

Here is a link to the video above

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Watch the transformation of this North Carolina home as it goes through a whole house remodel.   I have had the pleasure of documenting the progress of this total house renovation and turned it into a brief video you can watch below.  To start, the house was stripped down to the bare studs, some work was needed to sure up the foundation and flooring system.  It was re-roofed with metal roofing, and re insulated with a ‘green’ foam insulation. The house is nearing completion and I hope to add some updates when it is 100% complete.  The remaining work includes redoing the wood floors, completing the bathroom remodel and installing the new kitchen cabinets and counters.

Home Depot has starting a service where you can shop online for the home improvement items you need.  Purchase those items and then pick them up at your local store.  Thereby saving you time and money without having to pay shipping fees.

Free Shipping on over 100,000 Items OR Buy Online, Pick Up in Store Today.

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I was interviewed and quoted in the August issue of Remodeling Magazine, an industry leading journal published by Hanley Wood.  The article highlights pro’s and con’s of accepting credit cards as a form of payment for remodelers and home improvement contractors.

Read the full article .  My quote is below.

Chuck Solomon, president of Remodel & Repair Solutions, in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., gives his customers the option to use credit cards but only via PayPal.com or Google Checkout. “I let the customer know that I add the 2.9% processing fee that I have to pay onto their bill for that convenience,” he says. “These are both very easy to set up and there is no monthly fee involved.”

Solomon points out that he only offers this as a convenience for the relatively few customers who ask to pay by credit card.

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