Remodeling Reports
If you are a busy homeowner without spare time, and you want your remodeling project to match your budget, you’re a good candidate for design build remodeling. Whats more, now is the time to start your planning if you want to be done by Christmas. A remodeler specializing in design build services will jump start you with this process which will save your time, money & aggravation. Working together will establish your budget upfront with the design team is the construction team. Your relationaship with your remodeler is tested with getting your plans on paper. And there is only one person to communicate with , Design Build means continuity and accountability with building plans and construction.
If you would like to learn more. About the design build process visit our website at luskremodeling.com.
Kitchen Remodeling
According to Remodeling Magazine, cost of an upscale kitchen remodel in
San Diego, is 33,000 . The key word here is average. And you will probably spend more. With so much money on the line, it is really important that you plan your kitchen around your budget. And the function of your kitchen. Appliances are the heart of your new kitchen. so design the layout around them. The golden rule for kitchen design is form follows fuction. Design your kitchen with cooking in mind. Countertop material selection and finish flooring selections should follow before you decide how much to spend on cabinetry. Most new kitchens look good but many do not work well as they were designed for looks at the expense of functional quality.
So if you are planning a new kitchen visit our website at luskremodeling.com.
Design Build Construction
Having the same person design and then build your home is not a new process, Centuries ago, Greek and Roman architects typically followed through with construction by completing construction drawings. Today design build method is rapidly growing thourgout America, and the reason is simple, If you have a pretty good idea about your design preferences, for a custom home, you can take advantage of, this time efficient process without delay. Getting ready is easy, simply jot down addresses and take photos of likeable homes. Also collect and tear out pictures of ideas you have been dreaming about, from popular home magazines. Next, do your homework, and meet with several design build professionals and go over your ideas with each of them. Then, check references. And go see their work and choose the one that you like and have trust and confidence in.
To lean more about design build and finding a match for you, visit my website at luskremodeling.com.
Hot Water On Demand
Are you tired of waiting for hot water? Here is an idea that will end your frustration while saving water and money as well. The solution is installing a hot water demand device and provide hot water at the push of a button. This is what to do, purchase and install a hot water demand device under your bathroom sink. After installation, The process of getting hot water starts with the push of a button. Instead of turning on the faucet, a small electric water pump evacuates the cooled down water from the hot water pipe leading to your bathroom. Then the device, diverts the cooled down water from the hot water side to the cold water piping side instead of running it down the drain. When hot water traveling from the water heater arrives at your bathroom faucet, the pump automatically off and Voila, and presto there is hot water at your fingertips and ready for a relaxing shower without delay or wasting our precious resource.
If you would like to learn more about frustration-saving hot water demand devices, visit my website at luskremodeling.com.
Skylights & Roof Windows for Your Home
Usually the suggestion of remodeling with skylights, brings a frown. Because to many people the word skylights is synonomous with leak. Well, folks, it just aint so. Skylights are not designed or manufactured to leak. Leaks are the result of improper installation. If the skylight was purchased with the manufacturers flashing kit and installed properly by a licensed pro the skylight will not leak and yield years of high performance and satsfaction. However, age and condition of your roof means everything to the integrity of the skylight installation. If your roof is old or in bad condition, it is a bad candidate for skylight installation. So ask your contractor to survey your roof while he is up there planning the installation of your skylight.
To get more information, visit my website at luskremodeling.com.
Always Buy Professional Quality Tools
As a kid growing up in Cincinnati, my talented Dad, taught me to buy the very best tools for my own toolbox. His advice paid off, because, I still use most of those tools. The price you pay for remodeling your home works the same way.
Here is what philosopher, John Ruskin, had to say about wise buying decisions. It is unwise to pay too much but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much you may lose a little money, and that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes loose everything. Because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance, prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that,
You will have enough to pay for something better.
To get real value for your remodeling dollar, please visit my website at luskremodeling.com.
Tankless Water Heaters
If you are a homeowner in San Diego County you should consider going tankless. Water Heater that is. While not a new invention, tankless waterheater have long been a choice in many parts of Euorpe & Asia. Here at home, they are growing popularity because, they use about 40% less fuel. Tankless heaters can be installed outside the house, and do not require a flu pipe to carry the exhaust to the outside. The tankless systems instantly heats water with a compact heating device as you use the hot water. Consequently, you could reduce your energy bill and recover some valuable interior floor space as well. About twice as expensive as putting in a 50 gal tank type heater, the tankless systems are easy to install and service with a useful life of 20 years.
So, if you want to go tankless, please visit my website at luskremodeling.com.
Cost of Maintaining Your Home
Each year, a homeowner should either spend or save, 1-3% of the current value of their home for maintenance and replacements according to a study by the National Association of Homebuilders. As a homeowner, you can make a serious dent in your home maintenance and repair costs, if you have the skills, or aptitude to be a handy person. Todays, handyman, is unisex and women are buying and using power tools like the big boys. To help you get up on the handyperson curve, I am recommending a couple of no nonsence home repair and how –to books for your toolbox. The first is Ortos Home Repair Book, with color illustrations and photos and easy to understand instructions. Another excellent book is the Illistratated Dictionary with over 200 pages of tools, terms, and techniques used by building pros.
For more info on where to buy these books, visit our website at lusremodeling.com.
Cost vs Value
Smart homeowners planning to remodel their home, always want to know how much value, the project will add to their home. So each year, the housing center studies at Harvard University does the homework and surveys the top 35 remodeling markets in the US. And gathers data from thousands of remodelers and builders nationwide, 15 different home improvement projects are ranked according to investment and payback (value) if sold. Remodeling Magazine publishes the survey which is the results of the San Diego market. This years report indicates window replacement as San Diego homeowners top return on investment project when comparing cost vs. value. Other projects bringing in more value than cost are decks, room additions, bathrooms & kitchen remodels.
Your free copy of this years Cost vs. Value Report can be obtained by e-mailing your request to luskremodeling@gmail.com.
Consequence of Using Illegal Contractors
A few weeks ago, the San Diego Union published a photo story about an unfortunate writer-homeowner , in La Jolla who got upside down with the masquerading architect/contractor. Her house is literally, destroyed. It turns out the root cause of the trouble is the architect/builder is neither a registered architect or a licensed contractor. Sometimes we fool ourselves. If you are planning to build or remodel your home this year, don’t make the mistake of taking up with unlicensed people masquering as architects and contractors. To be called an architedt, one must have passed a state board exam and be a member of the American Institute of Architects. California Law requires Contractors Licenses for Contractors and builders as well. So make sure the people you deal with have credentials. Verify architects credentials with the AIA. To check for a valid contractors license call The State Contractors Board. If youo do business with the good guys, your probability of design build success will be on another planet.
Most homeowners I meet don’t know if all the construction work done to their house was done with a building permit. When purchasing a home in a busy market homebuyers depend on sketchy information, by sellers and real estate sales people, which may not be accurate. So here is the skinny on how to get accurate information about the property you own or the property you want to purchase. The San Diego County Tax Assessor keeps & maintains the official file records on all real estate property. Property tax files are only available to the property owner. The owner may obtain a photo copy of the official file. It is easy for the property owner to locate the file and ask questions at the assessors office. And get a copy of the entire file with proper ID. No more guessing you’ll learn the absolute truth of your property history just for the asking. Call the County Tax Assessor first to learn which office your file is located in. Then go get your official copy.
For the assessors phone number of the office nearest you, visit my website at Luskremodeling.com
FireProof Roofing
In the aftermath of last years firestorms building officials banned new & replacement installation of wood shake roofing material throughout San Diego. So getting rid of the wood shake tinderbox on your roof is a great fire prevention idea. But be careful not to trade one problem with another you see many products you might choose are too heavy for the roof originally designed to handle the lightweight wood shake. Most existing wood frame wood houses were designed for roof loads of less than 700 lbs per square. For example if you replacee the wood shake roof with authetic clay barrelll tiles the weight will likely exceed 700 lbs design limit. The result of that kind of mistake could be a disaster in an earthquake. Make sure you hire a licensed roofer and check the installed roof rating on the materials selection before you get commited.
For information about finding a professional roofer & other building and remodeling advice go to my website.
Throughout Spring & Summer months the seasonal flowers and plants we add around our home for color & beauty brings more potting soil & dirt to the planting bed Over time the additional soil added to the flower bed surrounding your home will slowly & surly build up and trap water against the exterior walls of your home. Unknowly the soil build up combined with moisture will usually result in mildew which destroys the wood plates supporting the exterior walls of your house. You will want to maintain at least 6” vertical space between the bottom the exterior walls and adjacent bedding soil. So each time you add flowers or shrubs be sure to remove soil from the planting bed equal to the quanity of soil that you have added.
For more prevention and money saving ideas for your home I have a top 10 list waiting at my website. For a free printable list go to my website.
Results of a new study about human happiness in our personal lives reveals that each of us need three things to be happy. Something to do, something to love and something to look forward to. So you may ask, why is this builder givng me advice about what I need to be happy. You see, a professional remodeler is often a huge part of delivering the something to look forward to as one of the elements of personal happiness. Homeowners dream about many home improvement ideas and look forward to fixing up their home or adding space for a growing family. Well done home improvement s result in satisfaction and happiness, fulfilling our lives. As a builder, I know remodeling and home improvement is really about building dreams and improving the personal and family lives of my clients. I like that and love my work.
Prospective remodeling clients of our company are always asked to fill out a quesionaire to get started. One of questions asks the homeowner to write down the top three things they expect of the company they hire. Responses to this question range from quality, on budget and honesty followed by being on time, on budget and producing good design. In surveying 100 responses early this year, not one prospective client listed professionalism or credentials. Only two listed accountability and good references as criterial for being hired to work in their home. Every builder and remodeler promotes high quality, good price and skilled/experienced tradepeople. But, talk is cheap, and, liquor is expensive. You must look for yourself because people do what you inspect, not what you expect. If you really want the truth about a builder or remodeler, look at their professional credentials, go see their work and talk to their clients.
With so many remodeling companies to choose from, homeowners are challenged to sort out the good from the rest. To get your attention at LUSK, we aim to stand out from the pack by delivering great results to build our brand. We promise what we will do, and deliver the promise as well. Initially, we listen and get behind a customer’s eyeballs to understand their ideas and learn how they plan to use their home improvement dream. The resulting preliminary design on paper provides a common vision for all, and gives us what we need to determine the fixed price to build. There is no pressure or obligation to hire us until the homeowner is happy with the design and price. Through the process of planning, design, revisions and discussions, the relationship is built and trust is earned. Then, its time to contract, build and finish.
When I interview for a new carpenter position, the first thing I do is go outside and look at their truck and tools. I hope to see a clean, nice and well equipped rig because the first step to building quality are the right tools and personal pride. This is verified by a new consumer survey by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) that concludes “95% of American homeowners surveyed rank high quality as top priority together with trustworthiness, dependability and capability.” Price ranked 13th of all reasons reported by homeowners looking to hire a contractor. I suggest you go online to remodeler and contractor websites to see their work, read their stories and examine their professional affiliations and earned awards and credentials. Then, call their references and visit their jobsites to get an idea of how they will treat your property, if they get your job. Then, you will be well prepared to take the leap-of-faith to hire the right company and people to trust your home to.
Sunset Magazine
For more than 100 years, Sunset Magazine has defined the best in Western Living to more than 4.3 million readers each month. The tradition continues with the Sunset Western Home Alliance; a select group of the West’s Best Residential Builders. I’m pleased to report that LUSK Design/Build and Wardell Builders have been named to the Alliance to represent the San Diego area. Now, LUSK is your local link to Sunset Magazine for home and remodeling design and construction services. Sure, we’re grateful to be chosen, but, more importantly to us is the boost and recognition by Sunset for our creative design/build services and professional standing in the San Diego area. We represent the best of the best.
