J.E.Davis Building Consultants, Inc.

Spouse, parent, friend, counselor, teacher – all are, at times, a Copilot for your life.  Each has a specific purpose and calling.  In the most traditional sense, a Copilot is a backup or second pair of eyes and hands.  To a commercial Pilot, the Copilot shares the load and tasks of flying the plane.  There is no doubt that the Pilot can do the job themself – but the Pilot is more efficient and vigil when there is someone else to take the controls when needed.  Everyone’s life is similar.  There are times in everyone’s life when they can use someone else to share the load.  Relationships, business, emotions, work and play – all can benefit at times from someone who can take the controls when needed.  So why not hire a Copilot for your remodeling project?

Many people can do a complete remodel job by themselves – but few can say they actually did it all alone.   We want to be your Copilot in your next remodeling project.

You have spoken to an awful lot of experts, but those experts haven’t spoken to each other.  What you are missing is a global perspective.   Someone to examine the big picture and tie it all together, and we would like to do so as your Primary Care Contractor – your Copilot.

One of the first questions I am asked when starting a remodeling project is “What is popular these days?”  - according the the National Kitchen & Bath Association, traditional is still the tradition.  The interesting change seems to lean towards simple traditional instead of modified traditional  What does that mean?  Use good quality traditional looks and finishes and stop trying to make something new look old.  Here is the article from the NKBA.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association reports the styles for 2010.

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ (January 12, 2010) – The results are in from a recent survey of designers conducted by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) to reveal the key design trends for 2010. The results of the NKBA 2010 Kitchen & Bath Design Trends Survey confirmed the continuation of a number of existing trends in the marketplace, but also uncovered others that indicate shifts in the direction that kitchen and bath style will take this year. Below are 2010’s seven kitchen trends and four bath trends. Continue reading "Everything Old is New Again" »

Let us do your homework!
The kids are back in school and the focus has changed from summer fun to fall homework – not just theirs, but yours too. Sometimes the kids need help with their studies, so you may consider a tutor. Why not consider the same thing for your own homework? Finding the time to study up on the work you need to do at your home is harder now with everything going on. This is where J.E.Davis Building Consultants can help.

Continue reading "Let Us Do Your Homework" »

So when does Maintenance become Remodeling?  And why should there be a difference?  Many people are putting off remodeling because of the current economic environment, yet one basic thing they are missing is the general maintenance aspect of remodeling.  That is why I’m inventing the word: ReMaintenance.  ReMaintenance is the method of replacing old, worn out, damaged components of your home with new, efficient, stylish replacements.  Who says you have to fix something with the exact same replacement item?  Why not upgrade it along the way!

Many of the homes in the area I live were built in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  A lot has changed in the last 20 years – and some things aren’t even made any more.  Take plumbing fixtures.  Try finding a large selection of polished brass fixtures a the local Lowe’s or Home Depot.  And take a good look at the fixtures you have.  Are they dripping a little?  Do they have calcium build up around the spouts?  You know they require fixing or replacement just for maintenance purposes.  So why not ReMaintenance them with new Brushed Stainless or Chrome fixtures?  Both are timeless and always available.  And when you replace them, you will want to take a look at replacing your water shut-off valves under the sink with 1/4 turn valves.  Years of calcium build up inside the old valves make them a possible maintenance nightmare if you ever really need to shut off the water.  Small deposits on the rubber washers will keep them from shutting off all the way.  Why not ReMaintenance them with 1/4 turn valves that have no washers.  And have you ever taken apart the P-Trap under your bathroom sink in the last 15 years?  Soap, Shaving cream and hair deposit themselves throughout the pipes.  Why not ReMaintenance them with new P-Traps.  The parts are just as cheap as a bottle of drain cleaner without doing damage to the rest of the system.

Give J.E.Davis Building Consultants, Inc. a call and we can help you with all your ReMaintenance needs.

I’m sure you have noticed by now the influx of commercials and mailers offering big discounts to remodel your home now.  They try all sorts of incentives to make you think you are getting a good deal or huge price break.  What any savvy homeowner will realize is that every up-front discount will cost them in the end. 

I have heard many advertisements offering everything from $500 off on a bath liner to $200 off of a window replacement.  Instead of enticing me to buy from them, these discounts make me wonder how, in a market like this, can a remodeling company afford to give up that much money.  The answer usually lies in either too large of a margin to begin with or they will make up the difference with some other “problem” they find while completing the job.

Have you ever called a carpet cleaning company and tried to use an $89 whole house carpet cleaning?  I did.  Two people showed up to do the job.  One guy cleaned and the other guy ran around my house with a clipboard trying to sell me more product.  My $89 carpet cleaning was potentially turning into a $300 job.  I stood my ground and kept him to the advertised price.  Again, many of these discount are just to get their foot in your door.

Here is an article I found that talks to Contractors about the dangers of  discounting:

Continue reading "Discounting Dangers" »

By Bankrate.com

Expensive as it is to remodel, it is tempting to think moving is the safest bet. But that can be far from true.

“In moving, there is no payback. It is a pure expense,”  Dan Fritschen, the author of “Remodel or Move,” says . “You end up writing an average of $40,000 in checks, and no matter where you move, that money is gone. It doesn’t increase your net worth — it is just gone.”

People often underestimate the true costs of buying a new home. Real estate commissions, financing charges, moving costs, utility deposits and other unexpected bills pile up. Then there’s the tax shock: “A lot of places don’t necessarily reset your property tax every year for every homeowner,” Fritschen says. “When you move, it may go up dramatically. That may still be a consideration when you remodel, but generally not as much.”

Continue reading "Move or Remodel?" »