Better Home And Garden

Posts Tagged ‘find’

Sometimes you’re looking for it, sometimes it just finds you

Treasures of home décor abound at flea markets, thrift shops, and garage sales. But how do you know a find when you find it?
In The Find, Stan Williams and some of today’s most clever style makers, including Simon Doonan, John Derian, and Real Simple’s Kristin van Ogtrop–all diehard devotees of New York City’s Housing Works–show not just what to look for, but also how to look at an object to identify a great piece. The trick is to see beyond nicks and wobbles, color and intended purpose and to focus on potential. For example, a vintage leather trunk encased in Lucite works as a stunning coffee table. Pages from old books wallpaper a foyer. A cushion fashioned from a baseball diamond’s home plate makes a garden chair comfortable.

The Find includes chapters on furniture, accessories, small spaces, and entertaining. From a suburban ranch to an East Village studio in New York, each abode illustrates unexpected ways that secondhand items can make statements (or space) throughout a home.

Elegantly photographed, filled with practical sidebars about refurbishing, styling, and treasure-hunting, and replete with the quirky sensibility that has made Housing Works one of the most popular destinations for great things, The Find is at once a handbook and inspiration for vintage decorating. Secondhand does not mean second rate when there’s always something special to be found.

List Price: $ 27.50

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Don’t Get Ripped Off by A Home Remodeling and Home Renovation Builder! Find the Best Home Remodeling Builder in Orlando FL Ever – Part 1

So you have decided it is time to bring in a professional to remodel your home. Whether you are doing the inside or outside there are many things to consider when making this important decision.

Steps to Finding the Best Home Remodeling in Orlando FL:

1. Check to make sure that they have a contractor’s license, and it’s up to date.
2. Get two or more references.
3. Ask how long they have been in business.
4. Get at least one other bid for the job to make sure they are not totally ripping you off.
5. Find a home remodeling Orlando FL builder that will give you pricing for small jobs over the phone.
6. Get flat rate estimates so you know the total you will pay beforehand.

The best place to start asking about home remodeling is your family and friends. Other good sources of referrals include contractors, real estate agents and your local paint supply store. Your city may even be able to provide a list of recommended painters who are familiar with the codes in your area.

When asking for referrals, be sure to check the type of job the painter was called in to accomplish. Also, determine if the home remodeling Orlando FL builder specializes in residential or commercial work.

Some Good Questions to Ask the Referral:

“Were you happy with the quality provided by the home remodeling contractor?”

Everybody has their own ideas of quality, so you should take a look at their house and judge for yourself. Pay attention to areas around doors, windows and trim. Are the walls straight and was caulking applied? Interior or exterior doesn’t matter; proper surface preparation and follow through always leads to better, more pleasing results.

“Did the home remodeling contractor protect home surfaces or areas?”

For exteriors this includes concrete, roofing and plantings. For interiors moving and protecting furniture is a major concern but don’t forget about the flooring. If a home remodeling contractor was sloppy with one customer chances are they will be sloppy with all of them. If you are left to clean up after your home remodeling builder, this will cost you more time and money and frustration.

“Were they courteous and polite, and fix any problems without a hassle?”

This is a very important consideration. The entire experience, from beginning to end, needs to be as stress free as possible. Plus if the home remodeling Orlando FL contractor enjoys their job, the quality and attention to details will be better. The customers attitude can and will affect the entire home remodeling job. Hopefully this will be the first question you ask. If the answer to this question is “no” then do not go any farther, you don’t want to work with that person.

“Did they complete the work on time?”

Everyone has had an experience where the work quality may have been fine, but the deadlines were missed. Be sure to ask how the home remodeling contractor responded if they missed a deadline.

Make sure you read Part 2 also.

How to Find Best Home Remodeling in Orlando FL – Part 2

Don’t Get Ripped Off by A Home Remodeling and Hair Renovation service! Find the Best Home Remodeling and Home Renovation Specialist in Orlando FL – Part 2

So you have decided it is time to bring in a professional home remodeling specialist. Whether you are doing something simple, complex, there are many things to consider when making this important decision.

You don’t want to make a mistake! Your house is precious and very expensive.

Steps to Finding the Best Home Remodeling in Orlando FL:

There are a number of qualifications which can set a professional home remodeler apart.

Insurance — Be sure that the prospective home remodeling contractor you are considering is fully insured, having both workers compensation and liability insurance. Your selected home remodeler should be able to provide you with a copy of his or her insurance policy.

Better Business Bureau — Contact your local Better Business Bureau to ascertain if any complaints have been filed against your potential candidate.

Comment Sites — see what others have to say about this person. If a home remodeling specialist has good reviews on a site like Angies List then it is a good bet they will do good work for you too. http://www.angieslist.com/angieslist/

Safety Commitment — Accidents can happen with almost any home remodeling and home renovation project. So ask your prospective candidate what steps he or she will take to prevent injuries and property damage. Again if a home remodeler is good at his work he or she will be able to answer this question with ease. They have attention to detail and a cognizant of this when working.

Clean Up — Ask the home remodeling contractor how he or she intends to leave the work area once the job is completed. You don’t want to be cleaning up after a home remodler for hours after they’ve left your home. Also, ask about disruption during the project.

Extra TIPS

Small business home remodelers will be much more affordable because their overhead is lower. Plus, a smaller home remodeling Orlando FL contractor will be a plus since they will be much more eager.

If it’s a big job, ask a number of contractors and discard the cheapest and most expensive options. The cheapest will have underestimated and will sting you for it later and the most expensive doesn’t really want your business, probably because they have work up to their eyeballs already.

Be sure you read Part 1!