General Contracting

It's difficult to find the perfect gift for someone whom you care about especially when you have little knowledge of the home improvement world! TrustedPros has got you covered this holiday season with 14 fantastic gift options that you can use. We've covered all budgets to help you find the best option this holiday season.

There are mixed feelings about negative reviews in the goods and services industries. Many business owners believe that negative reviews provide valuable constructive criticism that can help their businesses grow and improve. However, businesses owners in certain industries can't afford to receive a negative review because it could totally cripple their business--even if the feedback is valuable. We believe that several home improvement professionals suffer from this fate based on the nature of their industry and its reputation. We try to give consumers reasons to write more mindful reviews while exposing a hidden reality in the home improvement industry.

After researching for a good general contractor and compiling a list of likely candidates, meet with each individually. Make sure that general contractor license school or other general contractor license requirements are met. Note: general contractor license requirements differ, state to state. Check online to determine what your state requirements are. And contact the Secretary of State to make sure the general contractors are registered and can legally conduct business in that state.

Whether it's a large deck system or multi-room bath and spa renovation contractors are busy with remodeling homes for the next decade. It's hard to think that the first ten years of the new Millennium is almost over and what once was the hottest style in home renovations is now looking tired and dated. Some of the styles, like many features on the exterior, just need paint and some trim work but kitchens and bathrooms are beginning to lose their luster.

One question repeatedly heard by interior design professionals is how to make a small room look bigger. Regardless of home interior design — whether contemporary or country - most homeowners agree; more space would be great. Regardless of house size or layout, one or more rooms are usually on the small side.

Everyone has heard the old expression first impressions are everything. This is particularly true when it comes to increasing property value and buyer appeal of a home or piece of property. While people with enough money can easily contract major home improvement remodeling to increase the real estate market value of their home, they can accomplish the same thing for a lot less money. DIY home improvement might be more difficult, but not impossible. And it represents the homeowner's best real estate value option.

Curb appeal — that is what it's all about! Wowing visitors and potential buyers with a clean, polished, uncluttered appearance the minute they drive up to the curb. When it comes to increasing the market value of your home and attracting potential buyers, the landscape around the house is the icing on the cake; every bit as important as location. An irresistible welcome mat that makes people want to jump out of the car, to see the rest of the house.

Aside from the kitchen and bathroom, remodeling other areas of the house interior offer high return on investment (ROI) potential, as well. New windows, flooring, additional living space, and special room features — even if they are only cosmetic — can all increase the market value of your home and help it sell faster. Interior improvement ideas include.

For many persons, buying a home is something they have dreamed about for years before it becomes a reality. Part of the classic American dream, the house purchase will represent one of the biggest investments ever made. For most homeowners, protecting and increasing the real estate market value of that investment is of prime importance.

When it comes to realizing a high return on investment (ROI), quality of work and professional results are of prime importance. Other important factors include functional layouts and increased or improved livable space.

The allure of being your own general contractor is quite simple. Acting as your own general contractor will not only save you a lot of money (most believe a savings of 10-20% is pretty realistic) but will also save you the trouble of having to interview several general contractors and finding the right one for the job. Not to mention you'll have total control over every aspect of the project.

In residential building a contractor not only has to know how to build the structure but also have a good grasp of the building codes and covenants in the area where the home will be built. Because of the specific concerns of each area of the country some methods may be allowed while others prohibited. For example, homes in hurricane-prone areas like Florida will require windows to be able to withstand a designated amount of impact resistance because they are in a wind-borne debris region. In addition there are regions where foundations have to be built stronger while in others basements are not allowed. These are all concerns of building contractors and why they have to know the codes in these places.

Remodeling contractors are much different than new home builders in that they are always going into a project that was first created by someone else. Weather it is a 5 year-old home that needs a bathroom remodel or a 100 year-old Victorian-era home that requires a complete refurbishing this breed of contractor has to be prepared for the challenges of fitting something new into something old.

Remodeling in itself is probably one of the most stressful undertakings the average person will have in his or her lifetime. Although it seems melodramatic just talking about it there are many items to consider before the action starts: financing, hiring a contractor, getting plans, picking out the right built-in cabinets, etc. If the remodel is big enough there are also spin-offs like having to move out another place while your home is being apart. The same conditions apply to building a new home.

Although homeowners with families spend an average of 5 to 8 hours a week in laundry-related activities, the laundry room can be one of the most neglected areas of the household. But by updating an existing room or incorporating a new laundry room feature into their floor plan, homeowners not only enhance the real estate value of their home. They help make laundry duties less daunting; requiring less time and less inconvenience.

For those homeowners ready to do construction remodeling on their present home, or build a new one, the heart of the entire process is the certified or licensed contractor. In many states the licensing requirements are different but almost all areas of the country require contractor licensing of some kind whether through the trade or a business license. In either case it shows to the homeowner that the person pitching the project is qualified to plan the project, purchase materials and see the job through.

As far back as twenty years ago many prominent builders began to realize that if building practices and choices of materials continued along the same track the environment would be affected before the first decade of the new century. In addition, the energy sources that were abundant at the time might not be as plentiful a couple of dozen years later. This meant that many of the mechanical and electrical systems would be extremely expensive to run as the price of energy went up. In 1993, this concern led to the formation of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) whose aim is to promote the sustainability of the design, building and operating of structures.

If you have never been in the situation of having to sell a home it can be both a costly and frustrating experience. Some prospective buyers walk through the home and walk out without making an offer and others don't even get past the front yard. This does not mean your house is not a good buy. Rather, it means that you have not used every tool available to you in the fine art of selling a property.

On October 3, 2008 outgoing-President Bush signed into law the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 which ultimately breathed life into the tax credits for energy-saving renovations, a program that was only in effect for 2007. The act, which was known by the tax department tax credit, was a stimulus for homeowners to do energy-efficient upgrades to their homes and the President's new revision extended this benefit for 2009. The inclusions are windows, doors, HVAC systems, insulation and non-solar water heaters and the program runs until December 31, 2009. In addition window film, plastic attachments to reflect out heat in the summer and keep it inside in the winter, has also been approved for the credit.

Planning a home remodeling or home renovation project? There are several important steps to take in planning your project, even before hiring a remodeling contractor. Depending on what specific project you have in mind, take the following into consideration.