RemodelWest Featured on www.Houzz.com

When designing your dream home, it can seem overwhelming to create a picture in your mind of all the possibilities and what they will look like.

RemodelWest uses several tools to help homeowners get a grasp on the possibilities that best fit their needs and wants. In particular, www.houzz.com, has been a valuable resource for both homeowners and designers to communicate their wishes and expectations for the outcome of their remodel project.

Just last month, RemodelWest’s work was hand picked by the writers of Houzz for a featured Ideabook.

Check out our Houzz page: http://www.houzz.com/remodelwest…

Did you know contractors must be certified by the EPA?

When interviewing general or specialty remodeling contractors you should be aware that a new law was put into place by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) specific to lead paint and materials in existing homes.  This federal regulation went into affect March of 2010 which is designed to protect inhabitants of homes being remodeled from Lead based paint AND other products  as well as the construction workers.  This new law requires contractors to become trained and certified by the EPA which is called a Certified Renovator.  Next to being sure your contractor has the proper license and insurance you now need to ask if they are a Certified Renovator from the EPA.  If not well then you should reconsider…

RemodelWest Introduces Before and After Gallery to Online Portfolio

Along with RemodelWest’s brand new website (www.remodelwest.com), we would like to introduce the Before and After Gallery to our Portfolio.

When homeowners are shopping around for a remodeling company, a portfolio of their finished projects is one of the most important qualifying tools. RemodelWest has been building both their online and print portfolios since 1992. We have found that seeing images of the area prior to the commencement of construction helps set the stage for the breathtaking finished project photos. The transformation from “before” to “after” is what enables homeowners to realize that their dreams can become a reality.

Let us WOW you with our Before and…

Project scheduling can make or break a remodel project.

Scheduling a construction project may seem obvious to those experienced in construction, but for the homeowner don’t take it for granted that the company you are about to hire takes any pro-active steps to scheduling.  When considering a remodeling firm a very important deciding factor is to understand what a company does to schedule a project and how much of this information is shared before and during construction.     At Remodel West we create a schedule about mid-way through the design in preparation for commencement of construction.  Why, you might ask, would you prepare a schedule so early.  This is primarily for one reason, to establish a realistic construction start date…

Sticking with what works when making one of the biggest purchases of your life. Hints to evaluating a remodel company during times like this.

It’s no secret that many companies across every industry have been challenged by economic times over the past few years.  As you search for a company to help design and remodel  your home it’s more important than ever to have a real understanding of whom you are about to begin a relatively long relationship with.  Being conservative in your selection and not being blind to those overly aggressive companies with suspiciously low-cost estimates will get you off to a good start.  As a long-standing business owner here in Silicon Valley (since 1992) I’ve seen and been challenged by the ups and downs of the valley.  I recently spoke with a mentor of mine from the late ’80’s…

Preparing For Your Remodel Journey

You’ve decided, It’s time to remodel.  It may be a kitchen, a bathroom it doesn’t matter but let’s assume it’s your first time taking on a project of this size. Your scared to death because you neighbor, friends, colleagues have all had miserable experiences.  What do you do?  Call up a “few contractors to get estimates”.  Most show up, some on time, some driving a brand new luxury SUV, others a beat up truck with a dog in the back, gun rack in the window with an actual rifle hanging from it and every other type of character in between.  You keep searching until you hear what you want to hear.  It may be the price, how quick they can get it done,  or how great they SAY the quality…