November, 2009

In my opinion...

NOW is the time to give SERIOUS THOUGHT to your home remodel!

For you homeowners who have put plans for the home remodel on the back burner, content to bury your heads in the sand and ride out the storm, waiting for the economy to turn around...the window of opportunity is here!

From what I am hearing and reading these past few days, it looks as though the economy is beginning to show signs of stabilizing...Wall Street rallies on the government's move to take over banks' bad assets stemming from the housing debacle; Bank of America is beginning to approve jumbo loans for home buyers; Venture Capitalists are evaluating new start-ups; and new home construction picked up in February.

Now is the perfect time to carefully position yourself for the economic upturn. For those of you who have taken my classes, you know that I always encourage my clients to slow the process down...take time to pre-plan BEFORE you hire the professionals. Now, more that ever, it is essential that you protect any investment you are making in your home...whether you are staying-in-place or preparing for resale.

You must make certain that you are undertaking the right project...for the right reason...working with the right professionals...for the right price!

May, 2009

If you know the answers to the following questions...you needn't call me!

• What are the five steps to ensuring a successful project?

• What are the four elements that comprise a "total project budget"?

• What are the three most important credentials for the design and construction team?

• What two actions do you need to take at the construction "kick-off" meeting?

• What is the ONE guiding principle that could save you up to thousands of dollars?

For the answers to these important questions, e-mail es@elaineschultz.com

 

March, 2009

"Whoa is me, rather than, woe is me!"

One of the biggest mistakes that homeowners make is leaping into the home improvement process. Take time, up-front, to learn the basics and to formulate your own 'pre-project plan' which consists of:

• Researching local government planning, zoning and building guidelines;

• Assessing your entire site, building(s), systems (electrical, mechanical, heating, cooling,and plumbing) furnishings, finishes, and AV/Technology; finding out what works and what doesn’t work;

• Formulating your own goals, project priorities, design direction and preliminary budget.

Begin the process 'in-the-know' and 'in-charge'!

"Thank you for the wonderful class. Your tips on what to do before jumping into a project have given me the framework to follow for each stage of the work. I will refer you to several of my friends."

Leslie Simmons, seminar attendee
Livermore, CA