The Reno Coach

Reply anonymous

01:03 PM on October 21, 2008

Pump up your Home Remodel with a Renovation Coach Browsing the news, a phrase caught my eye - “Renovation Coach“. What a marvelous idea! Personal coaching & training has been all the rage. So now you can get a coach for your home improvement projects? I imagined a “Renovation Coach” as someone who calls you early on Saturday morning to get you back on the renovation horse when you’ve fallen off or have an unpleasant maintenance job to do. Or gets you up at 6am to go to Home Depot for those needed materials. Or trains you with that nifty new nail gun before you hurt yourself. Well … not really. A Renovation Coach is the same as a “Renovation Consultant”, which although less catchy is every bit as useful. In 2007, the Renovation Coach or Consultant is an idea whose time has come. Previously, I wrote posts about the rising number of DIYers needing to be bailed out by professionals. And interviewed online “Electrical Coach” Wayne Gilchrist. But it’s not only the DIYer using and needing this type service. People who are going to hire someone to do the job are also discovering the benefits of a little “renovation coaching”. This Old House goes so far as to call them “a new breed of therapist “. “The thing about home renovation is that very few people have been able to practice for it,” says Irving, who honed his skills working on 33 whole-house projects in his 17 years with the show. “They get wound up and nervous, facing this potential money pit, and it doesn’t have to be that way.” I second that emotion. An experienced Renovation Coach can help with … setting goals or developing a vision for your large home renovation determining the return on your renovation investment - Cost vs. Value or Move vs. Remodel - to help you decide identifying the professionals you will need (like an Interior Designer) for a quality renovation giving you a ballpark figure against which you use in evaluating quotes from contractors navigating the building permit maze a wealth of experience about products & approaches, pros and cons negotiating or communicating with contractors during the process planning and project management Quality Assurance to ensure a job well done and up to code mediation in disputes with contractors And yes, he or she can even go shopping with you for building materials and supplies if need be. Although they work on an hourly rate, and they usually don’t come cheap, the benefits of using a Renovation Coach or Consultant are numerous. They bring planning, project management and experience to both flesh out and ground your renovation ideas. The result? More understanding for you the homeowner. More control over the process and your budget. A successful project. An empowering DIY experience. And of course, a beautiful renovation. All you need to be “home improvement happy”. And put in that context, well … maybe they are therapists after all.

Reply Matchmaking Services

10:18 PM on November 19, 2008

Matchmaking Services with Prescreened Service Providers; Beware of Risks Involved This popular contractor matching service maintains an extensive database of prescreened contractors.” "Our free contractor referral service provides verified US insured and licensed contractors.” “We prescreen all contractors before we choose to partner with them…a contractor must provide proof of insurance and licensing…and must also submit a solid list of previous customer references.” Such are the assertions made by 3 different consumer-to-contractor matchmaking services that prescreen member service providers. Sounds good; until one begins considering possible drawbacks. Or what dangers could be lurking behind such carefully worded sales pitches. The first area of concern is that consumers can be lulled into a false sense of security by this type matchmaking service. Putting them at risk for hiring a contractor based upon old, outdated information. Contractor proof of insurance, licensing, and other credentials that checked out even just a few short weeks prior could no longer be valid. And references offered at the time of membership, obsolete and no longer reflective of the contractor’s workmanship. In addition, any number of personal problems or health complications might have arisen that could affect the work quality or integrity of services. The second area of concern is the screening process itself: • how extensive is it • “who” implements it • what resources are used Each of these aspects directly affect whether or not information gleaned is truly a reliable gauge as to the contractor’s professionalism, credibility, and reliability as a service provider – even at the time of membership. Combine these concerns with the fact consumer-to-contractor prescreening service providers offer no written guarantee that contractor members will perform as expected. Or that licensing, insurance coverage and good standing as a service provider are still in tact at the time of hiring. WWW.The-Reno_Coach.com

Reply Contractor Fraud on the Rise

10:20 PM on November 19, 2008

Contractor Fraud on the Rise As the construction industry continues to boom across the United States and Canada, so do scam artists. A growing number of fraudulent contractors obtain huge sums of money upfront from unsuspecting business and homeowners. And then disappear before work is completed, or even begun. Cases in point: • Canada’s Alberta Government Services (AGS) issued a warning to residents after an Edmonton-based home renovator began bilking consumers out of huge sums of money. • In a separate investigation, residents – especially senior citizens – were warned against roofing contractors that took large advance deposits, and then failed to complete work as promised. • Arrest warrants were issued for a paving and sealing contractor on a variety of charges; including unfair business practices, direct selling without a license, and the use of unsuitable materials. • Another Canadian service provider swindled more than $500,000 from four elderly women. Americans face a similar trend. Corrupt construction companies cheat the federal government out of billions of taxpayer’s dollars annually. And, the post-Katrina massive market for new construction and home repair wrought an influx of contractor fraud to New Orleans. Bilked by contractors for millions of dollars, the most common fraud tactic consumers fell for was the request for too much money upfront. As a result, social media editor for the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Deon Roberts, posted a report April 10, 2007 that stated the department had been flooded with queries by consumers researching homebuilder and contractor reputations. The BBB received 17,701 inquiries for roofing contractors; up from 4,967 the year before. Construction and remodeling inquiries went from 3,728 to 12,802, and general contractor inquiries – up 16,208 from 3,547. A good sign that consumers are beginning to take the initiative to check out contractors before hiring, according to New Orleans BBB spokeswoman, Cynthia Albert. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) cites a statement made by Transparency International. They report that “Nowhere is corruption more ingrained than in the construction sector.” As a result, the Transparency task committee compiled a formal “code of ethics” that includes such guidelines as “engineers shall adopt a zero-tolerance approach for bribery, fraud, deception, and corruption in any design or construction work in which they are engaged.” Until things change and the tide turns, however, it is up to the consumer to make careful contractor selection; to avoid becoming a part of the growing number of construction fraud casualties. www.the-reno-coach.com

Reply Permits proposed to curb renovation hassles

10:25 PM on November 19, 2008

Permits proposed to curb renovation hassles Helaine Becker came home from a trip a few years ago to find a neighbour doing a major renovation had built a construction fence down the middle of her driveway. "They had the fence for nine months. They damaged our car, they flooded our basement and we never did receive any compensation for the damage," Becker said in an interview at City Hall. Her family would have had to take the neighbours to court, she said; that would have been time-consuming, costly and stressful. Toronto's licensing and standards committee decided yesterday that a permit system is needed to help homeowners like Becker who live next door to problem renovations. Frequently, homeowners have to use their neighbours' property temporarily to put up scaffolding or move equipment when doing major excavation or construction. A patchwork of rules across the city govern the neighbour's right to access, but most say your neighbour has the right to temporary use of your property if there's no other way to do the work. Usually, neighbours work out an agreement. But when that doesn't happen, says the committee, the homeowner who is doing the work should have to get a permit and state how long the project will take before using the neighbour's property. Under the proposal – which must still be approved by city council – the affected neighbour would get a chance to comment and city staff would inspect the property. The homeowner doing the work would have to promise to repair any damage done to the other property and post a deposit. If the work isn't done by the deadline in the permit, or repairs aren't carried out in a timely way, the city could move in and do the repairs, keeping the deposit and charging any excess costs to the offending homeowner's property tax bill. City staff said similar bylaws are already in place in Ottawa and Windsor. Only a handful of permits are issued each year because neighbours usually work things out on their own. They estimated that no more than 100 permits a year would be needed in Toronto

Reply europremierwindow

08:00 AM on November 24, 2008

THE NEW DIMENSION IN Window Construction GENEO ® - THE WINDOW PROFILE. FROM THE MATERIAL HIGHTECH-FIPRO RAU ®. From the 2nd to 5th April 2008 presented at the REHAU Window the leading trade fair for windows and facade engineering, in Nuremberg. The emphasis this time was the world premiere of the new, revolutionary window profile generation GENEO ® from the high-tech material RAU FIPRO ®. RAU FIPRO ® from REHAU is the future material for window profiles and gives GENEO ® an unbeatable stability. RAU FIPRO ® -- The innovative high-tech material 1st Unbeatable stable RAU FIPRO - High-tech in perfection. Highest stability and torsion set entirely new standards for window profile systems. With RAU FIPRO may be additional Armierungen, with unchanged static properties that are virtually abandoned. 2nd Uniquely innovative RAU FIPRO is the result of over 50 years REHAU development expertise and innovation. The industry sets new mark with a high-fiber composite material. The sophisticated formulation and production technology, provide excellent static properties. After aircraft and Formula 1 bring fiber composites now also high performance in the window. 3rd Quality Best raw materials and processing the highest standards offer excellent quality and longevity of profiles from RAU FIPRO. Even at maximum loads. The good, smooth surfaces REHAU stand for quality and durable easy-care profiles. GENEO ® -- The efficient window profile system The 1st Future fully GENEO - the vision of a fully reinforced window system without steel reinforcements has become a reality. The perfect profile design offers together with the high-tech material RAU FIPRO unbeatable advantages in manufacturing. Reinforced with additional screw Queraussteifungen IVS (Integrated amplification system) provide excellent stability. Examination resistance class 2 (without additional steel reinforcements) existed. 2nd Unbeatable thermal insulation Rated with a value of up to Uf, BW = 0.8 W / m K is highly GENEO thermal insulation and unique in its class. And at the low elevation width of 115 mm. Through the use of appropriate window glasses are GENEO passive-suited. 3rd Genial economically GENEO enables rational storage and manufacturing. Easier handling by up to 40% weight advantage. Independence of steel prices. New concept with a single gasket seal area forms on the outside wing and window frames. Cost because without weldable holders. Large Falztiefe from 66 mm to accommodate 3-times-glazing.

Reply anonymous

08:31 AM on January 28, 2009

Copy and paste of news relase by Toronto Police link: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/pdf… It is alleged that: − the accused targets senior citizens, − the accused was hired to perform home renovations, − the accused accepts large monetary deposits but fails to do the required work, − when confronted by the customer, the accused indicated he is a police officer and produces a badge and photo identification of an Italian police officer to dissuade victims from reporting the incident to police. Rolando Gualtieri, 58, of Concord, also known as Giovanni Di Tommasis, has been charged with: 1) Fraud Under, 2) Personating peace officer. He was scheduled to appear in court at Old City Hall, on Sunday, January 25, 2009, room 101, at 10 a.m. Police believe there may be more victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact Constable Michael Irving at 416−808−3149, Detective Paul Worden at 416−808−3145, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−TIPS (8477), online at <a href="http://www.222tips.com, " target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.222tips.com, </a>or text TOR and your message to CRIMES(274637).

Reply Reiner

06:16 PM on January 31, 2009

The headlines this week clearly saying consumer be aware Renovations Scam artists are after your Money. With the Arrest of a Renovator this week by Toronto Police, How can i Protect Myself? Very few people are aware when the City of Toronto issues a license to a contractor the are required to provide a Police clearance certificate. So a quick call to City of Toronto License office can save a lot of money and trouble in most situations. The Reno Coach

Reply ganesh sirsat

04:53 AM on March 18, 2009

hi this is ganesh i agreed with your view. And also i want to say that the insurence willhelp everywhere.

Reply It pays to be wise

02:07 AM on June 23, 2009

Most contractors and renovation companies these days have websites so it won't hurt if you gather the contact information of a company first before dealing with them. Even if you badly need a new <a href="http://www.raakss.com/Welcome.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">kitchen design in Toronto</a>, it's not wise to negotiate right away. Research and probe hard

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