When you see a Southern Home Service postcard in your mailbox it means EXTRA savings for you. Take advantage of the special offers for your home before they run out!
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Each year as the calendar page changes from December to January, we consider changes that we want to make for the new year. Often, we may find that some of the changes on our list were also on the list the year before, but we never actually got around to doing anything about them. The beauty of the new calendar year is that we have a fresh start. If you have considered making changes to your home start now! Put together a plan that you can act on and live with. Before the next calendar year rolls around you will have enjoyed the benefits of your remodeling project instead of contemplating the outcome. Remodeling magazine has reported the top remodeling projects for several years. This year exterior remodeling projects take top spots, with the #1 remodeling project for the money being replacement entry doors. From: Remodeling magazine November 2010 Posted on: November 8, 2010 2010–11 Cost vs. Value Report Despite lower construction costs, slumping home resale values pulled the cost-to-value ratio down to its lowest level this decade. The good news is that this may be the bottom. It was during this transition between uptick and slowdown that the survey for our 24th annual Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report was in the field, and the results confirm what we have been experiencing: The economy, and with it the remodeling market, is recovering more slowly than expected. This year’s data extends the downward trend in the overall cost-to-value ratio that began in 2006. In fact, the slide from 63.8% to 60.0% in cost-recouped is a slightly accelerated decline compared with last year’s 3.5-point drop (see “Eight-Year Cost-Value Trend” chart). And it could have been worse. Until this year, the ratio had been driven down mostly by the rub of eroding home prices against construction costs that, on average, had risen slightly, despite reduced demand and fierce competition. Southern Home Service is proud to be a Certified Dealer for CGI Windows & Doors. We added this company to our product mix after carefully reviewing their manufacturing process. We have installed the product in several homes, and believe that it will easily stand up to the Southern Home Service 20-Year Installation Warranty. Find out if CGI Windows & Doors are right for you by scheduling a consultation @ 239-444-1000, or visit Contact Us. Read what CGI has to say about their products: Choosing a contractor can be difficult. One might have a lower price, one might seem to have more experience. It can help to talk to previous customers. Southern Home Service is proud to have an abundance of references and testimonials. Click the links below to read for yourself. References | TestimonialsIn your hunt for a great deal, don't trade price for quality.
The past couple of years have been difficult for many companies and individuals. Solid corporations and small businesses have been hit so hard that they have downsized or even closed their doors. During these volatile times, we, as consumers, have not only changed the way we buy products but also our perception of companies with which we are considering doing business. Well, we are now seeing an uptick in the economy, and consumer confidence is returning. That's great news across the country and locally. But something happened along the way. Stories about foreclosures and struggling industries have left the impression that we can get anything we want at rock-bottom prices, Here are some questions NARI (National Association of The Remodeling Industry) recommends you ask before signing a remodeling contract:
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation has a new campaign reminding homeowners that there are risks involved in hiring an unlicensed contractor. If you do not intend to do the work yourself and have been asked by someone without a contractor's license to pull the permit, you are at risk of harm both by penalty and injury. Chapter 489.103(7), Florida Statutes: Owners of property must supervise the work being performed. Any person working on your building who is not licensed must be employed by you, which means that you must deduct F.I.C.A. and withholding tax and provide workers' compensation for that employee. Without workers' compensation insurance, you could be held liable for injuries received on your property. Typically, your homeowners' insurance policy will not honor your claim if the work being performed required a licensed contractor. You could end up responsible for thousands of dollars of medical bills. Not only is it dangerous, but it's against the law. Chapter 455.227, Florida Statues: Any person who knowingly aides, assists, procures, employs or advises an unlicensed individual can be charged with a first degree misdemeanor and may face fines of up to $5,000 for each offense. View their recent flier: Click image to open PDF
Unlicensed contractor activity is nothing new to SW Florida. There are always people who try to get around the state and county requirements to work in this area, especially during natural disasters and economic downturns.
State and counties have specific requirements that need to be met in order for a person or business to contract work. The rules and requirements define what type of work can be performed without a permit and who is exempt from the permitting process. Remodeling your home will present inconveniences. In order to “construct” there generally has to be a “deconstruction” process. The debris left behind can create problems if it isn’t cleaned up right away.
OSHA sets forth standards of cleanliness while workers are on the site. A competent construction company in compliance with state building codes will abide by these standards. But what is left at your home after the installers are gone for the day? |
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