Archive for category Home Improvement

Home Remodeling Tricks to Avoid

Posted by admin in Home Improvement on July 3, 2011

Home-RemodelingThere comes an occasional time when you and your contractor don’t see eye to eye. Either there was a lack of communication on someone’s part or, who am I kidding it’s always a lack of communication. But, those types of problems can get resolved even though sometimes they have to end up in court.

But, there are scam artists out there who will rob you like a thief in the night. Sometimes, there is no course of action because you don’t have enough information to nail them. You think you’ve asked all the important questions and have everything you need. But, the scam artist who flees town after taking your money won’t leave tracks behind.

Outrageous New Scam

When you need a job, you might go through references and it makes a lot of sense. But, some people like to start the bidding wars and that’s where they get in trouble. Bidding wars start substandard bids, which are too good to be true.

In this economy, it’s easy to want a very low bid to be feasible. But, you’ll get substandard work or no work done at all. Once the bid is approved and a bidder is awarded the job, they might take the advance and run. They might do poor work or use cheap materials and take short cuts. You have to be weary when it comes to substandard bids because you never know what type of mess you are going to get. Then, you have to pay someone else double to clean up the mess. Read the rest of this entry »

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Home Bar Ripoff Artists

Posted by admin in Bar Interior Design, Home Improvement on July 3, 2011

home bar design ideasBack in the day, I always had some friends helping me build my bars. We would get together. Have a good time. By the end of the day, a bar stood where an empty room used to be.

But then, I started getting into building bars by myself. I would work long distances away from my home. So, I really couldn’t take my friends along with me.

But now, it’s come full circle. I’m back to calling my friends because the need for home bars has become local again. I still go out of town. But more often than not, I can stay home and build bars from right here in town. But even now, there are some scams that you’ll have to avoid when building a home bar and enlisting help.

Overcharging

You think you have friends until you get a little fame in you for building home bars. That’s when they all want a piece of that pie. I used to be able to buy a case of beer and offer my friends pizza for helping me build a bar. You know, the standard moving fee.

But now, if I call them they want me to build them a bar. They have some neat idea for a bar out back or in the kitchen. I ask them what’s wrong with the bar they already have. But, they always want more. They can’t just have one bar. They have to have one in every room. Sound familiar?

Not Working

So, we’ve negotiated our fee. They get a small bar in the garage and they’re on their way to help me out with a new job. I still have to buy the beer and pizza. But, at least I have some help.

Some help is the wrong word. I have people standing around watching me do all the work. They like to tell me what to do while they sit in the corner relaxing. I shouldn’t build them their bar. Maybe that will get them to work a little more for me.

Drinking All the Beer

But, the thing that really bites my butt is that they drink all the beer. I negotiated a great deal with them, from their standpoint. Then, I did all the work on the bar when I could have used their help. Read the rest of this entry »

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