Value-Adding Home Improvement Projects Not Always Associated With Curb Appeal

RalphSlaske

David R Gray Jr home improvementThere is a multitude of reasons why homeowners take on all kinds of home improvement projects, with many citing a simple desire to improve the quality of their surroundings while others just enjoy spending a weekend working with their hands in order to create something unique. Though the reasons are quite varied, homeowners are most likely to at least reference the fact that the projects they undertake will add value to their home in some way.

As David R. Gray Jr. would likely point out, this common form of reasoning often leads homeowners to select projects associated with aesthetic improvements, especially when it comes to curb appeal. Curb appeal projects do offer a significant return in terms of the real estate value added, but homeowners should be careful not to overlook the sizable return on investment made possible through a host of other possible options.

Installing insulation in an attic is perhaps the best example of a value-adding home improvement project that is commonly overlooked, but it is one of the few projects that result in an immediate increase in real estate resale value of well over 100 percent of the cost of the project. While installing attic insulation may not seem like the most enjoyable weekend project, it is certainly one of the best when it comes to adding value to a property.

Behrman Communications on the Importance of Building a Strong Team of Professionals

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Health_professional_answers_questionsAnyone in the custom construction industry is already keenly aware of the inherent need to first focus on building a strong foundation and infrastructure in order to create a home that is truly built to last. For Behrman Communications, a public relations and brand building firm helmed by founder Nancy Behrman, a strikingly similar notion can be easily applied to businesses in any industry, though not in a literal sense as in the construction industry.

In industries such as the one that has benefited so tremendously from the development of the Behrman PR strategic approach to brand building, the concept of a strong foundation and infrastructure has far more to do with human resources than anything else. This is why attracting and retaining the top professional talent is so very critical across all industries, particularly one in which personal relationships and exceptional communication skills tend to play such a major role.

One of the ways in which companies can ensure they are attracting and then retaining top level talent is to ensure that the lines of communication remain open among all team members and that organizational goals are clearly outlined and adhered to by all personnel. This creates a stable and consistent environment in which all team members are able to thrive in their responsibilities and to contribute to the betterment of their colleagues as well.

Applying Behrman PR Strategies to Home Improvement Projects

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Regardless of the size and scope of a home improvement project, the strategies utilized at every stage of the project will have a sizable impact on the degree to which the final result is deemed a success. While it is not all that common for public relations and brand building strategies to be applicable to home improvement projects, there are many aspects of the Behrman PR strategy that can help anyone carrying out any such project, independent of whether they are a homeowner completing a minor project or a professional contractor tasked with carrying out a major one.

Nancy Behrman, the founder of Behrman Communications, has enjoyed a distinguished career in the public relations industry and recently celebrated her company’s 30-year anniversary, which is why her insight and expertise regarding PR strategies is so widely respected among her industry peers. In fact, it is those specific PR and brand building strategies that are believed to potentially yield an exceptional benefit for those in the home improvement industry or those simply seeking to complete a home improvement project in a manner that is indistinguishable from the efforts of a professional.

According to those who have applied some of the strategies utilized by Behrman’s immensely successful public relations and brand building company, the results they were able to achieve were deeply reflective of the brand building company’s reputation as one of the most creative and insightful companies operating in the industry today. Due to the fact that the Behrman PR strategy is known to rely on a detail-oriented approach that evaluates the individual goals of each client in order to yield the greatest potential impact, the application of these strategies in construction projects has proved to be incredibly valuable on a number of distinct and critical levels.

1 Stop Maintenance Reviews Home Builder Ralph Slaske of Slaske Builders

RalphSlaske

Recently, the news and review group known as 1 Stop Maintenance decided to offer a job to Ralph Slaske of Slaske Builders, or rather, the 1 Stop Maintenance CEO did. The long story short, The CEO of 1 Stop Maintenance needed a new home up around the Toledo, Ohio area and from reading nothing but positive reports of Mr. Slaske on social media and blogs, decided to offer a job that Mr. Slaske couldn’t refuse.

It was an early Monday morning, about 7am I believe, when I gave Ralph Slaske a call and said, ‘hey, I have a job for you if you’re interested. I’m needing a new home and you’re the only one I trust to have it materialize,'” said 1 Stop Maintenance CEO. “We talked for a bit and he asked a me a few basic questions. Mr. Slaske then said he would like to meet in person with me tomorrow morning after he gets all the details squared away. At that point, we would be able to discuss details more in depth.”

While the CEO of 1 Stop Maintenance was waiting for their planned meeting, “I was doing my homework and making sure all the details I had covered on the phone with my new client were covered before I met with him,” says Ralph Slaske. The next morning, the two met and Slaske got straight to work asking questions about the new home, the dimensions needed and even building materials to be used in the product.

“Ralph Slaske taught me a lot about working with clients. I suppose in this case you could say this is something one businessman has taught another. He made sure all my questions were answered and checked in with me frequently to ensure I was taken care of. No questions, comments or concerns went unanswered. I would have to highly recommend Slaske Builders to anyone wanting a custom home in northern Ohio.”

 

Getting the Most Out of a Custom Construction Project

RalphSlaske

Getting the Most Out of a Custom Construction ProjectLots of builders advertise custom construction projects that ultimately turn out to be what is essentially a cookie-cutter design that has just a few customizable options. While this may technically be “custom,” this is rarely what a customer expects when they request a custom design. This can make it difficult for a prospective homebuyer to get the most out of their construction project, but a few simple strategies can help ensure that a custom project is truly unique and designed according to the precise specifications of the customer.

“People tend to be far too deferential when outlining what they have in mind when it comes to a custom home,” says Arturo Alvarez Demalde. “They may say exactly what they want when they first meet with the builder, but are then easily convinced to take a different approach by a builder who is looking to make the project easier and more cost-effective. This only benefits the builder and not the person who is spending six or seven figures on a custom homethat they intend to make their residence for the next several decades.”

Randi Glazer would likely tend to agree on this particular subject. Homebuyers need support while buying a custom home, which means that they should be reminded that they are spending a lot of money to build the home of their dreams. During this process, the homebuyer should be assertive and remember that it is not their responsibility to be accommodating to a builder. The homebuyer can always consult other builders willing to design a truly custom home, or they can stand firm that a custom home should be custom in the truest sense of the word.

Ralph Slaske The Hardest Job In Construction

RalphSlaske

I think I’ve probably done just about every job there is in the construction field and as I sit here thinking, I’d have to say framing was the hardest part of construction. If you were to ask anyone with little knowledge in construction about framing, they would probably say framing has something to do with the foundation of the structure that is being constructed. Framing, is the basic building skill construction today. The term, “framing,” also is called, “rough woodworking,” and this skill is done frequently in near about every project that deals with remodeling. Sounds like fun already, doesn’t it?

Timber is so common and it’s the most used material for a framing job because you can find it just about anywhere. Already, you can see this is a very heavy job. The lumber is also easy to work with and compared to other materials that could be used in framing, it’s not nearly as costly. Working in framing also means you have to know your trees and what they are good for, just as a survivalist would. A survivor in the woods knows that if it’s cold and he’s surrounded by pine trees, he’s out of luck because pine makes terrible firewood but a good fire starter. Pine, however, is a great source of lumber for framing and so is hemlock. If you have those nearby, you’re good to go.

Trees aren’t the only things used to frame. Concrete is commonly used because it can be made on the spot and delivered if need be. Steel and bricks are materials that are used, too. These materials are important to use rather than just the lumber because they can support more weight. However, things get expensive when you are working with heavy materials.

Just thinking about framing and writing about it makes me not want to ever do it again, but whatever puts bread on the table, right? Since I’ve started my blogs, I could switch gears and teach people how to make money online, but I am too passionate about construction and my business to do that.

Long story short, although it’s a bit late for that, framing is an incredibly complex, yet highly important job. As stated before, it’s what makes remodeling possible.

Ralph Slaske Make The Investment—Train Your Employees

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Training in any field of work is important and today it appears more and more companies are slacking on training their workers simply because it costs money. That’s never been a problem before, why is it a problem now? In the construction business, training has always been important, because it is dangerous work. Workers use tools that could cause permanent damage and are on top of structures high enough that would kill them if they were to fall off.

With money being an issue of why businesses don’t train employees as much anymore, they believe the answer is college. I’m sorry to break it to you, but college teaches HOW to get the job, it doesn’t teach everything on how to DO the job and do it safely. Training your workers allows your company to be competitive because without training, your company doesn’t stand a chance. Also, training your guys the way you want work to be done will ensure they perform quality work. Why? Because you taught them!

You can get a good idea of how good of a worker and who a person is through an interview. When I did my interview with ideamensch.com, it was easier than the interviews I would give the guy who wants to work for me at Slaske Builders. The interview doesn’t tell all, but it does serve the purpose to get their foot in the door. The rest isn’t up to them, it’s up to you. In a job like construction, you can’t just throw a new guy to the wolves and say, “Well, let’s see what you’ve got.” He’s going to mess up and that mess up could cost a life. This is just one more reason of why you must train your guys.

Remember when I said employers and businesses stop training so much because of the money it costs? Well, here’s good news for those guys. Even if you were to give your employees the best training you could find, that doesn’t mean it has to cost so much. A good standard to go by is knowing that a very good trainer must be always ready teach from experience and relate to the student. We were all new once, so keep up the training and they will keep up the good work you have taught them.