Measure twice, cut once. Do it right the first time. Pay me now or pay me later. We’ve all heard these phrases before and know they resonate because of the common sense behind them. Yet when it comes to home renovation projects and particularly, minor repairs, homeowners sometimes throw logic and caution out the proverbial window in an effort to “get a good deal.” Unfortunately, saving a dime by hiring a discount contractor who doesn’t know how to properly do the work ends up costing consumers millions each year, according to the Better Business Bureau. If you’ve watched HGTV’s latest sensation, Holmes on Homes, you’ve seen the Canadian contractor spend weeks trying to correct the damage done by supposedly “minor” repairs as well as ... Continue reading article →

The ebb and flow of the housing market over the past few years may have led us into uncharted waters, but one result has been a wave of people considering home renovation projects. Some homeowners that we at Palmer Custom Builders work with are in need of a change but have opted against selling, instead choosing to renovate their homes to improve their comfort and safety while protecting their longstanding investment. Others who are in the market for a home are eyeing existing home deals, hoping that updates will boost the value of their bargain while making it a more enjoyable place to live. We’ve helped many such homeowners renovate poorly functioning kitchens and baths, finish un- or under-utilized space to create ... Continue reading article →

Whether you are looking to buy a new home, sell your existing residence, or renovate the home you already own, the first and most important question on your mind is likely to be: What’s it worth? As consumers, we place a high level of trust in the professionals who assign a value to our homes. Early in May 2009, the U.S. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) adopted new guidelines to assist in accurately and independently determining the value of homes. Enacted in the aftermath of the housing crisis, the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (reprinted at the bottom of this article) was designed, in essence, to prevent lenders or other third ... Continue reading article →

Do you have a good friend whom you don’t see very often, yet every time you get to talk, it’s as if you’ve never been apart? That intangible connection and natural flow of communication between two individuals is key to a long-lasting friendship, but you might not have realized just how important chemistry can be when it comes to selecting a contractor for your renovation project. After all, you’ll be seeing your contractor on an almost daily basis, and he will be your voice in communicating your vision to all of the individuals who will work on your project. So ensuring that you and he are able to communicate well and comfortably from your very first meeting is essential. Yet selecting a contractor goes ... Continue reading article →

It’s every homeowner’s worst nightmare. Your dream kitchen renovation has begun. Your out-dated cabinets and appliances have been removed, and the rock-bottom deal you got from your contractor has let you upgrade the new ones even more than you’d hoped. The discolored tile has been ripped out, plumbing pipes and electrical wiring are disconnected, and the exterior wall has been removed to make way for the expansion. You live with the mess through a long holiday weekend, looking forward to beginning reconstruction. Your contractor ... Continue reading article →

When you’re closing on a home or beginning a renovation project, the last thing that most people want to do is take on what they view as an optional step that might further delay the process. That’s one of the main reasons why people choose not to have a professional surveyor conduct a current survey of their property. In the long run, that decision could prove to be very costly. One of our renovation clients, for example, opted not to have a survey done at closing when she purchased her residence. Unfortunately for her, we had to have a current survey in order to obtain HOA approval for her renovation project. That meant that she had to have the survey done anyway, which held up ... Continue reading article →