Mid America Events & Expos

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Is it really a deal?
The biggest reasons why you may not be happy
about paying less for your home remodeling project

Home remodeling is a big investment. With so many demands on your budget, it’s tempting to consider using a contractor who says he can complete your project to your specifications but for significantly less money. Is it really a deal, or could you be setting yourself up for hidden problems?

Homeowners should be wary not just of unscrupulous contractors, but also of those who may have the best of intentions. “A lot of people become contractors by process of evolution,” explains Bob Flynn, owner of Chanhassen-based Flynn Construction, Inc. and board member of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) Remodelers. “They may work for several years as a carpenter for someone else, then decide they want their own business. The test to become a contractor is fairly easy. But it’s a huge leap between being a good craftsman and becoming a good business person. Upwards of 90-95 percent of all remodeling contractors do not last longer than five years in the business. And the number one reason is that they aren’t charging their customers enough money.”

The BATC Remodelers is co-sponsoring this year’s Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo (www.101expos.com), November 10-11 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The expo restricts exhibit space and informational seminars to members of the home remodeling and interior design industries, making it an ideal place for homeowners to find and interview quality contractors and craftspeople.

Flynn cautions that home remodeling ‘bargains’ may quickly become nightmares. In fact, complaints against home improvement/home repair contractors are among the most common consumer complaints received by the Better Business Bureau. “More than half of my clients have had bad experiences with contractors in the past,” says Flynn. The biggest issues that people have with less-than-reputable contractors are:

Poor communication. “People get frustrated because the contractor simply won’t return phone calls. I try to return all calls within 24 hours.”
Poor quality of work. “Our new clients will often point out the poor workmanship that they’ve received in the past. It’s sad because it is so avoidable.”
The project exceeded the timeline. “This is where problems arise with the guy working out of his pickup truck. When I say that he doesn’t charge enough, it’s not that his hourly rate isn’t high enough. It’s that he doesn’t allow enough hours for the project. Residential remodeling is extremely difficult. You don’t want the result to look like some guy slapped on an appendage to your house. It takes time to do it right.”
The contractor was inflexible. “You should not have to be upset with the results simply because you’re unfamiliar with reading blueprints. Every remodeling project has changes. When homeowners start seeing the project come to life for the first time, they often want to move a door or change a window, for example, to better suit how they will use the space. It’s their house and they should be happy with it! They shouldn’t have to feel like they are pulling teeth to get what they want.”
Lack of respect for you and your property. “Homeowners complain about trash, breakage and attitude. I hear about contractors playing loud music while they work, leaving cigarette butts all over the grass, and worse. Showing respect is often as simple as putting on shoe covers before entering a house. Contractors should also be willing to put up a portable toilet because you don’t want a bunch of construction guys asking to use your bathroom.”
Inability to resolve problems. “A lot of times we run into technical or structural issues that we couldn’t have predicted beforehand. You want a contractor who is a problem solver, not someone who will pass it off as ‘not his job.’
Project goes over budget. “There are contractors who work on a ‘cost plus’ meaning time plus materials. That’s bad for consumers because the parameters aren’t clear. Some jobs go way beyond what they originally budgeted and what they can afford. The better option is to work on a fixed price contract. Obviously, changes will have cost associated with them. Those should be done in writing and with the homeowner’s pre-approval.
Lack of integrity and honesty. “Some people simply feel like they were cheated. They come to us saying, “I’d rather pay more money and get what I want than try to get a deal and have to live with substandard results.”

For additional information about the Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo, visit www.101expos.com or call 612-798-7256. To find a remodeling professional, visit www.batconline.org or call 651-697-1954.

This year’s Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo is sponsored by Finished Basement Company, and Channels 5 and 45.

Media Note: For additional information, or to schedule an interview, contact Media Relations, Inc. at 612-798-7220.

About The Builders Association of the Twin Cities Remodelers

The Builders Association of the Twin Cities Remodelers is a council and remodeling arm of The Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) and sponsors the annual Parade of Homes Remodelers Showcase as well as three more new-home Parade of Homes tours in the metro region, hosts the weekly Parade of Homes Radio Hour on WCCO AM Radio with information about remodeling and building, and publishes the Parade of Homes Remodelers Guide, a free publication and guide to the professional members of the BATC Remodelers.

The Builders Association of the Twin Cities, presenters of the Parade of Homes EasyStreet, Spring Preview, Fall Showcase, Remodelers Showcase and the Parade of Homes Radio Hour, represents almost 1,900 member firms involved in all phases of the home building and remodeling industries, and is dedicated to providing a diverse selection of quality and affordable housing to the Twin Cities area. Parade of Homes
EasyStreet, Fall Showcase, Spring Preview, Remodelers Showcase and Parade of Homes Radio Hour are service marks of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities.

Biography -- Bob Flynn, CGR, CAPS, CR

Bob Flynn has owned Flynn Construction since 1991, and has been in the remodeling business since 1980. Flynn Construction has received several awards from peers in the remodeling industry. The company’s work has been featured in the Star Tribune, Mpls St. Paul Magazine, Midwest Home and Gardens, Cottage Living, and the book On the Porch.

Flynn is an active member of the remodeling industry including the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the Builders Association the Twin Cities Remodelers. He is currently the chair of the Parade of Homes Remodelers Showcase committee.

He is licensed as a Residential Remodeler from the State of Minnesota which requires seven hours of continuing education each year. Bob is also earned the status of Certified Graduate Remodeler through The National Association of Home Builders, and has achieved the designation of Certified Remodeler (CR) through the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.