QUALITY HOME RENOVATORS Honored With Big50 Award

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – Grady and Diane Portelli, owners of QUALITY HOME RENOVATORS, have been selected by REMODELING magazine to join the REMODELING Big50. The Big50 awards were presented at a gala dinner at the Remodeling Leadership Conference in Washington, DC on May 8, 2014.  The 2014 Big50 winners are featured in the May issue of REMODELING, a national trade publication read by more than 130,000 professional remodeling contractors, with longer profiles of the winners posted on the REMODELING website, remodelingmag.com.

Each year since 1986, the REMODELING Big50 inducts 50 owners of remodeling companies that have set exceptionally high standards for professionalism and integrity through exemplary business practices, craftsmanship, and impact their community or the industry at large.  Big50 remodelers run successful, often growing, companies of various sizes that have taken the lead in raising industry standards.

The Big50 selection process has become increasingly rigorous in recent years, and the result, REMODELING editors believe, is one of the strongest classes to date. “Uniting the 2014 inductees are high standards and a determination to rebound the recession – taking the opportunity to retool systems and processes – ensuring that they are poised to meet their sales, production, and customer-service goals and continue to thrive,” according to REMODELING.

“We are very honored to receive this distinction,” says Diane Portelli, Contractor/Project Manager of Quality Home Renovators.  “The award recognizes excellence and leadership, and we are privileged to be named to this select group of remodelers.”

REMODELING editors, columnists, industry leaders, and the companies themselves make the nominations each year.  Following a lengthy evaluation and interview process, the editors select the 50 individuals who exemplify the best of the industry that year, and who have something to offer other remodelers in proven practices.

REMODELING, published by Hanley Wood, LLC, is the leading publication in the home improvement industry.  REMODELING has and continues to be the indispensable tool that remodelers cannot do without – delivering the business know-how, product and technical information that home improvement pros need to help make smart decisions that will shape their project success.

A Shameless Pat On The Back For QHR!

QHR is a finalist for the Big 50 Award from Remodeling Magazine. The magazine picks what they consider to be the top 50 construction/remodeling firms each year. This award is based on exemplary business practices, management skills, community service, design, and craftsmanship. We went through the hour long phone interview today as a finalist. Hopefully, we will have good news by the end of this month to share with everyone!

How’s Your Kitchen Work Triangle Working For You ?

                                         
It’s amazing how a few steps in either direction can impact your overall kitchen experience!

Fifty years ago, efficiency analysts tracked the average person’s steps in the kitchen and found a natural pathway between the refrigerator, sink and stove.  The distance and flow between these 3 items and how easy it is to reach them is still the measure of the perfect kitchen today. A kitchen remodel should be beautiful, efficient, and timeless!  Most importantly your kitchen remodel should work perfectly for your specific needs.

Contact the kitchen remodeling experts at Quality Home Renovators today for more information at (727)-437-6200.


Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Your St Petersburg General Contractor’s Estimate: Why the Bottom Line Isn’t as Important as How It Was Arrived At

Most people who put a remodeling job out to bid are most interested in the last line in each contractor’s estimate. As important as the final number is, it isn’t nearly as important as the method used to create the bid.

Let me tell you a story to explain what I mean.

A few months ago, Quality Home Renovators, LLC, was asked to bid on a kitchen remodel for a couple who had just purchased a charming, historical bungalow in the heart of St Petersburg.

This image by David Sawyer and licensed under CC by SA 2.0

        

We looked at the job, and noticed that the existing cabinetry had been damaged by a water leak and suspected that doing the job properly would require replacing some rotted wood. Our quote included money to cover that.

We also checked the electrical and noticed that it would have to be updated to allow for the convection oven and other appliances that were part of the remodel. The house had original knob and tube wiring and needed to be updated to current building code. The kitchen would never pass a building inspection without this electrical upgrade.  Not to mention the risk of a future fire in this area. 

Image  by Dave Bellous and licensed under CC by 2.0

The costs of bringing the service up to date were part of our quote.

Some St Petersburg Remodeling Contractors Estimate from the Drywall Out...

We didn’t get the job because our bid was higher than another contractor’s. This other contractor’s bid looked good because he practices a kind of bidding that I call “bidding from the drywall out.”

In other words, he strictly bids on the work that he can see, even when he knows that other work is almost certainly going to be required.

The homeowner who hires this type of contractor is always finding out that another change order (and more money) is required to finish the job.

The homeowner called Quality Home Renovators midway through the project and asked if we could complete the work.  The other contractor had walked off the job due to disagreements about the cost of change orders.

Not all estimates are created equal, so when you look at bids on your kitchen or bath remodel, consider how the contractors created their bids.

Before You Remodel Your Kitchen or Bath…

Interview a few different contractors, get a general feel for how they do business, and ask them to prepare an estimate for your kitchen or bath remodel.

An experienced contractor knows how to inspect a job and determine the issues that will probably arise. He or she may give you a bid that’s higher, but only because it accurately reflects the required work.

Instead of being nickel and dimed to death, you can proceed knowing that likely costs have been built in. Ask your contractor if there is an allowance for work that cannot be seen and may likely need to be addressed.  In the long run, doing business this way is what has helped Quality Home Renovators, LLC, grow by word-of-mouth.

When you’re ready to renovate your home, do it with a contractor who has the experience and integrity to construct an honest estimate. Not every St Petersburg General Contractor bids home remodels the same way we do at Quality Home Renovators.

This post written by Diane Portelli, Project Manager for Quality Home Renovators, a St Petersburg General Contractor specializing in home remodeling work. Visit our portfolio of completed home remodeling projects at QHRbuilds.com.  Reach Diane at 727-437-6200.

Remodeling Projects That Pay You Back!

St Petersburg General Contractor Shares Which Remodeling Projects Pay You Back

I often get asked about which St. Pete home remodeling projects give homeowners the best return at sale time.

Hanley Wood, together with GE Money, Lumber Liquidators, Bostitch, Owens Corning, ThermaTru Doors, and Whirlpool, has compiled city-specific numbers.

These companies publish a remodeling project Cost versus Value Report every year. The report reveals the average cost of a particular kind of remodel in a given city and the percentage of that remodel’s cost recouped by a homeowner when he or she sells.

Many of the homeowners for whom we do historical restoration work do it as a labor of love. They see themselves as stewards of the homes that they are restoring.  This report does not cover historical restoration contracting work.

However, the report does cover the kinds of kitchen remodels, bath remodels, deck additions, and entry way remodels that many homeowners hire Saint Pete general contractors like Quality Home Renovators, LLC to do.  

Download the 2010-2011 Remodeling Cost Vs Value Report PDF free.

According to the Remodeling 2010-2011 Cost vs. Value Report (costvsvalue.com), among the better projects in terms of recapturing dollars are replacing entry way doors (60% to 102.1%), remodeling baths (64.1%), and minor or major kitchen remodels (72.8% and 68.7%).

Even if you’re not primarily motivated by return at resale, it’s still good to see how much value you are adding by remodeling your St Pete home.

One of our recent renovation projects involved restoring a craftsman bungalow in the historic Kenwood section of St Pete. After years of neglect, the home needed a complete renovation to restore its intrinsic charm and add modern amenities.

The owners of the home have been gracious enough to allow us to share some of the “before” and “after” photos from this gorgeous craftsman bungalow remodel.  The home was voted “Home of the Month” and starred in St Pete’s historic bungalow tour.

See some more pictures of this craftsman bungalow remodel in our project gallery.

Whether you have a specific project in mind or several that you would like to talk about to see which will give you the best return, feel free to contact me, Diane, at 727.437.6200.

This article written by Diane Portelli of Quality Home Renovators, LLC. Quality Home Renovators, LLC, is a general contractor in St Petersburg, Florida.