Our phones are ringing regularly and it looks to me like this economy is in the early stages of making a recovery.  It seems to me, we've gotten most everybody's repairs and fixes completed and now we are getting lots of "wanna have" project calls.  Bathroom, kitchen, basement remodeling and room additions are now in the works. It's time to get busy and get your spot on our spring schedule.  I look forward to talking to you soon. 

I had a late appointment this evening.  A very nice, easy going couple wanted to discuss a kitchen remodel project.  They were not as happy to see me as I may have liked, they were not at all excited about the new kitchen that they have spent years dreaming about, saving for and planning.  Recently, they have been through some tough times.  They hired a contractor that was in over his head.  They've spent several weeks and several thousands of dollars and are now faced with starting over.  As far as I can tell, only a small amount of the materials are ruined, but the time and labor has been wasted.  The time...
There are men out there that have a truck (or not) and a tape measurer and a hammer for sure, maybe even some other really cool tools and they may be very qualified to complete tasks in a few trades, but they are not qualified to be remodelers.  I'm not tooting my horn too loudly here, we don't build rockets and fly to the moon, but we do take on projects that involve forethought and a sound understanding of just how things work and how things work together.
Sure, remodeling is a pain.  Strange men in your house eight to ten hours a day, one room or another completely unusable.  A little bit of dust.  It is inconvenient.  But when we leave each day and you see the progress, your plans coming to life, it can be very rewarding.  Especially on that wonderful day, the day the last tool is rolled out, everything is cleaned up and shiny if it supposed to be and you get your house back.
My advice for tonight:  When you are getting ready to start your remodeling project, no matter how big or how small, check with your family, check with your friends, check with your neighbors.  Research your contractor as much as you do your materials.  It doesn't matter how nice your plans are, if you don't hire a qualified remodeler that has a track record of pulling everything together, you'll end up unhappy and discouraged.  Who wants that?