Month: December 2019

With the high prices of contractors these days, lots of people are doing their own home improvement projects. This is a great way to save money, but one area the average homeowner may be lacking in is knowledge about basic safety rules that should be observed for any home improvement project.

Common safety practices include wearing protective clothing like gloves, masks and eye wear, reading labels and adhering to manufacturers instructions and discarding any waste products in the proper manner.

It makes sense to use gloves, earphones, glasses and masks if you are repairing or improving the home including the use of chemicals such as paint. Thus, purchase a work kit including work gloves, goggles, hearing guards and particle masks before starting any project that could cause you harm.

Safety is critical in any home improvement or repair project that you are attempting yourself. Therefore, if you are starting a project which has risks, like using chemicals, be sure you read allthe instructions carefully before you begin. Once you finish the project remember to wash your hands thoroughly for removal of any residue which can linger on your skin. If you are using paint then try using regular salad oil to remove paint, or stains from your skin.

Electrical work can be tricky and you may want to call a professional. At the very least, check the components of any electrical parts you are trying to repair for labels or markings and read them completely before starting your project.

If you are repairing, electrical outlets be sure to mark the wires before putting in the new component. Usually, the wires are already marked, however sometimes the markings wear off. Therefore, when you figure out which wire goes where you should mark it before putting the plate cover back on. Also, make sure you shut down the breakers to that outlet and that your skin is dry before starting to work on anything electrical.

In addition to safety measures, you also need the right tool for the job or you will find yourself getting very frustrated and maybe even doing damage to the project or yourself. Some common tools include paint brushes, rollers and edgers, painters tape, screwdrivers, hammers, drills, joint putty, pipe wrenches and so on.

For the best results when painting it is a good ideas to buy the ‘natural” bristled brushes. These work better with paint and go on in a nice smooth coat. When the brushes are not in use put them in a safe area and remember to clean them as recommended for the type of paint you are using so that they will last a long time. Other tools that you are not using should also be kept in a safe area. If you are using sponge paintbrushes for decorative painting or touch-ups throw the brushes away once you are done so that they do not get mixed up with your household sponges!

How to get more leads from your home improvement website

Everyone wants leads – but you know it is an amazing thing – lots of companies build websites, even spend some money on Pay Per Click Advertising (such as Google Adwords) and perhaps even pay to be listed is some directories and then wonder why they don’t get leads, or don’t get as many leads as they would hope to.

To add to their disappointment – they will often have spent significant sums on the website and employed some “talented” web site designers. The challenge is that while a lot of these web designers can build you nice looking websites (with all the bells and all the whistles) – many don’t know how to build a web site that converts visitors to leads.

Sometimes home improvement companies even write of the Internet as “not working” – failing to realise that they actually control their websites destiny and the fact the site is not producing leads is that Nine times out of Ten – they don’t make it easy for their website visitor to give them a lead.

As an Internet Marketing Consultant I am often asked to review websites – and come up with some ideas for improving the conversion ratios (usually – visitor to leads ratio). I don’t really think the following could be considered a “trade secret” – but perhaps it is, as so many website designers are still building home improvement websites with this “built in fault”

To increase your leads – Make It Easy For Your Visitors To Contact You.

Often a website will have a “contact us” button tucked away in some far corner that is not easy to find.

Please, put your contact details on each page – and also ideally – strategically within the website copy.

Better still – change “Contact Us” web form to a “Free Brochure” or “Free Info” or “Free Information Pack” and you will see a significant increase in sales leads (as much as 50 – 100% increase sometimes)

You should also have clearly – and in large type have your phone number at the top of each page.

You should have both a form to fill in and your contact phone number showing.

Far too often salespeople and sales managers worry about the tyre kickers and the brochure hunters – and try to qualify their leads too much. The point of most contractor based, supply and install home improvement websites is not to sell a product but to sell visitors on the company and encourage them to request more information. (produce a lead)

I spoke to a sales manager the other day who complained how bad business was and the economy was all wrong blah, blah…..

A little later we are talking about web leads and he declares he only wants leads of his websites from people who want to have one of his sales people out for a quotation. (hence why his website only had a request a quote link)

Tackling home-improvement projects that need to be done can be both exciting and rewarding. But going at it the wrong way can be a big disappointment and a source of a lot of stress. The best success is had when you plan ahead well and you pick the right time for doing the project. Here are some very important do it yourself home improvement tips to help every project be a success.

1. Almost any interior home-improvement project is going to make a mess, and that means that your home will be in disarray while the project is going on. For many, this is the most frustrating part of the entire project. So if you know that a particular room or area of the house is going to need some repairs, why not plan in advance and try to accomplish as much as you can in that area at one time?

If you don’t want dirt and debris flying all over your furniture in that area you will need to prepare your home in advance, usually by covering them with bedsheets or plastic sheeting. So it’s much easier to do this in one entire section of the house at a time, instead of having to recover everything over and over again.

2. Even if you plan on doing all the work yourself, it’s always a good idea to have the phone numbers of local professionals available in case you run into a major problem. When remodeling, there is just no telling what kind of problems you may encounter. Some of it you may be able to handle on your own, and some you may not. Butt having the phone numbers of experts in that field handy can keep the project moving forward even when difficult situations are encountered.

3. If you have a family, keep in mind that small children and power tools just don’t mix. Of course, they will probably want to be with you and maybe even join in and help you. But for safety’s sake, be sure to keep them completely away from any power tools or equipment that could cause harm.

4. It doesn’t matter what project you get involved in, or how organized you are in planning it, you are always going to find something that you need right away in order to finish. It’s just Murphy’s Law. So try not to start any major remodeling projects at a time when supply stores and tool rental shops are not open. When you need something for the project, and you definitely will, it’s a real relief to be able to just run down and get it right away without causing much work delay.

There are two main reasons people take on home improvement projects: for their own pleasure and in hopes of increasing the resale value of their homes. As long as you spend time and money for the first reason, you’ll be okay. It’s when you start thinking more about the second reason that you may be in for a disappointment. Even if improvements add value to your home, few recoup the money they cost. For example, a swimming pool, which costs tens of thousands of dollars to install, adds little to no resale value to a home. People are turned off by the maintenance aspect, and parents with small children will worry about safety issues.

So, what improvements do add enough value that you’ll come close to making back what you spend? It’s the highly visible improvements that will help most. Unfortunately, the less visible ones don’t impress. Replacing the roof or furnace, while they may need doing, won’t convince a home buyer to pay more. Likewise, new energy-efficient doors and windows are not likely to recoup the cost of installation (However, if you are going to continue living in your home for the next few years, $1,000 spent on insulation and caulking existing windows and doors can help you save on your energy bills).

The biggest home improvement you can do to impress homebuyers (and make them want to pay more) is one of the cheapest. Paint. As long as you pick colors that will appeal to a wide audience–and you do it right before you list (before it has time to get mucked up)–you’ll increase appeal. Likewise crown molding is relatively inexpensive to install but adds the wow factor to otherwise regular rooms.

So, what else is worth doing? You may have heard that kitchens and bathrooms are what sell a house, and this is true, but don’t think you have to spend tens of thousands on a whole-room remodel. Getting rid of outdated wallpaper or paint will help tremendously. Also sand and paint/stain old cabinet doors to make them look new. Switch out the dated cabinet hardware for something stylish and modern.

Any time you can take dead space (i.e. an attic or basement) and turn it into functional space (i.e. bedroom, office, media room), you stand a good chance of recouping much of the money you invest in the project (85% of the cost returned at resale is the national average).