Monthly Archives January 2015

Maximizing your building budget!

There are several things homeowners can do to save money long before the contractor or builder arrives to begin work on that special room addition or remodeling project.

Know exactly what you want

Most homeowners have a fairly good idea of what they want from the contractor they hire. Some however move ahead before they have fully researched the project possibilities. Take some time! Sit down and assess exactly what you expect from the newly remodeled space you are anticipating. Whenever possible, don’t let an ideal finish-date wag the dog. Talk to friends who have done similar projects. Read as many online blogs and other articles as you can. Don’t stop until you feel you are ready to tell a contractor precisely what your vision is for your proposed project.

Plan together with your contractor or builder

VISION Builders is eager to make your vision for your new space a reality. Listening to you and your ideas is something we feel we do best. Give us the important up-front time and we’ll give you an unforgettable experience.

Consider cost-effective options

After over 30 years in business, VISION Builders has a state-of-the-art awareness of available materials, processes and home-enhancing design options. Your good research and planning will be augmented by the many economical options we think will surprise and please you!

Receive gift cards for referrals!

When any of our VISION customers, new or old, choose to recommend our work to someone else who hires us, that referring friend receives a VISION gift card (amount depending on project cost) on the day the new job is finished. You continue to benefit from a VISION relationship even after your project is done – and for as long and as often as you like!

Maximizing the budget dollars you have set aside for that new room addition or remodeled bathroom, basement or kitchen is as much a specialty at VISION Builders as our building and designing skills. And those skills have made us made us the most “customer-referred” builder/remodeler in Johnson County!

Many of the people we meet when bidding on jobs express this concern. Usually it is because they or their friends have had bad experiences with contractors who were under-staffed and under-resourced – who take on more jobs than they are able to handle because they need income. Then in an attempt to keep all of their clients happy, they bounce from job site to job site, doing a little here and a little there. The result? In an effort to please everyone they please no one.

So our answer to the above question is simple: “Our team stays on your project until we finish in the promised timeframe.”

VISION can make that claim because no other Johnson County Builder/Remodeler has more veteran suppliers and gifted sub-contractors at their disposal than VISION. On any given week, we have more than one job in progress somewhere in Johnson County — but because of our deep list of proven, professional, construction “partners,” and because our scheduling and supervisory systems have become so effective, VISION clients are able to see uninterrupted progress on the work entrusted to us.

And one more thing. When aspects of your project require the talents of different VISION team members, you will know about that. You will know the professionals working on your project at all times. It is a courtesy we believe you deserve.

The more you know about VISION, about our people, and about our desire to contribute to your confidence and peace of mind, the more we know we are doing our job right. It’s the way we’ve done things in Johnson County for over 30 years. Can we prove it to you? Just call 913.645.7889 for a no-obligation, person-to-person chat!

No one wants to pay more than necessary to get the best possible remodeling or building job done. So, once you have a fairly complete idea of what you want, it makes good sense to do some comparative shopping. Too often, eager homeowners approach builders or contractors with only a vague idea of what they envision for their new room addition, basement renovation, etc. They are too willing to ask for a “ballpark” idea of likely costs. Warning: Ballpark bids too often result in projects that go into extra innings!

Start by doing a little homework

Have you made a detailed list of the “must-have’s” in your remodeling job, room addition or building project? Have you researched materials, finishes or surfaces that you want? These are the elements of a bid that will help your bidder form an accurate estimate of costs.

Once you’ve done that, seek out 2-3 competitive bids. At that point, it’s not so much a question of the number of bids you get as it is the kinds of bids you get.

Is the company bidding your project licensed and insured?

A company that is familiar with all the building codes and best practices that are standard to the industry will be eager to let you know it. Their promotional materials, web site, etc, will advertise that they are licensed and insured. If they are not, whatever bid they may give you can be full of hidden problems waiting to happen.

Does the company have strong references and testimonials?

Before you ask a company to bid on your remodeling or building job, check their print and online claims. Do they show projects they have done – before and after? Do they feature recommendations from satisfied customers? Don’t hesitate to ask for contact information to verify published facts. The company you want will be glad to give that to you!

The best bid may not be the lowest

If any of your 2-3 bidders responds with an estimate that is significantly lower than others, you need to proceed with caution. Often the bidding builder or contractor has missed something about the scope of the project – or worse, something will ultimately be missing in quality or material value.

In the final analysis, the builder or contractor who wins the bid for your project will be the one who wins your confidence. He will be the one who clearly wants your recommendation just as much as he wants the income he’ll earn from doing your work excellently. You should be able to sense that from the start. And then the right bid, whatever the final number, will always feel like the best money you ever spent!