May is National Remodeling Month - The weekend warrior; is this for you?

Almost every day, a potential client will call our company to tell a story about some project or another that began as a do-it-yourself (DIY) project and has now become this "thing" that they aren't sure what to do about and how to get it finished. Many clients have relayed stories about the kitchen or bathroom remodel that started ages ago and just needs to be finished before their spouse completely loses patience with them. Somehow the project that seemed doable in their spare time grew, became more complex, and before they knew it, the headache outweighed the financial savings of hiring a professional to come take care of it.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, homeowner do-it-yourself (DIY) projects account for 20 percent of all home remodeling performed nationwide. Americans spend over $200 billion per year on home improvement and remodeling.

Shirey Handyman Service appreciates the knowledge and homework our clients put into many of their projects. We would like to remind you that we are a resource for whatever type of help you need, be it full service "just take care of it" all the way to the "I just need a skilled hand and I'll supply the materials".

>>>Click here to continue reading the article including "Advice for Do-it-Yourselfers"

 

April Bettinger, General Manager

 

Featured client Becky Murphy relates her remodeling story

It all started with replacing the carpeting in the bedrooms. Next thing I knew, we were getting building permits and renovating our entire house! We did decide against adding on two rooms, but that is the only concession we made!! We had set ideas on what we wanted, plus a time frame and a budget. When we began our relationship with Shirey, we had pretty low expectations – we just hoped they would show up! We had been through a contractor who didn't (same old story!) and hoped that the recommendation we were given by a friend was going to pan out. I will only use licensed contractors, so I did check Shirey out thoroughly online before I even called them.

I decided to take on the role of general contractor and was overwhelmed by the number of different contractors – electrician, plumber, framer, drywall, tile guy, finish carpenter. I didn't really need any of them for any length of time, and our projects were in "domino" order. Each facet needed to be completed before the next one could start. Oh, and I'd have to get each different contractor to show up!!

Of course, I wanted the ideal contractor – one with high quality work, pleasant and knowledgeable guys in the field, and one willing to work with my very set ideas on what I wanted. I liked the idea of a technician that could work on all the aspects of our project. I also wanted to be in charge of purchasing all our materials, and we wanted to do as much of the work as we were capable of doing. (Not very many contractors are willing to do that!)

I really appreciated being able to e-mail your office staff and get a quick, upbeat response and any questions or issues resolved before I could ever expect them to be!

So, with all our ideals, parameters, quirks, and crazy-old-house issues, we started a small project with Shirey. It went so well, we then set up a 3 day "work party" for two guys. We had a list of projects, and they did as many as they could in 3 days. We did two more 3-day-2-guy stints and were able to have enormous leaps in the progress of our projects! A couple of other project-specific days, like installing our kitchen or rebuilding a cabinet into a custom showpiece, and we were set to work on our own!

Just yesterday we had someone over to set a toilet and sink. I really look forward to when the "Shirey Guys" (as my 3 year old calls them) come to work, because I know the project will be finished without hassle and with higher quality than I could imagine.

Thanks, "Shirey Guys"!

Becky Murphy – Kirkland, WA

Hard-to-Reach Light Bulbs:
Compact FlUorescent Will Save You Money in More Ways than Just Your Electrical Bill

We get a lot of calls from clients with cathedral ceilings and very hard to change light bulbs. How do you change one of these if you don't have the proper equipment, and more importantly, how often does it need to be done?

I was speaking to a client today, arranging for a service call to get her light bulbs changed. She has been a client for years and has a service call about once per year to take care of this issue. Today we decided that it would make better sense if she purchased some compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) for every hard to reach light in the house and simply had us change it once. Not only would she save a couple hundred dollars in handyman work every year (a CFL can last a decade or more), she would by default save money on her energy bill. Over the life of a single bulb changed even every other year, she could save over $1,000.

1. CFLs use 75% less energy than standard light bulbs
    
2. The average CFL will save $30 in energy costs over its lifetime
    
3. They last six times longer, generate less heat and reduce energy costs associated with cooling
    
4. Dimmable versions are now becoming available
    
5. CFLs have come a long way to be more visually appealing
    

Green building, sustainability and energy conservation are hot topics today, and let's face it, they're part of our culture that won't be going away any time soon. Small changes in our way of thinking make a big difference. For more information on this topic from Puget Sound Energy, please click here.

Jeff Powell

Jeff Powell is Shirey Handyman Service's "Employee of the Month". Jeff started with the company in September of 2004, and has demonstrated valuable skills and dedication from the beginning. He has a special way of coming into clients' homes and taking care of whatever needs doing. Over his four and a half years with the company he has developed strong relationships with many loyal clients. Jeff is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys fishing, water sports and hunting. In his spare time, you may find him working on his 1946 Willys Jeep.

Our employee of the month is chosen by the entire staff at Shirey Handyman Service. If you see Jeff and have the opportunity, please take a moment to congratulate him. He is being recognized for his dedication to the company and his clients, and for going above and beyond expectations.