Vermont Quarries White Marble Room

No longer shunned from the kitchen, white marble is increasingly used for countertops. It offers a warm, classic look unparalleled by other stones and color ranges. Also, there is a long history of white marble quarries and usage, in both Italy and the United States, which you are part of when you select white marble.

White marble has a long and proud history in Italy. An industry that started over 2,000 years ago, it is part of the Italian culture. The quarries are located in the Apuane mountain range, rich in white, world-famous Carrara marble, which reaches approximately 6,500 feet. Originally extracted using chisels and powder explosives, these quarries now utilize every modern technology available. Italians have long used white marble in every application, from architecture to art, as countertops, window sills, door jams, and curbs. . .its use is abundant. Marble from the Apuane mountains was even used by Michaelangelo to sculpt his masterpieces, and the great artist himself worked in the quarries for a short time. Given their long relationship with the stone, Italians understand and appreciate the variety in veining and movement, as well as how the stone changes due to usage, which adds to its depth and character.

In the United States, white marble has been quarried for over 100 years. The renowned Danby marble quarry is located in Vermont. Marble from this quarry stands alone when it comes to performance, beauty, excellence and durability in North America. It has been used in the construction of many notable projects, including the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and numerous state capitol buildings.

The increase in popularity of white marble is partly due to a better understanding of the stone. . .the beauty of it and the reality of caring for it. If you’re looking for a durable, elegant countertop, that will last a long time with proper maintenance, marble is an excellent choice. It is a very hard, durable stone. It is recommended that it be sealed with Stone Preserve sealer when installed and re-sealed every 6 months. Wiping a marble countertop with a damp cloth will keep it clean. Cleaning up spills quickly will minimize any “beauty marks” caused by usage. Will it stain, etch and scratch? Potentially, yes. There are products to remove stains, but you can use mats or coasters to eliminate them from occurring. Additionally, a honed marble (vs. polished) is easier to maintain yourself. Using a poultice will remove most stains.  You may choose to have your marble professionally buffed or polished periodically, or you may wish to leave any marks to add to the stone’s natural patina.

Marble is an exquisite stone that embodies the beauty of nature. With its beautiful veining and patterns, it is sure to capture attention in any application.

View marble from the Vermont quarries : http://www.vermontquarries.com

Danby White Marble Kitchen

AVAILABILITY: Many vendors stock slabs in nearly 250 varieties including marble, granite, limestone, slate, travertine, onyx, quartzite, and tumbled stone.

CARE & MAINTENANCE: Natural stone, when properly sealed, is simple to care for and maintain. Keep your natural stone looking its best by sweeping, dust-mopping or vacuuming prior to wet-mopping with a pH-balanced neutral cleaner or warm water.

COLOR: In recent years, more new stones have been brought to the marketplace than ever before. Granite tiles and slabs cover the spectrum from near-white to rich greens, absolute blacks, and even blues. With the warm tones of travertine and limestone, and varied beauty of marble, the possibilities are almost endless. Remember that stone is a product of nature, and color varies from piece to piece, as well as between lots. Your stone should be viewed and approved before installation.

POPULARITY: Due to all of the above-mentioned factors, natural stone is very popular. Unlike synthetic floor coverings and counter surfaces, natural stone is unique, highly durable and has a timeless quality that never goes out of style.

SIZE VARIATION: Natural stone is available primarily in tiles and slabs. Many natural stone tiles are available in different sizes, allowing flexibility in design and patterning. Granite and marble slabs can be fabricated and tailored to meet the needs of homebuilders, designers and architects. The only limit to the use of natural stone is your imagination.

STONE TILE CARE & MAINTENANCE

Marble, granite, travertine, limestone and slate are quarried products. Stones are a natural honed or polished rock, not factory-made or fired. No two pieces are alike and there are inherent variances in all stone. These characteristics may be color and shade variations, irregular markings, voids, pitting, veins, and differences in density causing sheen variations. It is a standard practice to repair some of these variations by one or more of the following methods; waxing, grinding or filling. Due to normal wear, cracks and voids may appear; these can be readily repaired using floor grout and/or epoxy. All of these variations and characteristics are common and present, to some degree. However, these characteristics are part of the natural beauty of the stone and will not impair the function or wearing qualities of the material. To avoid damage caused by tracked-in dirt, place floor mats inside and outside of exterior entryways. Sweep or vacuum regularly to prevent loose dirt from abrading your floor. Tracked-in dirt is abrasive and can mar the flooring surface.

A regular maintenance regimen will help your natural stone be more resistant to scratching and wear. Natural stone, especially polished stone, is sensitive to harsh chemicals. We recommend wiping or mopping stone surfaces with warm water or a pH-balanced neutral cleaner. Rinse the surface thoroughly after washing and dry with a soft cloth. Change the rinse water frequently. Do not use scouring powders or creams; these products contain abrasives that may scratch the surface. Do not use vinegar or any cleaners containing acids or strong alkaline agents. Whether a stone product is sealed or unsealed, all spills must be cleaned up immediately to avoid possible staining and acid burns from citrus juices or acidic liquids. Acid-based foods, such as citrus or tomatoes, can etch into the polish of more delicate stones, like marble and onyx. Do not place hot items, such as pots and pans, on any stone. As a safety precaution, use coasters on countertops. To prevent alkaline and soap-scum buildup, use squeegees in shower areas.

By Tom Troland, Senior Market Analyst- Home Categories, Meredith Research Solutions and Art Spinella, President, CNW Research

Without question, the kingpin of consumer home remodels is the kitchen. It consumes more attention, energy, finances and complex decision-making than any other project, short of building an entirely new house. Those are the findings of a new consumer market research resource, which draws from more than 3 million home improvement projects and over one million respondents.

The study is part of an ongoing national investigation into U.S. consumer spending conducted for more than a decade by Oregon-based CNW Research. The home improvement data in the study has been broken out and expanded for the first time, and licensed by Meredith Corporation, publishers of Better Homes and Gardens. The CNW findings form the core of a new Meredith market research service entitled HomeSight, which is designed to provide rich, in-depth project, product, brand and information source data from the consumer perspective to the home improvement industry. HomeSight will also design and prepare proprietary research analysis for clients for a fee.

Conducted throughout 2006 and continuing through the end of 2007, the initial installment of HomeSight looks at 25 major and intermediate home remodel project categories ranging from attics to basements: kitchens, baths, living rooms, bedrooms, porches, decks and more. Surveying follows consumers from their motivation phase with repeat contact through five stages of information gathering and product and brand purchase decisions for each category of project.

Some top line findings:

• HomeSight learned that there is a “process” in making home improvement decisions that is virtually the same regardless of budget, household income or demographic profile of the home owner.
• Kitchen remodels are viewed by women consumers as the premier interior decorating project when it comes to “showing who I am” to friends, relatives and other women. (Men hold entertainment spaces and finished basements in slightly higher regard.)
• Not surprisingly, women take responsibility for the vast majority of kitchen and bath decisions ranging from style and color choices to product and brand selection.
• Because kitchen remodeling is a “show-me” visual and tactile home improvement, showroom product displays are most effective when presented in “selective compression” scale, brightly lit and set in a “real-life” kitchen-like environment.
• Consumer decisions about products and brands for a kitchen are the most volatile among all the home improvement categories. Consumers change their selections more frequently over the duration of the kitchen remodel process than HomeSight data found in other room re-dos. The process is a learning curve far more than a purchase funnel.
• Many kitchen remodels take a long time to complete- as much as six years in the most extreme case. But the average duration (from initial concept to completion) is nearly two years.
• Contractors involved in installation-only hold little sway in kitchen-product selection. Retailers, such as kitchen and bath dealers, have more influence over customer’s kitchen brand choices than for any other project category except roofing.
• Kitchen remodels are the province of “Empty Nester” life stage (36%) and of “Mature Families”- those with teenage and young adult children still in the household (43%).

The Homesight Decision Process

To understand HomeSight’s findings better, here is a basic primer on the shopping process uncovered by the research.

In effect, there are five stages that homeowners undertaking a kitchen remodel go through after they are motivated to begin this project.

First, there is a period of roughly five weeks during which consumers assess their household’s “needs.” Many projects that eventually become full-scale remodels frequently start as small, simple DIY makeovers or replacements. An old or out of date refrigerator may need to be replaced. But that change will spark a chain reaction that encourages consideration of new adjacent appliances and fixtures, and in turn motivates the consumer to consider faucets, cabinets and countertop, which entices the consumer to add flooring, wall colors and accessories to the remodel mix.

The first decision stage- needs assessment- generates a “wish list” of changes, product replacements and general overall style preferences such as contemporary, country or modern.

Regardless of family income, the same list of products make the initial-stage “wish list,” HomeSight finds. The differences are in budget rather than scope.

For kitchen remodels, magazines are the dominant source of brand and product ideas.

More than half of kitchen consumers keep a project folder with most of the content coming from magazine ads and, to a lesser degree, magazine editorial features. The reason? Good advertising has all of the information about a product in a clear, concise format and, unlike the Internet, television, radio or even newspapers, the content is easily retained and usually provides an eye-catching color pallet.

This project book is an eclectic mix of styles, small and large appliances and a wide assortment of product designs.

In the typical HomeSight household, kitchen consumers had 19 product categories and 52 brands under consideration, which fit into the overall needs assessment for the room based on how it will be used. The specific needs range from family size to frequency of entertaining and whether that entertainment is casual or more formal.

Once the general purpose of the kitchen remodel is framed, consumers enter the second stage of the process- they make product comparisons. During such comparisons, the knowledge base of brands and kitchen items is relatively small based on what was already part of the consumer’s brand and product awareness.

The homeowner then begins to distinguish among the various types of the same product. Should it be a cooktop or a traditional range? Laminate or ceramic? Built-in or freestanding appliances? Natural or man-made countertops?

Again, new choices are added to the project folder and some others are eliminated. The research shows that, on average, the consumer during this stage expands the number of potential products under consideration slightly, but reduces the number of brands.

An interesting phenomenon occurs during the third stage- features comparison. Consumers begin adding brands and products in a rapid and almost frenetic fashion, upping the list of brands to 75 and the number of products to 28.

The reason for this expansion relates to the broadening of possibilities, finding products the consumer never considered before or even knew existed; minor brands that may not be on the radar screen in a national sense. It is during this stage that less-known or niche brands have their best shot at being considered and may displace a well-known national manufacturer’s high-profile product line, if the new discoveries fit the homeowner’s rapidly developing sense of the finished project.

Generally, homeowners will spend a month and a half just in the comparison stage. But most important, it is at this juncture- a literal tipping point- that consumers decide if the project will continue or not.

It is also at this point in the process that retention on the wish list guarantees a brand will be part of the final consideration set and involved in the purchase-decision. Conversely, HomeSight shows that if a brand loses its place on the wish list, it is highly unlikely the decision-maker will ever again consider that brand for the project.

In fact, retailers can make or break a brand at this point for showroom visitors. Enthusiasm for a brand or product is still fragile among consumers who are now searching for practicality rather than just general knowledge. A showroom staffer who can explain the advantages of one brand over another can cement that manufacturer’s appliance, plumbing fixture or countertop brand in the shopper’s mind- or destroy any consideration of the brand completely.

This takes us to stage four- Design and Style Comparisons.

Once again, the design showroom can play a major role in the consumer’s desire to move on toward completion of the remodel.

When HomeSight homeowners were asked about their product and brand shopping list, they revealed a narrowing of choices- now 25 products and only 35 brands, compared to 28 and 75 in the previous stage. In effect, the consumer- who is seeing the final project very clearly- is looking at barely more than a single brand per product type compared to nearly 3 brands per product consideration in stage three.

Also, it is here that the consumer becomes set on a “style” for the overall project, perhaps casting aside an ultramodern look for a comfortable country focus, or rejecting her dream design to opt for straightforward functionality. For many retailers and designers, this can be a touchy point. The consumer is no longer open to the full range of choice and has her heart set on narrow focus. She is looking for products that meet her criteria rather than seeking advice on a smorgasbord of choices.

Attempts to intervene and redirect those decisions risk the chance of losing the sale. More than 60% of HomeSight homeowners who reached stage four and visited a showroom said a store representative- not product availability at that shop- caused them to go find a product elsewhere. Among those who acquired a product elsewhere, nearly half said it was because the offending salesperson “wasn’t listening” to her ideas or product desires and “aggressively attempted to change” her choices.

This causes a dilemma for showrooms. At stage three, the shopper wants advice and sees that showroom as a good potential source for acquiring specific products. Just a month or two later, in stage four, the consumer doesn’t want advice; she wants confirmation of her choices.

How can a retailer tell the difference? Remember the number of products and brands on the wish list during each of the stages? A simple question: “What brands are you considering” will generate either a laundry list of manufacturers (she’s in stage three) or only a brand or two as a response (she’s in stage four).

During the entire process, price or budget always plays a role, but it is only in stage five- Price Comparison- that the remodeling homeowners become dead serious about their final choices. While they may have checked online or in print media for price information, it is here that project planners turn to the local market to see if they can meet the household’s budget goals for the project.

It is also here that store visits and local newspapers are far and away the most important source of information.

Now the list dwindles to 21 for brands and 19 for products- about one brand per product.

The customer has already determined that she is way over budget on the project and is about to trim some fat somewhere. But being over budget isn’t necessarily the most evil of conditions. HomeSight consumers tell us the biggest problem they have during the price comparison stage is getting the actual product desired and not a substitute unless it is truly comparable in quality, looks and “image” of the more expensive version.

Quick delivery, an extra effort to find just the right product, a demonstrable after-sale service support and a guaranteed liberal return policy will offset as much as 7% price disadvantage, HomeSight shows.

It is common for some high-ticket item product categories- automotive and aircraft, for example- to have an acquisition rate for a brand of as much as 60%. That is, of those consumers who put a particular brand on a shopping list, 60% will eventually buy that brand.

This isn’t so with home improvements and especially kitchens. The CNW research shows, for example, that one well-known national faucet maker has the highest acquisition rate at only 28%. In effect, 72% of the people who initially had that brand’s faucets on their wish list elected to buy something else.

A key reason for this is found at the retail level. Stores and showrooms can be the final arbiter of choice in many instances, simply because they are the last to see the customer before she purchases a product.

Adding complexity to the process is the fact that different products may have different consideration times. For specialty or high-end counter tops, a six month process is typical (excluding delivery and installation time). For upscale appliances, nine months is average and for cabinets, a much shorter four months, with flooring under three months.

The puzzle is getting all of the pieces to reach a nadir- completion- at nearly the same time.

Also making a home remodel and particularly a kitchen makeover more difficult is the ability of consumers to delay or even postpone the entire project for any number of reasons, from budget constraints to changes in household make-up (having a child, for example).

In fact, one third of all home remodel projects currently under way will be postponed for as long as five years. Of those delayed, 17% will never be completed in full, HomeSight suggests.

For the remodeling pro, it means that fully a third of even the most serious of shoppers will not return in the near future and, of those, about a sixth will never be back because the project is simply not going to happen. Knowing these stats, however, should encourage retailers to stay in touch with today’s shopper because the majority of kitchen (or other) remodel projects will eventually be put back on track.

Consumers should also be aware of the “status” quotient that different brands project and how they play into the decision process.

For example, a high-end kitchen counter may be trumped by a lower-cost variant so the consumer can acquire an ultra-high end refrigerator, which she feels has more status appeal.

Moving the customer into other room projects is also an option for remodeling contractors, HomeSight shows.

Why? For high-end projects and upper-middle to upper income households, there has to be a synergy, not only in the single room (kitchen, for example), but with other adjacent rooms. So, faucets that work as a design or style in the kitchen are likely to generate the desire for a complimentary design or style in a nearby bathroom.

All of the decisions are made within the context of a “gut hunch” budget that steadily increases as the project moves forward, HomeSight shows. Interestingly, though, the difference between original estimated budget (stage one) and actual expenditures is quite similar on a percentage basis, regardless of actual project cost.

For example, on projects that cost less than $5,000, the difference between estimated budget and actual expenditure is roughly 14%. On projects with an estimated cost of more than $45,000, the actual expenditure is roughly 13% higher.

Overall, HomeSight research gives clear indications of how to improve sales and increase the customer satisfaction of home improvers. The huge sample and rich data also provide statistical and empirical support for what many in the industry have known intuitively for decades (women drive kitchen remodels, for example).

The key to using this new research source is first picking at the corners. That is, finding generally accepted truths and putting effort into capitalizing on those truths. On a longer term basis, use of the research should generate ideas and new visions of how to meet customer demands.

source: www.NKBA.org

Many people can do a complete remodel job by themselves – but few can say they actually did it all alone.   We want to be your Copilot in your next remodeling project.

You have spoken to an awful lot of experts, but those experts haven’t spoken to each other.  What you are missing is a global perspective.   Someone to examine the big picture and tie it all together, and we would like to do so as your Primary Care Contractor – your Copilot.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association reports the styles for 2010.

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ (January 12, 2010) – The results are in from a recent survey of designers conducted by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) to reveal the key design trends for 2010. The results of the NKBA 2010 Kitchen & Bath Design Trends Survey confirmed the continuation of a number of existing trends in the marketplace, but also uncovered others that indicate shifts in the direction that kitchen and bath style will take this year. Below are 2010’s seven kitchen trends and four bath trends.

KITCHENS

1. Traditional is the New Contemporary
Traditional will continue as the most popular kitchen design style in 2010, with contemporary following closely behind, while the Shaker style is seeing a surprisingly strong resurgence. Shades of whites and off-whites will be the most common kitchen colors in 2010, while brown, beige, and bone hues will also be popular.

2. Cherry on Top
Cherry will remain the most popular wood for kitchen cabinetry, followed closely by maple, while alder increases in use. As for the finishes placed on those cabinets, medium natural, dark natural, glazed, and white painted will all be common. Other colors of painted cabinetry and light natural finishes are in decline, however, as are distressed finishes.

3. Floored by Tile
Ceramic and porcelain tile, as well as natural stone tile, remain popular kitchen flooring options, but hardwood will dominate the kitchen landscape more than ever in 2010. For countertops, granite continues to be the most popular option, but quartz will nearly catch up in popularity. For backsplashes, ceramic or porcelain tile and glass will serve as the primary materials.

4. Flexible Faucets
Standard kitchen faucets will become less standard in 2010 in favor of more convenient models. Pull-out faucets continue to increase their market dominance, while pot filler faucets will also become more prevalent. Kitchen faucets will most often be finished in brushed nickel, followed by stainless steel, satin nickel, and—surprisingly—polished chrome.

5. Undercounter Refrigeration
French door and freezer-bottom are the two most popular styles of refrigerators, and side-by-side refrigerators remain a popular option. A surprising trend is the extent to which undercounter refrigerator drawers are being used in the latest kitchen designs. Perhaps even more surprising is that undercounter wine refrigerators have been recently specified by half of kitchen designers.

6. A Range of Cooking Options
The tried-and-true range continues to serve as the workhorse for cooking, although the combination of a cooktop and wall oven is beginning to overtake it. Gas will maintain its position as the most popular type of cooktop over electric, although induction cooking continues to gain in popularity due to its energy efficiency.

7. Dishwasher-in-a-Drawer
Standard dishwashers, with the traditional door that pulls from the top down, will once again be easily the most common type in 2010. However, an increasing number of dishwasher drawers will be installed in kitchens this year for their convenience and their ability to wash small loads of dishes in each drawer, thereby saving water and electricity.

BATHROOMS

1. In With the Old, Out with the New
Traditional will be the most popular design style in bathrooms in 2010, as contemporary designs will be a distant second, followed by the Shaker style as an even more distant third. Beiges and bones will be the most common colors used in bathrooms, followed by whites and off-whites, and then by browns, indicating a somewhat subdued color palette this year.

2. Ceramic and Granite
Ceramic and porcelain tile will be the dominant flooring materials in bathrooms this year, while natural stone will continue to prove popular as well. Though increasingly popular in kitchens, hardwood flooring won’t become common in bathrooms in 2010. For vanity tops, granite will remain king, with quartz and marble also proving popular options.

3. Simple Fixtures
Perhaps more than ever, the most common color for fixtures will be white. Bisque and off-white will be the only other fixture colors at all common in new or remodeled bathroom. For sinks, simple undermount models will be most popular, followed by integrated sink tops, drop-in sinks, vessel sinks, and pedestal sinks.

4. A Nickel for Every Finish
Faucet finishes in the bathroom are similar to those used in current kitchen designs, with brushed nickel continuing to lead the way in 2010. Polished chrome and satin nickel will also be incorporated into many bathrooms, just as they had been throughout 2009. These faucet finishes will be followed by bronze and stainless steel.

Fall is a great time to tackle a home renovation project. Remember, home renovation doesn’t always mean a complete demolition of your existing space. It can also mean anything as simple as a resurfacing of the spaces you live in the most. Maybe removing dated ceramic tiles and installing timeless hardwoods. Removing aged countertops in favor of granite or quartz. Replacing old appliances with energy efficient models.

We have all received advertisements rubber-banded on our doors – “we’re working in your neighborhood!“, but who are they and where did they come from? The difference with us is not only are we working in your neighborhood, we actually live here too. We have a vested interest in your project.

Now is the perfect time to update your kitchen or bath (or bedroom, or garage). Many of the homes in our area were built in the late 80′s and early 90′s – hard to believe our houses are almost 20 years old. Updating may not be on your mind but maintenance should be. Many of the materials our homes were designed with are starting to show their age. And, in many cases, it’s the things you can’t see that should give you the nudge to move forward with your project.

Give us a call and we will help you with your home work.

Many of the homes in the area I live were built in the late 80′s and early 90′s.  A lot has changed in the last 20 years – and some things aren’t even made any more.  Take plumbing fixtures.  Try finding a large selection of polished brass fixtures a the local Lowe’s or Home Depot.  And take a good look at the fixtures you have.  Are they dripping a little?  Do they have calcium build up around the spouts?  You know they require fixing or replacement just for maintenance purposes.  So why not ReMaintenance them with new Brushed Stainless or Chrome fixtures?  Both are timeless and always available.  And when you replace them, you will want to take a look at replacing your water shut-off valves under the sink with 1/4 turn valves.  Years of calcium build up inside the old valves make them a possible maintenance nightmare if you ever really need to shut off the water.  Small deposits on the rubber washers will keep them from shutting off all the way.  Why not ReMaintenance them with 1/4 turn valves that have no washers.  And have you ever taken apart the P-Trap under your bathroom sink in the last 15 years?  Soap, Shaving cream and hair deposit themselves throughout the pipes.  Why not ReMaintenance them with new P-Traps.  The parts are just as cheap as a bottle of drain cleaner without doing damage to the rest of the system.

Give J.E.Davis Building Consultants, Inc. a call and we can help you with all your ReMaintenance needs.

I have heard many advertisements offering everything from $500 off on a bath liner to $200 off of a window replacement.  Instead of enticing me to buy from them, these discounts make me wonder how, in a market like this, can a remodeling company afford to give up that much money.  The answer usually lies in either too large of a margin to begin with or they will make up the difference with some other ”problem” they find while completing the job.

Have you ever called a carpet cleaning company and tried to use an $89 whole house carpet cleaning?  I did.  Two people showed up to do the job.  One guy cleaned and the other guy ran around my house with a clipboard trying to sell me more product.  My $89 carpet cleaning was potentially turning into a $300 job.  I stood my ground and kept him to the advertised price.  Again, many of these discount are just to get their foot in your door.

Here is an article I found that talks to Contractors about the dangers of  discounting:

It’s tempting, in a tight market, to want to discount your price. “I was practically paying clients,” says David Sturm, owner of Attention to Detail, in Atlanta, who lowered prices so drastically during the 2001 recession that he nearly went bust. “I thought discounting was the way to stay alive, but it was just a slow death.” That’s pretty much the consensus among business owners and experts.

“It’s a sure-fire way to drive your business to the brink,” writes Michael Anschel, owner of Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build, in Minneapolis, in an e-mail. “It undercuts everything you have worked to build. It undermines the industry. It makes you look desperate. It does not project an air of professionalism, strength, and longevity.” Anschel has actually raised rates by 0.5%, which, he writes, “is not really noticeable to the client, but we feel it is a little additional cash in the door [at] a time when we may have fewer projects.”

One of the main dangers of discounting is that you may not be in business long enough to finish your jobs. “It just leads you faster to disaster,” says Chris Stanton, owner of Novato, Calif.–based KSG Transform, a consulting company that serves the building industry. “Disaster comes from cash flow and running out of money. If you operate at a loss, you will at some point run out of cash.”

You’ve likely seen this happen with trade partners who offer discounted prices and eventually go under — hurting your remodeling company’s reputation in the process.

If you feel you absolutely must lower your price, don’t make a decision in haste. The tendency to want to offer a discounted price may come on when you are in panic mode in a bidding situation. “When the pressure is on, remodelers may be tempted to discount the final price for the homeowner at a presentation meeting if the homeowner says the price is too high,” notes Jerome Quinn, president of SawHorse, in Atlanta. But dropping the price so quickly sends a clear message to the homeowner that there must be a lot of fat in the job.

Quinn suggests telling the homeowner that you’ll review the numbers. “This gives you an opportunity to make a rational decision. It also sends the message that you have taken time to think through the estimate and come up with a fair price. You can also ask the homeowner to think about what they could give up to bring the price down while you’re reviewing the numbers. You may find the client willing to cut back on scope if given some time to think — and save you from dropping the price.”

In other words, you’ll be doing a smaller job at the same margin, so you’re still making the profit you need. You just have to do more jobs. It’s a trade-off, but it maintains your professionalism, and you won’t have to go back to people later on to explain why your prices are now higher. (Click here to see a discounting calculator.)

“For the longest time, I was known as being heavily discounted, and I had to stop using a lot of old clients because of that,” Sturm says. “When the economy improved and I readjusted my price, clients were astonished. It was hard to get back into the swing of things and charge the correct amount.”

Sturm learned his lesson and has made a lot of changes in his business in the past eight years. He now has a better client base, understands markup and margin, and feels that he is “a business owner and not a field hand.”

Know Your Value

To offer a better deal to clients, you must return to the difference between cost and price: Lower your actual costs and you can appear to offer a “discounted” price. You haveto work from true cost figures, otherwise you’re discounting a bad number, which will just hasten your demise. Think about how much you need to survive.

“If I want a 35% margin and I cut my overhead by $6,000 for the year — about $500 a month — revenue can drop $9,000 for the year,” says Leslie Shiner, owner of The ShinerGroup, a financial management consulting firm in Mill Valley, Calif.

To tighten overhead, she suggests looking closely at all costs. “Call your Internet provider and see if you’re on the right plan. Call your cell phone provider. You can’t cut the office in half; you shouldn’t fire the bookkeeper. But you can save money on the little things. We worked with one company that saved $24,000 by upping its health insurance deductible.”

Be wary of saving money on subcontractor fees. If they’re cutting prices, it might seem like a good idea to pass along the savings to clients, but beware: You don’t want to be left with a half-completed job because that subcontractor is no longer around.

The final lesson on price is that you can’t sell on price alone. Even if you have that just-right “Goldilocks” price, you have to sell yourself on the value you bring to a job. Work hard to differentiate yourself from other remodeling companies. Go the extra mile for customer service. “Sell on quality,” Shiner says. “If you’re selling on price, you’ll have a lot of unhappy clients.” Remind your clients that Mr. Half-Price Competitor may not be around to finish the job. You will.

Expensive as it is to remodel, it is tempting to think moving is the safest bet. But that can be far from true.

“In moving, there is no payback. It is a pure expense,”  Dan Fritschen, the author of “Remodel or Move,” says . “You end up writing an average of $40,000 in checks, and no matter where you move, that money is gone. It doesn’t increase your net worth — it is just gone.”

People often underestimate the true costs of buying a new home. Real estate commissions, financing charges, moving costs, utility deposits and other unexpected bills pile up. Then there’s the tax shock: “A lot of places don’t necessarily reset your property tax every year for every homeowner,” Fritschen says. “When you move, it may go up dramatically. That may still be a consideration when you remodel, but generally not as much.”

Comparatively, a remodeled home could appreciate by $100,000 or even $150,000, depending on what changes the owner makes, offsetting the expense of sprucing things up. The remodel could end up being financially neutral even after borrowing a huge sum to pay for renovations. Even if renovating makes sense, ask if you are financially ready to lay out the amount of cash required to do the work. A $100,000 addition might increase the value of your home dollar for dollar, but if you can’t afford that cash upfront, you will never get the job off the ground.

One way to ensure you keep your remodeling job in touch with reality is to consult the annual list published by Remodeling magazine and the National Association of Realtors. The list evaluates how much return you can expect from a given home improvement. Some jobs, such as regular maintenance, better siding and minor bathroom renovations, for instance, return more than 80 cents in value for every dollar spent. Others, such as adding a sunroom or a pool, return less than 60 cents on the dollar, or worse. “Anything beyond what you will get back through appreciation is a true expense,” Fritschen says.

The difference is a question of land value versus structure value. “Land appreciates the most, the house not as much,” Fritschen says. So staying on your existing property and improving the home itself could mean a substantial tax savings compared with moving to a new home where the taxable value could increase.

A decision to remodel or move comes down partly to emotions and partly to finances. “One of the first things you should ask yourself is if you really like the location your house is in right now,” Fritschen says. Consider your neighborhood, the schools and whether your home is average or below cost for neighborhood.

“If you like all of those aspects, then it is likely you can remodel and keep the things you like and improve on the things you might not like so much, size, amenities, things like that,” Fritschen says.

But even if you are in love with an area and you would certainly get your money back, columnist Glink says, it might not make sense for some people to commit to a potentially life-changing remodel. “You really need to be honest with yourself,” she says. “Do you want to go through the mess and headache of a remodel? You have to realize, things will go wrong. It will cost more than you thought. It will be a nightmare. And then when it is done, it will be beautiful.”