Home Improvement Tricks: Winterizing

There are many quick fixes you can do around the house to ensure your family stays warm and your heating bill doesn’t go through the roof. Here are just a few!

Though this is the most obvious (and a lesson likely instilled in us from our own parents!) it should be mentioned here: close the vents and shut the doors in rooms you aren’t using! This will keep the heated air concentrated in spaces your family actually does use, and will help you save money in the process.

Replacing your windows is a great way to save money on energy costs, but an even cheaper solution to this is installing cellular shades. These functional and stylish window treatments keep heat in during the winter months and out during the summer. The price can climb significantly to replace all windows treatments in your house with these shades, so why not focus on just a few that let in the most cold air (these are usually located on the north or east sides of the home)?

We hope you found these tips useful! Do you have any winter improvement tricks to share with our readers?

Deeper Look at our Services: Custom Homes & Remodeling

Haley Custom Homes offers a complete range of custom home services in Colorado. We have been building and remodeling gorgeous luxury custom homes for years and we are certified an Energy Star builder which gives you the option to Build Green with Haley Custom Homes.

Custom Build

One of our strengths in home building rests in our unique architectural process. We can look at your set of house plans and talk to you about how you’ll move through the house, how you’ll live in the home, and what’s important to you. Collaborating with the architect, we can bring your vision to fruition, making sure that your goals are met at every stage of construction. If you haven’t chosen an architect to design your custom home, we can recommend one who meets our high standards.

As your custom home is being built, we’re in communication with you every step of the way. If you like, we will provide a morning e-mail that recaps the work that was completed the previous day and also alerts you as to what will happen throughout the day. In addition, we schedule weekly on-site meetings to keep you apprised of the progress on your home, and we arrange other key-point meetings as the need arises.

Remodeling

We can add stunning kitchens, luxurious master bathrooms, state-of-the-art media rooms, palatial rec rooms, and more. Our remodeling projects range in scope from a single room to a whole house renovation, from the basement to the attic, from first-floor additions to pop-tops.

There’s no better way to add value to your home – and enjoyment to your life – than to remodel or add on to your house. At Haley Custom Homes, we’re experts at residential remodeling projects, whether they’re small or large, including:

• kitchen remodels

• bathroom remodels / bath remodels

• home additions / home add-ons / home expansions

• basement remodels / basement finishes

• complete home renovations

Haley Custom Homes specializes in building luxury custom homes in Colorado and we can tackle any type of remodel or renovation, no matter how complex.

If you already have architectural drawings for your remolding project, please give us a call, and we’ll be happy to meet with you and provide a detailed estimate. Our bids include not only a thorough list of the scope of the project, but also an estimated timeline for completion.

If you haven’t chosen an architect or designer yet, we’ll meet with you to discuss your renovation project and then give you recommendations of reputable professionals we know and trust. If you’d prefer not to hire an architect or designer, we can provide you with a form that steps you through the scope of the remodeling project; once you’ve filled out the form, we’ll be able to provide you with a detailed estimate.

When you’re comparing Haley Custom Homes to other local custom home builders or general contractors, please consider:

• We have an excellent reputation in the community, among home builders, homeowners, realtors, and subcontractors.

• We’ve been approved as an Energy Star builder and followed “Green Build” practices for years.

• We believe in a team approach. We’ll assign an experienced Project Manager to your project, who will work closely with everyone involved in the remodel or renovation, including one of our Supervisors, who will be on site.

• We follow home building best practices, including carrying full insurance and obtaining all necessary construction permits.

For more information on our remodeling and renovation services, please call Dan Fuller at (303) 601-9446, or e-mail dan@haleycustomhomes.com.

Haley Custom Homes builds luxury custom homes throughout Colorado, including Cherry Hills, Greenwood Village, Vail, Aspen, Snowmass, Littleton, Parker, Castle Pines, Denver Tech Center, Country Club, Bonnie Brae, Washington Park, Hilltop, and Observatory Park.

Donating to the Community

Here at Haley Custom Homes we understand the importance of giving back to local organizations. We love the great state of Colorado and believe in investing in charities and participating in events where proceeds benefit children’s health, individuals with mental and physical challenges, and education programs for lower-income families.

Here are a few of the charities we donate to each year:

Barbara Davis Center

Children’s Diabetes Foundation

Colorado Children’s Hospital

Ace Foundation

Challenge Aspen

How to avoid contractor scams (Part III)

Scam: I’ve got extra materials I can sell you cheap

This hoax is usually run by driveway paving companies, whose materials—hot-top asphalt and concrete—can’t be returned to the supplier. So the crew pulls up to your house with a load of leftover product and quotes a great price to resurface your driveway on the spot.

Even if it really is a bargain (by no means a sure thing), taking them up on the offer is risky if you have no idea who they are and haven’t checked references. And if the driveway starts cracking next year, you can bet you won’t find this bunch again.

How to avoid contractor scams (Part II)

Scam: I don’t need to pull a permit

You’re legally required to get a building permit for any significant construction project. That allows building officials to visit the site periodically to confirm that the work meets safety codes. On small interior jobs, an unlicensed contractor may try to skirt the rule by telling you that authorities won’t notice. On large jobs that can’t be hidden, the contractor may try another strategy and ask you to apply for a homeowner’s permit–an option available for do-it-yourselfers. Taking out your own permit for a contractor job means lying to authorities about who’s doing the work, and it makes you responsible for monitoring all the inspections—since the contractor doesn’t answer to the inspector, you do.

Scam: We ran into unforeseen problems

The job is already underway, perhaps even complete, when this one hits. Suddenly your contractor informs you that the agreed-upon price has skyrocketed. He blames the discovery of structural problems—like a missing beam or termite damage—or design changes that you made after the job began. The additional fees might very well be legit, but some unscrupulous contractors bid jobs low to get the work and then find excuses to jack up the price later.

If you’re unsure whether your contractor is telling the truth about structural problems, you can get an impartial opinion from a home inspector, the local branch of the National Association of Home Builders, or even your local building department. Before signing any contract, make sure it includes a procedure for change orders—mini-contracts containing a work description and a fixed price—for anything that gets added to the job in progress. The extra work, whether it’s related to unforeseen building issues or homeowner whims, can proceed only after the change order is signed by both homeowner and contractor.

How to avoid contractor scams (Part I)

Over the next few blog posts, we are going to discuss many of the scams you are likely to see during the building process. Please note, this list is by no means comprehensive and is not representative of the many fine, established builders out there. These blog posts will hopefully demonstrate just how essential it is to fully research any company you will be working with for your home project.

Scam: I’ll need the money up front

There are only a few things that you should pay for upfront, including custom windows, custom doors, carpet, and custom tile. There’s no guarantee a builder won’t leave town after you’ve paid a hearty sum and it’s advisable to stay away from anyone who claims this is common practice.

How to protect yourself: Agree to pay no more than 50% upfront and write checks directly to the vendor, not the contractor.

Scam: Take my word for it

When you first meet with a contractor, he’s very agreeable about doing everything exactly to your specifications and even suggests his own extra touches and upgrades. Some of the details don’t make it into the contract, but you figure it doesn’t matter because you had a clear verbal understanding. Pretty soon, you notice that the extras you initially discussed aren’t being built. When you confront the contractor, he tells you that he didn’t include those features in his price, so you’ll have to live without them or pony up additional money to redo the work.

How to protect yourself: Unfortunately, you have no legal recourse because you signed a contract that didn’t include all the details. Next time, make sure everything you’ve agreed on is written into the project description. Add any items that are missing, put your initials next to each addition, and have the contractor initial it, too—BEFORE you sign.