As building pros, you know almost everything there is to know about the building world and building products. But your residential customers? They might not be as up to date. And by the time they come to you, the level of knowledge and expertise they have can vary wildly. Some have researched carefully and know almost everything. Others [...]

Your customers would agree that remodeling is certainly worth the trouble in the end, but the process might drive them (or you, for that matter) batty! To help keep everyone sane, MSN Real Estate offered some valuable tips to those about to go through this process. Here are some things they want your customers to remember. Do [...]

One of the more consumer-oriented blogs that we like is Apartment Therapy. They have a series called Before & After where they cover small projects like renovating a dresser, all the way up to major remodeling projects. Not too long ago, they featured this lovely kitchen: Isn’t it nice? It’s especially impressive considering what was there before (bonus picture of the [...]

As our population ages, the question of how to house the elderly becomes a bigger issue. It can be ideal for older people to remain in their homes, but there are risks with that. On the other hand, going into assisted living or a nursing home often isn’t people’s fist choice. How can builders help [...]

We’ve all made mistakes at work. It’s natural; we’re human and usually mistakes can be fixed. When you have the privilege of being a builder or remodeler, mistakes take on a whole new dimension since you are dealing with the safety and health of homes and buildings. And one builder (actually, more likely a group) [...]

Green Building Megatrends for 2012 BUILDER “Yudelson unveiled a list of 10 other green megatrends destined for growth in 2012, both in the U.S. and abroad. And while, like the rest of the home building industry, green building will certainly face headwinds in coming days—such as squeezed budgets among families and governments—the market is poised [...]

Today the marketing department at Integrity Windows and Doors had the privilege of hearing Sarah Susanka talk to us about her work. Sarah has been a long-time friend of ours and we are huge fans of her. She’s a top architect, designer, author, visionary and all-around good person. Sarah talked about her new showhouse in Libertyville, Ill., [...]

It’s nice to be able to choose, right? And it’s good to be able to offer your customers choices — except when it isn’t. Psychologists have long noticed that when people have too many choices, they can become figuratively paralyzed. It’s like choosing a sandwich: Sometimes you just want a selection of well thought-out choices laid out [...]

Two Big Builder Failures Show We’re Not Yet Out of the Woods BUILDER “Just in the last few days, in a reminder of how treacherous home building remains, two of the biggest companies in the business have gone under. First, Minnesota’s Rottlund Homes, during its heyday the 40th largest builder in the country, announced that it would liquidate. [...]

As the current recession turns in to years, the homes we live in are changing and the effects of this could very well influence home building for decades to come. The Wall Street Journal recently covered some trends they’re seeing, as well as things that are fading by the wayside. The end of the closed-off, [...]