Jul
31
Sorry I just had to I couldn’t resist someone sent this to me – I know it has nothing to do with home-improvement but it does have to do with reality!
When top level guys look down, they see only shit; Sorry I just had to
Jul
28
I am not a contractor. But, my passion for real estate, construction and my furnished home rental venture places me smack-dab in the middle of the contractor world. Over the years, I have (somewhat miraculously) managed numerous real estate projects. In late 2001, I started buying homes in the most coveted historic neighborhood in Washington State’s capitol city. My first project was a total double renovation of a duplex. At the conclusion of the project, the chief inspector said that my duplex belonged on This Old House! I was proud. However, I did not come away unscathed, and I learned about unscrupulous contractors. Like the song, “I am so much wiser now….”. My current project is building a home. The banks are still sitting on their thumbs (and their money), So, I am building my home in spite of the banks. But, with this vast audience literally at my fingertips, I am intrigued and curious, and would like to start a discussion and solicit advice from those more learned than I in this ever evolving and exciting trade. So, here we go….come on, guys and gals, let’s make this viral! And perhaps you could reply based on cost, aesthetics, the environment, and any other criteria that fits. And, I will throw in my two cents, even if it’s wrong. 1) Vinyl windows. This is my soap box issue. These are even being allowed in historic homes even though vinyl has a “half life”. Marilynn
Jul
03
Going into this week, I had a goal for us to complete some prior projects and shut down early so we can enjoy our July 4th weekend. We have been busy and the mental and physical rest is much needed for the entire team. Well Monday afternoon a colleague asked us to help him out. His favorite Aunt Betty (She makes AWESOME cookies. WOW!!) had a contractor quote some work needed at her home. My colleague just happened to visit Aunt Betty after she approved the quote and was shocked at the price. He instantly said, no way, I have a person that can help. So he message me and the next day we came out and reviewed the scope of work and were able to save her nearly $1k and more importantly she is very happy with our work. A Happy Customer!! This week we received a work inquiry from our yellowbook.com ad (Kennard Investments, LLC our parent company). These are always special because so much of our work is from word of mouth so, satisfying this customer would be paramount. This customer had a sliding glass patio door that would flood her kitchen every time it rained. She has had several contractors come out and attempt to seal cracks and fix the problem unsuccessfully. After being frustrated with prior attempts to repair and realizing the fact that the sliding glass doors were probably the source of the problem, she decided to upgrade to French Doors with the hope of improving the look and solving the problem. We were able to remove the existing doors and install the new French Doors on Friday. The customer is very happy with the work and the fact that we will not be intruding on her July 4th weekend. A Happy Customer!! The reason these two projects were so satisfying is that if you read my blog written on 6-9-10, our first goal should be to satisfy our Customers. Exceed their expectations!! In that blog I openly admit that recently we had let some Customers down and that I committed to not let that happen again. I will never fool myself into believing that we can completely satisfy every Customer but, we can produce good work for a good price. That will allow me to be able to sleep good at night (Which as you can see at the time of this post, I do not sleep much. I started doing paperwork @3:30am. My fiance and the dog looked at me and rolled over saying you are a nut-case. To make this week even more satisfying; we were able to visit to 2-warranty Customers this week. They both needed very minor touch-ups to work that was completed in 2009. I do not believe either Customer believed we would honor our 2-year labor warranty. That made me feel good. 2-more Happy Customers!! As the the title of this blog says, Satisfying Week! GOD BLESS you and your Family this July 4th Weekend!! Be Safe!!
Jun
30
Hello Everyone, Kennard Renovations continues to look for new technology, social networking sites, etc. in an effort to better reach our future Customers. This blog will help us reach a broader audience and provide a open line of communication with our past, present, & future Customers. We are very new and raw to this, so we ask that you bare with us and feel free to give us suggestions. Below is a brief list of Repair & Renovation Services: •Plumbing & drain clearing ** Follow us on Facebook: Kennard Renovations (Fan or Friend pages) Follow us on Twitter: kennardrenovati@twitter.com
Apr
21
Imagine my fear when discovering that my debit card number had been stolen and used to buy diamond rings and for Skype charges! I was devastated! I started the recovery process by cancelling the debit card. And, then I called the company that sold the diamond rings. They are an online company with much the same look as Macy’s. Someone had created an account in my name and used my billing address, but shipped the rings to a person in another state. This company does NOT verify the three digit security code on the credit or debit card. Out of frustration, I placed a Facebook post……I hope that XXXX XXXXX enjoys the diamond rings I bought for her… This morning I received a call from that person. A friend had seen the post, and alerted her. She had been in a relationship (hadn’t physically met yet) with a man through a dating service who has been taking advantage of her. So, now we are BOTH victims. She has his phone number, alleged name, etc. She is now in contact with my local police and HER local police, and wants this solved! She is devastated, as this man had promised her a dream… Once her friend had alerted her, how did she find me? She used Google and found my blog postings! So there you have it. Never underestimate the power of the internet… Marilynn Stephens www.facebook.com/olympiafurnishedhomes
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