This past week, as another humid Michigan Summer draws to a close, we began an in-depth look into a dilemma facing many homeowners every Spring. Whether you are adding an addition to your home or just repairing some leaky gutters, you will be faced with the daunting task of evaluating potential home improvement contractors. Make the wrong choice and you may regret your decision all the way to the bank. But make the right choice and you just might discover how beautiful your home truly can become.

Last week, as we began this journey of discovery, we took a look at how to objectively evaluate a Company. We learned that you can read online reviews, ask to see a copy of their license and insurance and find out how long they have been in business. This week we take a look at evaluation point number 2, the PRODUCT itself.

Week # 2: Product 

It doesn’t matter whether you are buying something as small a new toilet or as large a new roof, you need to make sure you are getting a quality product. Here are few tips to keep in mind when taking a look at different Products for your home.

1. Get educated!  

• I can’t stress this enough, get educated! I have always said, we don’t know what we don’t know. No matter how much you think you know about a subject, you don’t know everything. Admitting this fact will allow you to become a more educated consumer. Spend time reading blog articles or perusing magazines dedicated to the home improvement project you are considering doing. While blog articles may be difficult to navigate, don’t discount them all together. With a little practice you will be able to tell the difference between someone who is just complaining to complain and someone who legitimately has a problem you should be aware of. Professionally objective periodicals such as Consumer Reports and Popular Science also offer a trove of additional insight to many popular home improvement projects.

2. Define what you are looking for.

• Far to often, I see this exact scenario. A homeowner is looking to replace the windows in their home. They grab the phone and with no set objective begin calling random companies to setup replacement window estimates. The key word here being random, as must homeowners spend little to no time first evaluating what they are looking for in a replacement window. Before you even call your first contractor, do yourself a favor and clearly define what you are looking for. If you are not interested in having wood windows in your home, you probably shouldn’t get an estimate from a company that only installs wood woods. This small step will save you time and headache with any potential home improvement project!   

3. Just because you like the look, doesn’t mean that it fits! 

• I have made this mistake countless times over my home ownership career. On numerous occasions I have seen things online or in a store that I thought would work perfectly in our home. Upon getting them into our house however, it becomes very apparent that my eyes have deceived my interior decorating abilities. We all suffer from this problem. I like to refer to it as the Modern Brian syndrome. I love modern things but our home is anything but modern! Take a few minutes and evaluate your home style and decorating touches. If all the trim in your home is painted white, you may want to reconsider your decision to get oak interiors on all your replacement windows. It is okay to think outside the box and paint your front door red but if you choose to do tan siding with dark brown windows, you may find yourself cringing every time you arrive home.

Selecting the right product for your home can be fun and exciting time. Get educated, define what you want and make sure it fits! By keeping these 3 things in mind with your next home improvement project, you will be sure to make the right choice!

We hope you have enjoyed this weeks blog article discussing how to evaluate a home improvement company. Next week we will take a look at evaluation point # 3, Installation.

This article has been written by the publishing staff at Pure Energy Window Company. We are Family Owned and Operated replacement window company servicing all of Southeastern Michigan and Lansing. If you are considering replacing the windows in your home, give Pure Energy a call today. Call (844) 449-9990 or click on the link below to get started!

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