Put down the paint brush, sit on the couch and talk to me…

In the 1989 movie When Harry Met Sally, Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby play Mary and Jess (the side story to the title characters’ drama), your typical young couple struggling with cohabitation. At issue: a wagon wheel coffee table that Jess can’t live without and Carrie can’t live with. She even goes so far as to call it “this stupid, Roy Rogers, garage-sale coffee table!” Ouch … sounds like somebody needs some design therapy.

Wait a minute, design therapy? I can live with TV reno shows weaning me off wallpaper, and glossy magazines zoning in on what’s trendy. I can even handle the idea of color therapy (how certain colors resonate with our bodies and affect mood, health, emotions, etc.—it’s actually kind of cool). Hey, I like psychedelic music. But design therapy?

I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but it exists. But before anyone (me) writes it off as New Agey renovation excess, perhaps there’s some merit to it. After all, if feng shui has earned a place in home renovations, then maybe design therapy can, too.

We all know how stressful a home renovation can be, especially when there are two head chefs: the couple, the Mary and Jess. Disagreements and blowups can happen over light fixtures, let alone overall design. Design therapists, or “coaches” as they’re known in the biz, help clients work through the decision-making process, negotiate with contractors and architects, set a budget and timeline and mediate conflicts, between the clients themselves and the people they hire.

Former This Old House TV show executive producer-turned-therapist Bruce Irving helped a Boston couple negotiate changes with their architect, something they were struggling with. After all, who were they to argue with years of architectural education? Dealing with experts can be terrifying, and if help is available these days for everything from walking your dog to personal shopping, why not hire a professional to mediate your home’s future?

But design therapists don’t just help with conflicts; they also guide overall design so that it’s in line with your personality, which is especially critical when it comes to wagon wheel tables, beer can collections and (ladies, you’re not exempt here) a drift toward floral and (gasp!) mauve.

Design therapy: it’s only a matter of time before Woody discovers it.

Sooner or later we all need to call a plumber. A plumber is expensive and there’s no way around that. But there are a variety of ways to get the most value for your money. This guide will highlight the most effective ways to save money on plumbing.

Compare Hourly Rates

The first, and often only thing, that consumers zero in on when comparing plumbers is their hourly rate. People figure that they should hire the “reputable firm” with the lowest rate. Sounds simple and direct but it doesn’t always work.

The first concern is with the concept of “reputable.” For most people, if they have heard the name many times over the years, they feel that the firm must have an established reputation. Unfortunately, this is often untrue. In the plumbing field, in particular, several of the most highly promoted companies have the worst track records.

The second problem with the hourly rate is that it is difficult to compare rates because of the many ways plumbers count the hours. Travel time is a factor that should be considered. Plumbers spend a good part of their day driving from job to job. They must be compensated for this time.

The bottom line is that it is very difficult to make objective comparisons between two plumbers’ hourly rates. But there is an even bigger problem with focusing on hourly rates. The issue of quality should be considered.

The best way to select a plumber is on his overall ability to deliver customer satisfaction consistently. Costumer satisfaction takes into account all of these issues and constitutes an accurate indication of value received.

Minimize Need

An entirely different approach to saving money on plumbing is to reduce the need to call them at all. The most common plumbing calls have to do with drains. Many homes have one or two problem drains and several that never need any attention at all.

Grease tends to build up over time. You can counteract this by doing things to reduce the grease buildup. There are several products available designed to reduce grease build up. Experiment with these and you may find you can stay one step ahead of a clogged drain indefinitely. Some people have found success with just pouring boiling sudsy water down the drain periodically to reduce grease buildup.

In most cases, hair can be trapped in some sort of screen or drain cover. Talk to your plumber next time he’s there and ask about suggested ways to prevent the hair from getting in the drain. It’s much easier to gather hair off the screen periodically than it is to deal with a clogged pipe.

Another costly, but preventable, problem is frozen pipes. Make sure that all your pipes are in heated spaces. If any are not, make sure they are well insulated. Each fall, when the weather turns colder, disconnect and drain your garden hoses, turn-off the indoor cut-off valve located near the faucet, and open the outdoor faucet. If there is no cut-off valve, consider installing one. Any water left in pipes exposed to below-zero temperatures will freeze.

Buy Your Own Fixtures

A popular and effective way to save money is to buy your own fixtures. Traditionally, plumbers sell you the toilets, sinks, faucets etc. that they install. Typically they’ll get the items at a discount and charge you full price. In part, this is to make money and in part this is to cover the costs of dealing with purchases, returns, storage etc. In recent years, however, some of the home center stores now charge you prices that are even lower than the contractor prices that plumbers pay their suppliers. One result is that plumbers are shopping more and more at the same stores you are. There are many instances where you will do better buying your own fixtures, providing you have the time to invest in shopping around.

While this approach can save you big bucks, there are three caveats to keep in mind. First, many fixtures that appear to be great buys are poorly made or are missing adapters, installing kits or other components that normally come with similar products. Shop carefully.

Second, if you supply the fixture and the plumber installs it and something goes wrong, there is likely to be some confusion as to whose responsibility it is. One way to get around this is to check with the plumber up front about what brands or lines he recommends and then buy those brands.

Checking with the plumber up front also gets you around the third problem. Every product or line of products has its own installation quirks. Choosing a fixture that is familiar to your plumber assures that you will get the full advantage of his expertise and experience. If instead, you choose something he’s never worked with, expect that you’ll be paying for some on-the-job learning mistakes.

cpaulsen@homerenovationguide.com

While homeowners choose to undertake many kinds of home renovations, installation and/or repair of heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment is usually considered an exceptional measure. Yet the heating and cooling system in any structure is a critical factor in occupant comfort and quality of life. The purchase of a furnace, air conditioner or ventilation system is a major investment and deserves careful consideration.Most provinces require the hiring of a licensed or qualified HVAC tradesperson to perform the work because of the safety concerns and consequences involved. However, homeowners frequently do not distinguish among contractors on anything other than price. Consumers should be aware that the lowest price is not always the best value!

There are some obvious red flags to look for when you are shopping around for a contractor. For example, reputable contractors will not quote prices without seeing the job. Reputable contractors will not request large cash advances prior to the delivery of any equipment or materials. And any reputable contractor will readily provide a full business address as well as a telephone number where they can be reached. Apart from these more obvious tip-offs, there are a number of guidelines that a homeowner should keep in mind in order to get the best value when hiring a heating and air conditioning contractor.

1. Finding Reputable Contractors

You may wish to contact neighbours, friends, relatives and co-workers for opinions on work done recently by an HVAC contractor. You can also use the business directory for your area, or newspaper, radio and television ads to identify contractors. In most cases you will be better off selecting contractors that promote the quality of their service and equipment at a reasonable rate, rather than just low prices. It may be best to select experienced firms. If possible, try to visit their offices.

You will want to determine whether the contractor has appropriately certified personnel on staff (sheet metal, refrigeration and air conditioning or electrician journeymen, gas fitters, etc.), whether 24-hour emergency service is available, and whether the contractor offers maintenance and service agreements after the installation and warranty. The warranty policy should be clearly stated for equipment, materials and labour and should indicate who is responsible for honouring the warranty.

2. Getting Estimates

Arrange for the contractor to come and inspect the job site. Some small jobs may be priced out and an estimate written immediately, but larger jobs may require additional time to price properly and to prepare a heat loss and gain calculation for proper sizing of the equipment.

Make sure that each estimate is written on a proper form that is easily read and understood. When comparing the estimates received, the statements about the work to be performed and the materials used should be of comparable quality, or the estimates should make proper allowances for any differences. Be sure that the estimate includes the proper permits and licenses. The warranty policy should be clearly stated for equipment, materials and labour. If the contractor uses sub-contractors for some of the actual work, these should be listed on the proposal and in the contract.

3. The Contract

The contract is the agreement between the homeowner and the contractor that specifies what work will be performed and gives a firm dollar value on that work. It is a legal, binding document when signed by both parties, so be sure you understand and agree with the contents before signing. Any changes or additions in the work to be done should never be made without those alterations being written into the contract and initialed by both parties. If extra billing is to occur, it must be clearly stated and initialled by both parties.

In addition to the name, address and telephone number of the consumer and the contractor, the contract should clearly state the following items:

* required licenses and permits to be purchased by the contractor
* responsibility for removal of old equipment and materials
* warranties and guarantees on materials and labour
* approximate start and completion dates unless specific dates and times are agreed upon
* price and terms of payment

The contractor should also provide orientation regarding operation and maintenance of the equipment, and should leave an operations and maintenance manual with the consumer.

4. Payment Methods

There is no standard method of payment, so the payment schedule will vary from company to company. In any case, the payment schedule should be easy to understand and clearly stated if interest charges are applicable. A nominal deposit may be requested. Get a receipt for your deposit or have the amount shown on the contract and get the salesman to initial it. All payments should be made directly to the company named in the contract.

5. Insurance

It is important that the contractor and any sub-contractors each have public liability and property damage insurance, and be able to produce a certificate of good standing from the Workers Compensation Board. You may wish to ask who the policy is with and follow up to verify that it is current.

6. References

Reputable contractors will be more than willing to give you the names and addresses of customers they’ve done work for in your area. You may wish to contact the Better Business Bureau, which maintains records of consumer complaints about its members. You should also ask whether the contractor is a member of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors of Canada (HRAC-Canada), the industry association for heating and air conditioning contractors in Canada. HRAC requires its members to carry relevant trade, fuel safety and municipal licenses as well as workers compensation. A companies membership in HRAC tells you that the company is properly licensed and that they are committed to continuous improvement through education and training.

Reprinted with permission from the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors of Canada. www.hrac.ca

**Courtesy of Sears Home Central - Home Central

Note: For American contractors, please visit the Air Conditioning Contractors of America at www.acca.org.