Fast and Cheap(er) Ways to Fix up Your Home Prior to Listing

Check the condition of the landscaping, paint, roof, shutters, front door, knocker, windows, house number, and even how window treatments look from the outside

Add something special — such as big flower pots or an antique bench to outside of home

Install crown molding at least six to nine inches in depth, proportional to the room’s size, and architecturally compatible.

But besides making each squeaky clean and clutter-free, update the pulls, re-caulk, change out or re-glaze sinks, replace shower curtains and/or liners (makes no sense to clean and caulk if your curtains still smell and look moldy), replace faucets.

In a kitchen change out sink, add granite, add faucet & add one cool appliance, such as an espresso maker.

Clean the interior and exterior of windows

Make sure screens are in good condition

If you can replace carpet and pad before offering a discount to buyers

Screen coat hardwood

Get sorting — organize your piles into “don’t need,” “haven’t worn,” and “keep.”

Closets must be only half-full so buyers can visualize fitting their stuff in

Clean up clutter and piles need to be removed

Make you home smell inviting

Buyers want light and views, not dated, fancy-schmancy drapes that darken.

To diffuse light and add privacy, consider energy-efficient shades and blinds.

Clean garage and basement out, even hiring a storage facility for items in these areas that you
are not using is a great way for them to see “their” new space

Hire an inspector! Fix all items on their list PRIOR to listing your home!

Thoughts for a Safe 4th of July

Going away from our typical sales and design work, and thinking about the upcoming long and fun weekend that our staff gets to have with their friends and family, from bqques to firework made us think about general safety for our staff and clients!

Here are some of our thoughts to help you enjoy a safe holiday weekend!

- Keep a metal bucket with water near by when lighting fire-works, once the fire-works go off and cool down place the remains in the bucket so they do not reignite or burn someone.

- Keep an extinguisher near by

- Our owners husband is a fire-fighter and one recommendation she had was that she sprinkles her lawn, flowers and deck with a coat of water prior to the festivities

- Keep your fire-works on the ground, any that shot upwards are illegal in Colorado, we have a massively high fire danger, keep your home, your neighbors home, wildlife and your fire-fighters safe by being smart. Go to local shows that have permits for off-ground firework shows!

Here is to a safe, fun and relaxing 4th of July!

Management Please?

In today's construction world, the retail clients need and deserve management of their projects. All too many times we hear about jobs gone bad, or massive frustrations, a lack of communication or mis-understandings. When I dig a bit deeper into the complaints, I find more often than not, the issues are simple, unacceptable and/or down right weird. If a company offers no "Project Management" or they brush off the question, run! Proper Project Management is key to the success of a job, a fantastic Project Manager controls the progression of the entire job from the schedule, walk-through's with you the client, e-mail communication or job-site communication, sub-contractors and their warranty/insurance, the materials and how they all fall into place. There must be control, to know that the drywall was done poorly enough not to call in the painter, or the trim is not completed properly enough to stain, cabinets are delayed so stop the counter top people from measuring, the the tile guy ran short on tile.....even to the carpet is not installed so stop the final cleaning crew! All in all, properly managed projects come in on time, on budget and with less than 10 items on any given punch list! Success can be in the extra 5% you may pay for management, it is the guarantee to less money out of your pocket with change orders, less job site issues, no mad trades or complaining trades. Satisfaction and being able to smile after a 3 month project that is a great feeling!

Design Thoughts From Danze

Design is like language. You can use it to communicate so much about yourself. So why settle for décor that mumbles when you can share your take on the world in crisp, decisive prose? That’s precisely why Danze created the new Ziga Zaga® Collection. The clean lines and boldly assertive geometric shapes speak with a ref...ined sense of style and sophistication. Each element punctuates the look while working seamlessly together to create a bathroom environment where everything is as it should be. Exactly.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1429648183#!/pages/Danze-Inc/123693567658426?ref=mf

Visit our full-service gallery for Danze right here in Englewood, CO
2910 S. Tejon Street
Englewood, CO, 80110

www.projectproslp.com

Danze Does It Right!

This Lifetime Warranty Bathroom Fixture and Fitting line is on top of their game! They are revolutionary in their engineering, their state of the art facility and caring about our enviornment!

Living Green:
Homeowners and kitchen and bath professionals alike continue to show interest in the impact green elements can make on todays home. Whether it is within our manufacturing processes or in the products we develop Danze takes our environmental responsibility very seriously. Water-saving faucets, high efficiency toilets, FSC-certified furniture and water-saving showerheads are just a few examples of how we are offering choices for people to live more green.
Read more about our green efforts

Check out these links to leanr more about some of our products

http://www.danze.com/midgroup.asp?g=2&mg=5&b=2

http://www.danze.com/midgroup_products.asp?g=3&mg=10&b=12

By Popular Demand - Products Made in the USA for your home!

We get asked almost on a daily basis what product lines we have for your home are made and distributed in the USA
It is a great question and I think you will be surprised to find out that hundreds of products for your home are in fact made right here in the US

Shaw Flooring Wood Lines
Welcome Home Series
Danner Series
Tundra Series
Coffee House Series
Magellan Series

Mastercraft Cabinets
Oakcraft Cabinets
Quality Cabinets

Messina Flooring by Formica Brands

Countertops
DuPont Corian Acrylic
Living Stone Acrylic

Tile
Florim USA Stonefire Series Porcelain
Florim USA Wish Series Porcelain

All of these products and hundreds more are at our facility for your viewing pleasure
Come down and see our showroom today

Coming Soon....It's May in Action

For the entire month of May our mega vendor and maunfacturers will be involved in our "Bring it Back Home" Event, which will be a full month of specials and sales from 50% off a new kitchen, to menus to prepare in your new kitchen!

You can also find us on our Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=sgm&id=583924677#!/pages/Englewood-CO/Project-Professional-Building-Materials-and-Finishes/157339677024?ref=ts

From the editor of ReNew Magazine - Joe Ross:

Make sure your contractor is a pro

"Everyone is talking about bargains in the remodeling world. The market is flooded with out-of-work (you fill in the blank) who will offer to remodel your home inexpensively. In certain cases, this would be a smart move. Conscientious professionals have lost their jobs or businesses and you’d be lucky to have them work in your home.

However, you wouldn’t feel so lucky if an unscrupulous lout found his way into your home without credentials and the abilities needed to do the job right. We all know better than to hire such a person or company, but it happens all of the time.

True professionals understand the expenses that go into providing a service, whether it is design, materials, labor, marketing or other items needed for a successful business. Those costs and a profit margin have to be covered when a contractor agrees to work in your home. In addition to being comfortable with your contractor’s personality (you might need to interview as many as three separate firms), you have to be comfortable with the cost. Know your budget and stick to it. And if a bid seems too low to be realistic, beware. It will likely cost you more than a legitimate bid in the long run.

Local professionals are dealing with the economic downturn in a variety of ways. One industry supplier has added additional product lines to keep contractors happy. A designer said her clients have scaled back the size of their projects, so she simply tries to take on more projects to make up the difference.

A few words of caution: As a friend and food expert always says, don’t visit a Mexican restaurant and order the French cuisine. Or, if the folks that keep your lawn manicured decide they are also plumbers, be careful. With the industry turned upside down, there are plenty of carpenters willing to try electrical work and vice versa. Don’t be fooled. Hire professionals and check their credentials, insurance and worker’s comp. If it was a jack-of-all-trades that you sought, you’d have hired your son-in-law to do the work.

And one last timely issue to consider: Make sure you have your own definition or at least expectation of “green remodeling” when you launch a project. All companies want to advertise the word green when they hang out their shingle. Most firms have moved toward more sustainable remodeling practices, and the trade associations offer classes and certifications now. However, if your idea of green is a zero carbon footprint, then you’d better outline that expectation upfront with your contractor. His or her idea of green or sustainable home improvement practices could differ from yours."

Joe Ross
Renew Associate Publisher, Editor

Showroom Style

Our showroom is almost totally revamped!

We have added:
Arizona Tile
Dash & Azua Custom Cabinets - made right here in Colorado!

We have a new service area and have added workspace for our builders!

Come in and check us out!
2910 S. Tejon Street
Englewood, CO. 80110

Nova Cork

"Even though cork comes from a renewable resource and also recyclable, Nova Distinctive Floors takes it one step forward in its manufacturing process by recycling 100% of their manufacturing by-products for their facilities heating system. They are dedicated to protecting the environment by using renewable resources to manufacture cork floors and provide a unique floor and wall system for your design needs"

We offer the complete line of Nova Cork at our showroom!

IceStone - Distributed by DalTile

Thanks to our friends at IceStone and DalTile the below information was provided by our rep's from the IceStone web-site

"IceStone Durable Surfaces are made from 100% recycled glass and cement to create a high performance, green concrete material.
IceStone® surfaces are the ideal choice if you are searching for an eco-friendly, green countertop. IceStone surfaces can also be used for backsplashes, bathroom vanities, table tops, bar tops, interior walls, and commercial flooring applications. Beautiful shower and bathtub surrounds and kitchen sinks can be made with IceStone as well. IceStone surfaces can be mounted vertically or horizontally.

IceStone durable surfaces do not contain any petrochemicals and therefore will not fade from direct sun exposure. IceStone products are a healthy and safe choice for your surface needs, as they are chemically benign and 99.5% inorganic. Third party testing results are available upon request.

The fabrication, installation, and maintenance of IceStone surfaces follow similar standards used with natural stone.

Due to its high recycled content and Cradle to Cradle Gold Certification, IceStone materials can contribute to LEED points"

Shaw Carpet Fun Facts!

Thanks to our wonderful friends at Shaw Carpets here is a fun fact about carpet!

"The warm comfort that carpet provides is not just your imagination. Unlike other types of flooring, carpet is a natural insulator, providing additional warmth in cold seasons.

The use of carpet in a wall-to-wall application actually increases the R-value, or insulation level, of the carpet area, potentially saving homeowners like you utility costs while reducing energy use. The R-value (thermal resistance) measures how much a material resists the movement of heat through a ceiling, wall, or floor in a building. The higher the number, the more effective the insulation.

Recently, tests carried out at the Johns Manville Technical Center Thermal Labs, one of the most sophisticated laboratories of its kind in the world, confirm carpet and pad significantly increase R-value compared to other flooring materials. Results varied according to the carpet's construction, with heavier products generally providing higher R-value. Carpets were tested with and without cushion, and the combination maximized the R-value. Carpet really is warmer."

Read more about this aother great info about Shaw Carpeting through our website:
http://www.projectproslp.com/vendors.html#carpets

Wednesday's Hot Topic: Natural Stone Care

Project Professional sells numerous styles of counter-tops from acrylic, glass, granite, marble, slate, tile to onyx and limestone, but how do they all get cared for? Thanks to the amazing folks at StoneTech Professional here are some great tips on caring for your natural stone.
Do's:
1. Do seal every 6 months!
2. Do clean up spills IMMEDIATELY, spills do penetrate these very porous surfaces!
3. Do use trivets or mats under hot dishes and cookware use placemat under china, ceramics,glass, silver, copper and other metals, they can scratch the sealant and stone!
4. Do dust surfaces frequently, dust can cause scratching
5. Do use coasters under glasses, especially if they contain alcohol or citrus

Dont's (and even some of these may shock you!:
1. Don't wait to clean up spills on stone
2. Don't use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners, or tub and tile cleaners
3. Don't use vinegar, bleach, ammonia or other all purpose cleaners
4. Don't use abrasive cleaners or alkaline cleaners

The complete line is at our showroom so that you can care properly for your natural stone! Get more info through our web-site: www.projectproslp.com
Cleaners: Revitalizer, Cleaner, KlenzAll, Restore, Oil and Stain Remover
Protectants: Bullet Proof Sealers, Heavy Duty Sealer, Exterior Sealer
Transformers: Polish, Enhance, High Gloss

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

We are officially open to the public! Finally the General Retail Public can buy top of the line (NOT BOX STORE) products directly from the manufacturers! Check out our extensive list of manufacturers at: www.projectproslp.com. Metion this blog and receive 50% off materials through February!

Valentines Special Promo!

Valentine Special - Between now and February 12, come visit our showroom and receive a $15 gift certificate to the Chart House. Limited gift certificates available, set your appointment now!

Looking to 'Go Green' with your home improvement project? We have a great solution!
Nova Cork - Nova Naturals 11mm 12"x36" click planks starting at $5.94 sq/ft
Nova Cork - Nova Tiles 4mm glue down 12x12 starting at $3.71 sq/ft
You can visit the link below or link in through our website to see color and style options!Welcome to Nova Distinctive Floors!
www.novafloorings.com or www.projectproslp.com

RETAIL CLIENTS

To all retail clients:
Through February Discounts:
TAKE 50% off all flooring!
TAKE 30% off kitchen and bathroom designs
TAKE 20% off all plumbing fixtures and fittings!

Preview February Specials!

Special:
Due to its popularity we are extending this special:
Living Stone Solid Surface Countertops

ALL CHOICES $36.00 sq ft installed – nearly a 50% reduction plus
A free cutting board ($50.00 value)

Living Stone - 100% acrylic solid surface –
many colors to choose from

Referrals Pay-Out

Project Professional's Pay's-Out $100.00 to you, our followers for every sold referral you send our way! For the month of January we will double it if a contract is signed by the end of the month!

Kitchen Design

Project Pros is currently offering 50% off kitchen designs.
Includes site visit, measure, layout and rendering, 2 post design changes
Retail: $1000.00
Discounted Rate: $500.00
Good Through 2/18/2010

Tile and Carpet

Travertine Tile on Sale for $2.25 sq/ft - 3 sizes

Select Carpet and Pad on Sale for $7.50 yd

New Web-Site Launches

Our New Web-Site launched today! There are still simple changes to be added, but check it out!

www.projectproslp.com