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Monday, January 31, 2011

A Few Answers to your questions

JH Basement Finish Company
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Why Are Our Estimates Free?
     The majority of our competitors would charge a substantial fee for a complete estimate on your basement.  In fact, the industry standard is between $3.00 and $5.00 a square foot for a written guaranteed design and proposal.  At JH Basement Finish, we think this is unacceptable.  Our philosophy is, and always has been, that the client should not be charged for the opportunity to learn more about finishing their basement and what that entails, including cost.
What Is The Cost Per Square Foot?
     The square footage price will vary depending on the individual client’s needs and desires and ultimately the design.  However, something to keep in mind is that in this area, the industry standard varies greatly.  Some of our competitor proposals are 30-50% over ours.  We do not meet the industry standard for complete basement finish, which is $35.00 to $75.00 a square foot; we beat it every time guaranteed.
Is The Price On Your Proposal Guaranteed?
     Absolutely, 100% of the time, no exceptions!  No overcharges and no hidden costs ever.
How Soon Can We Start?
     It is the goal of JH Basement Finish to start a project within 2 to 3 weeks of the contract being signed.
How Long It Will Take To Complete?
     Some of our competitors estimate a week for every 100 square feet.  Others estimate 6 months from start to finish.  We will be completed with the proposed work within approximately 4 to 6 weeks of our start date.  Most of our projects finish even ahead of this schedule.
Can We Make Changes Once The Project Has Begun?
     We will do everything in our power to accommodate any client request.
How Much Mess Will There Be?
     Our contractors assure daily job site clean up.
Who Will Do The Work?
     I will personally be your project manager.  As such, I will oversee all construction.  JH Basement Finish employs only licensed electricians, plumbers, HVAC’s and experienced drywall contractors.  The majority of our contractors have been with JH Basement Finish a minimum of 10 - 15 years.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

You Know "Why Finish Your Basement" Now, "Why JH Basement" Should Do It.

JH Basement Finish Company
Why Choose JH Basement Finish
How long have you been in business?
     JH Basement Finish has been in business for over twenty years.  In 1995, our company was recommended on the Tom Martino Show as being “on-time, on-cost, professional and courteous.”  That was our motto then and still is.  We were one of the first Basement Finish companies in Colorado and remain one of the finest.  In fact, we have been awarded the Gold Star Award by the Better Business Bureau eight years in a row for not having one complaint filed against us and we were just nominated for the 2010 BBB Torch Award.  We are also very proud to have been awarded the 2008 and 2009 as well as the newly announced 2010 “Best of Aurora” Award for Construction Companies.
Are you a licensed, insured, and bonded contractor?
     I maintain a General Contractors License and Supervisor’s Certificate, which I have held for over 20 years.  Our company has been insured with the same Insurance Company for the entire time without one claim.  Each of our contractors carries their own insurance and our electricians, plumbers, and HVAC’s are individually licensed.
Do you have references?
     We will provide you with a list of local references.  Please feel free to contact them, some are even kind enough to let you come out and look at their exciting new basement.
Will you provide assistance with our basement design?
      This is what we do!  We have a qualified architect working with us to make sure your design becomes a reality.  If you would like assistance with creating a design, we would love to offer you suggestions, ideas and pictures of other designs we have created.
Will you provide a thorough, final cleaning?
     We not only provide a thorough cleaning, we complete a final walkthrough to make sure everything is to your satisfaction.
How timely is your work schedule?
     Since basements are all we do, we offer high quality with a more efficient timeline.  We offer a shorter completion schedule than any of our competitors.  We can generally schedule you in within 2-3 weeks of signing the contract and the estimated time of completion is approximately 4-6 weeks from the start date.
How adaptable are you to changes?
     We will do everything in our power to accommodate any of your change requests.  However, since we are so meticulous in our initial design, other than additions you might decide on, there are usually very few changes.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Why or Why Not?

Hope you find the previous post informative.  These are tough economic times and tough decisions have to be made but I personally feel that there has never been a more financially sound time to finish your basement!

Why Finish Your Basement

JH Basement Finish Company
Why Finish Your Basement
How can we recoup the money we invest in this project?
    
     Realtors and Investment Analysts agree that besides kitchen and bath renovations, Finished Basements provide the biggest return in homeowners’ investments.  Take this example from Remodeling Magazine.

Market
Square Footage
Job Cost
Resale Value
Cost Recouped
National Average
788
$51,051
$46,010
90.10%
     Now consider that JH Basement Finish come in approximately 30-32% below the National Average; this means you will show a profit of approximately 20% - 30% when you finish your basement with our company.  This profit can be increased even more dramatically when you decide to add a kitchen or wet-bar.
Why not an addition opposed to finishing our basement?
     
     According to Home plan Finder the cost of adding square footage to your home in the construction stage or in addition are as follows:

Region
Low Price Per Square Foot
Med Price Per Square Foot
High Price Per Square Foot
National
$68.80
$94.80
$118.80
Northeast
$79.30
$105.30
$129.30
Midwest
$70.90
$96.90
$120.90
South
$61.55
$87.55
$111.55
West
$76.55
$102.55
$126.55
     
     Since the national average for completely finishing your basement is between $35.00 and $70.00 a square foot; it is easy to see why this is a much better choice in adding additional square footage to your home.

What if we decide to move, how will finishing our basement affect the resale?
According to MoneySense, the answer is as follows:
     “If you can complete the basement you will increase the sale ability and price of your home...stick with an open-concept floor plan, and perhaps add a bedroom/office with French doors if the space permits, finish the bathroom also.  The important thing is not to make it look choppy.  When it is time to choose the colors go with very neutrals...like a light taupe and high white baseboards and a neutral carpet.  A  lot of people do not have the money to spend after making such a large purchase, so the fact of having a home that is totally finished (keep in mind that workmanship must be good) will definitely be a plus!”
   
     “Most people do not have the time, energy, finances, knowledge, etc to renovate so if it’s done with quality the home is more attractive, gets a better price and sells quicker.  By the way with a walkout basement, I would recommend you consider a multifunctional renovation.  In other words, since it’s a walkout consider doing the plumbing, electrical, and space planning for an apartment.  Parents are living longer, kids are staying at home to obtain an education so it’s a really smart idea.  If those situations don’t fit you then you could rent it out or visitors to your home can have complete privacy.”
     In addition to those long-term financial benefits, what are the other advantages?
*Climate:    Basements are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.  Because basements are naturally insulated by the earth, you’ll spend less on heating and cooling costs and find yourself drawn there on particularly hot or cold days.
*Peace and Quiet:    If you long for an escape from the hectic comings-and-goings upstairs, get away to the basement.  On the other hand, if your children’s playroom or your spouse’s exercise room makes too much of a racket where it is, move it to the basement and reclaim the quiet upstairs.
*More Space:    Maybe you were planning on using an extra bedroom as a home office before a new addition to the family created the need for a nursery.  With a basement you could always move the office downstairs.  With less and less space available around homes, expanding down is usually a more attractive option than expanding out.